Disease



PARKINSON’S DISEASE


Parkinson’s disease is most common among older people, with the majority of sufferers age 50 and above. Along with other neurodegenerative disorders, such as Huntington’s disease, it provides promising therapeutic targets for cannabinoid medicines, especially since the treatment options for these serious conditions are somewhat limited.



Historical Uses


Parkinson’s disease was first described as a neurological syndrome by James Parkinson in 1817, although descriptions that match Parkinson’s disease appear in traditional Indian medical texts from 1000 BCE.135 William Gowers, a nineteenth-century British neurologist, used cannabis in combination with opium to treat Parkinson’s disease and stated, “I have several times seen a very distinct improvement for a considerable time under their use.”136


Description


Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease caused by the loss of neurons that produce the neurotransmitter dopamine within a small region in the midbrain called the substantia nigra. Reduced levels of dopamine interfere with coordination and motor function. The precise reason that these dopamine-producing neurons are lost in PD is still unknown although inflammation, along with environmental and hereditary factors, are thought to be partially responsible.134

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Jun 24, 2016 | Posted by in PHARMACY | Comments Off on Disease

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