Morbus Parkinson

There are several subforms of the disease. The best known is probably the Chorea major (Chorea Huntington). A minor form also occurs.

It is a hereditary disease. A defective hereditary gene copy is sufficient to cause the disease. In contrast to Parkinson’s disease, the same messenger substance (dopamine) has an increased effect here (“reverse Parkinson’s disease”).

Due to the opposite cause to Parkinson’s disease, the patients’ symptoms are also basically opposite. Chorea is characterized by hypotonic (flabby) muscles and increased movement (hyperkinesia). Hyperkinesias are sudden, lightninglike and above all involuntary flinging movements.

In the case of Huntington’s disease in particular, personality changes are added. Since it is a hereditary disease, the questioning (after) the family and similar diseases plays an important role. Neurological examinations, CCT (computer tomography of the skull), EEG (electro-encephalo-gram = measurement of brain waves) and blood samples follow.

Unfortunately, the cause cannot be eliminated, so the disease is incurable. Drugs can be administered to reduce the occurrence of sudden involuntary movements. The prognosis for Huntington’s disease is 15-20 years survival. The prognosis for minor chorea is good with a duration of the disease of 1 – 6 months, a cure is possible.

Dystonia

Dystonia is a state of muscle tension with abnormal posture. These can be isolated (e.g. only the right side of the neck), one-sided or generalized. The cause is the destruction of nerve cells, which are important for the coordination of movements.

Familial clustering occurs. Tumors (benign or malignant) are also possible. Primary and secondary forms caused by other diseases are therefore present.

Depending on the location of the lesion in the nervous tissue, different symptoms may occur. The so-called torticollis spasmodicus is frequent. This is a slowly progressive spastic contraction of the neck and neck muscles.

The head then turns to the opposite side. Other parts of the body (hands, arms) can also cramp due to muscle contractions. The diagnosis is made by taking the patient’s medical history (interview) and a neurological examination.

Therapy is carried out by administering medication to prevent the muscle cramps. The injection of botulinum toxin (Botox®) also shows good effects, but is still being tested in more detail and should only be used by neurological specialists, as it can lead to considerable side effects (e.g. difficulty swallowing) if used unprofessionally. Botox® blocks the receptors to which the messenger substances that mediate muscle contraction normally attach themselves. This toxin is broken down after about 3 to 4 months, so that a new injection is necessary. This disease continues to progress.