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The
most common symptoms of Parkinson’s disease
are general slowness of movements, trembling and
stiffness (rigidity) in the hands, arms, legs, jaw
and face and trunk and problems with balance. There
is no cure for Parkinson’s, but medication
can help relieve some of the symptoms for a time.
The disorder can eventually lead to total disability,
often together with a general deterioration of all
brain functions.
Parkinson’s is believed to be caused by damaged
or degenerating dopamine neurons in a specific part
of the brain called the basal ganglia. The basal
ganglia is thought to be important in our ability
to control balance and co-ordinate the activation
of different muscle groups control of voluntary
movement. As these dopamine-producing neurons degenerate,
the lines of communication required for the control
of movement between the brain and the body become
progressively weaker.
Kinesiology professor Dr. Quincy Almeida, who studies
Parkinson’s disease as well as other basal
ganglia-related movement disorders, says the basal
ganglia “might have a different function than
what we currently believe, and hence the symptoms
we actually see (in Parkinson’s patients)
may not be caused by what we would normally think.”
Almeida,
who last year received the Franklin Henry Young
Scientist Award, which is awarded to the top young
Canadian scientist in motor control by the Canadian
Society for Psychomotor Learning and Sport Psychology,
thinks it is possible that the basal ganglia doesn’t
just control motor output, as is currently believed,
but may be involved in processing of sensory information.
Quincy
is the son of Anthony(Magneric) (Ex-Nairobi Kenya
Police) & Odette Almeida of Mississauga. Quincy
is married to Erin Almeida Magneric
For
more details on Dr Quincy's work see:
http://www.wlu.ca/news_detail.php?grp_id=0&nws_id=423
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