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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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