Parkinson’s disease
Describe why you are interested in the particular health topic (Parkinson’s disease) that you are focusing on in your paper. Give a short background on your health topic, being sure to identify: what organ system(s) is involved; a general cause for the health condition (or the purpose for the technology); what you see as the importance of learning about this topic; the prognosis for someone with this condition (or the opportunity for using this technology).
List the most common symptoms
What does a person experience or feel who has this disease?
Here would be a good place to include information you learn from interviewing someone who has had this disease or who knows someone who has had the disease
How this relates to what you learned about the organ system (10)
Causes (10)
Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention (10)
Prognosis (and Complications, if applicable) (10)
Can people die from this disease?
If so, do they usually die, sometimes die, or only rarely die?
Can the treatments completely get rid of the disease?
Or do they only manage the symptoms?
Are there any problems that occur from this disease that never go away? For example, are people sometimes crippled or brain-damaged, or is their immune system weakened?
Discussion (10 pts):
Word limit: 200 – 300 words
Share your opinions on what you learned about this condition. What’s the take-home message you want to give your readers?
Sample Solution
Parkinson’s disease is a brain disorder that causes unintended or uncontrollable movements, such as shaking, stiffness, and difficulty with balance and coordination. Symptoms usually begin gradually and worsen over time. As the disease progresses, people may have difficulty walking and talking. They may also have mental and behavioral changes, sleep problems, depression, memory difficulties, and fatigue. The most prominent signs and symptoms of Parkinson’s disease occur when nerve cells in the basal ganglia, an area of the brain that controls movement, become impaired and/or die.
