Review the biomedical treatments that appear to reduce the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease on the one hand and Parkinson’s disease on the other. Highlight both the successes and the limitations of the treatments you describe.
What will be an ideal response?
Ans: Alzheimer’s disease: Drugs such as cholinesterase inhibitors are used to increase memory and other cognitive functions by increasing concentrations of ACH in the hippocampus. However, these effects are modest.
Parkinson’s disease: The treatment of Parkinson’s disease involves drugs that replace the lost dopamine such as L-dopa. However, dopamine replacement drugs are not always effective. A different approach for Parkinson’s disease is deep brain stimulation (DBS). DBS involves placing an electrode in the areas of the brain related to movement, usually the basal ganglia. This in turn is connected to a pulse generator that is placed under the person’s skin, usually near the collarbone. The pulse generator can be programmed to stimulate the brain in a number of ways related to the individual. This treatment approach is effective for some patients but is not recommended for all patients with Parkinson’s disease.
Learning Objective: 15.5 Identify methods of prevention, treatment, and support for individuals with neurocognitive disorders
Cognitive Domain: Analysis
Answer Location: Treatment of and Support for Those With Neurocognitive Disorders
Difficulty Level: Medium
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