Parkinson's disease is a progressively worsening disorder that affects the CNS; particularly the substantia nigra compacta located in both the basal ganglia and the brainstem. The substantia nigra is made up of dopaminergic neurons. These DA neurons create dopamine; the main neurochemicals come from our body. DA signaling, the chemical transmitter plays a key role in the motivation and reward system; activated by the ventral tegmental area (VTA), balance and motor movement; activate the basal ganglia (BG), red nucleus, reticular formation, substantia nigra (SNc) and cerebellum which are part of the extrapyramidal system. In this article we will see how the extrapyramidal system of movement is continually disrupted due to the lack of dopamine in the brain; leading to the disease called Parkinson's. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay All known conditions of Parkinson's disease likely emerge from a complex interplay between territorial influence and genomic makeup. These conditions are classified as sudden and occur in people with no apparent history of disorders in their family. The causes of these sporadic cases remain unclear as they are still the subject of speculation. About 15% of the population with Parkinson's disease has a family history of this disease, which explains the success of this disease. Similar cases of Parkinson's disease may be caused by changes in the LRRK2, PARK7, PINK1, PRKN, or SNCA genes triggering PD in combination with other factors; such as differences in food consumption and the environment. Parkinson's disease progresses in an autosomal recessive pattern. This type of inheritance means that two copies of the gene in each cell are altered. Almost always, the parents of an individual with autosomal recessive Parkinson's disease each carry one copy of the altered gene but show no indication of the disease. Mutations occur when transcription in cells deteriorates, leading to malformed proteins. Transcription is a process that segments gene expression where our deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) segment is transcribed or copied into messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA); and the mRNA created from this procedure plays a key role in protein synthesis. This is a tedious yet very complex process that takes place in all living cells. By meticulously enhancing and regulating, create a mature mRNA that can function as a coder for amino acids; just like building a house. Parkinson's disease is the second well-known nervous disorder in humans; characterized by the aggregation of the protein α-synuclein. This protein plays a key role in the kinase domain; and may exhibit dysfunction due to alteration during RNA transcription occurring in the SNCA gene. As a result, α-synuclein proteins become clumps called Lewy bodies; and can make it non-functional. These malformed protein clumps can be presented in various regions of the brain and can cause other nerve disorders. Accumulation of Lewy bodies in neural cells in dopaminergic SNcs results in more profound nonmotor symptoms; preceding the motor symptom in PD victims. Using a gene cure at an early stage could prevent Parkinson's disease, as there is no known cure yet. The most important pathological feature caused by the aggregation ofα-synuclein is the disruption of calcium (Ca2+) homeostasis. Calcium is an essential ion required for the adaptive nature of the cell as it is involved in many cellular functions such as neuronal network, second messenger and vesicle docking. The intracellular level of calcium ion concentration is lower than that in the extracellular area. This variation in concentration gives rise to the driving force of neuronal signaling that leads to rapid adaptation. L-type calcium channels are high-voltage-gated channels (Cav1 family) that involve burst firing and creation of a rhythmic rhythm. To date, research shows that dopamine neurons in the striatum require stimulatory signaling to maintain DA level. Unlike Cav1.2, Cav1,3 channels which are involved in peacemaking in the above process , have a wider opening range, which prevents them from closing completely. Because of this, more calcium influx occurs internally. Due to the sudden increase in calcium influx, the intracellular calcium concentration increases abnormally, causing cells to become less capable of producing homeostasis within themselves and more Cav1.3 channels are expressed through striatal DA neurons, causing more calcium influx. This constant exposure leads to apoptosis; or cell death of DA-producing neuronal cells. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article now from our expert writers. Get a Customized Trial Currently, patients have no known cure, but therapies like the precursor L-dopa, dopamine agonist, MAOI inhibitors, and anticholinergics are used to alleviate the manifestation. The familiar symptom of Parkinson's disease is tremor of a limb. Other characteristic features of Parkinson's disease are limb and torso rigidity, “bradykinesia” or “akinesia,” and impaired postural stability. These prodromes become visible slowly over time. Sporadic pathologies make age limitation more difficult; but most of those recognized are over 50 years old at the time of detection or when the trait manifests (late onset). There are also patients with early onset (before age 50) or even juvenile onset (before age 20), which raises the question of how well we know our genome. As I said before, this disorder is affected by the level of dopamine because it is triggered by the extinction of DA neuronal cells in the substantia nigra compacta; which in turn affect several regions of the brain. Due to the crucial importance of the DA level in the neuronal connection as a whole, PD not only affects movement, emotion and cognition. Parkinson's disease is estimated to affect more than 1 million Americans; and approximately sixty thousand people are diagnosed with Parkinson's disease; every year in America.Bibliography “141: Parkinson Disease”. Clinical Gate, May 22, 2015, clinicgate.com/141-parkinson-disease/. “Parkinson’s Disease Essay: A Progressive Neurodegenerative Disease.” » Cram, www.cram.com/essay/Parkinson-Disease-A-Progressive-Neurodegenerative-Disease/PK5WXCR9U64E5. Heyn, Sietske N. and Charles Patrick Davis. “Early and later symptoms of Parkinson's disease, 5 stages and prognosis”. MedicineNet, www.medicinenet.com/parkinsons_disease/article.htm.Mayfield Brain & Spine. “Parkinson’s disease (PD).” Mayfieldclinic.com, mayfieldclinic.com/pe-pd.htm. « Movement Disorders in Depth | Boston Children's Hospital. Children's Hospital,.