Graduation Year

2023

Document Type

Campus Only Senior Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Human Biology

Reader 1

Thomas Borowski

Reader 2

Darin Brown

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© 2022 Kareena Parmar

Abstract

As one of the most common neurodegenerative disorders among the elderly, Parkinson’s disease and its treatment have been well studied areas of interest over the past few decades. However, a definitive cure remains elusive and treatment primarily focuses on symptom management. The primary treatment for Parkinson’s involves dopaminergic medication which often results in a multitude of mental and physical side effects that negatively affect the quality of life of patients with this disease. More recently, medical research has begun to examine less invasive treatment options that center around movement and can be used in tangent with traditional pharmacological treatment. Although certain forms of movement therapy are generally accepted as adjunct treatment options, there are many that are still understudied and underutilized in the treatment of Parkinson’s. Furthermore, although traditional treatment using medications is still an effective and important tool in treating Parkinson’s, there needs to be a greater emphasis on holistic care to help avoid the plethora of negative symptoms the medicine often causes. In this paper, I have discussed the nature of Parkinson’s disease and its current treatment options, while also exploring a more holistically integrated standard treatment plan that places a greater emphasis on physical therapy, exercise, and other movement based treatments. Furthermore, I have included a research proposal aimed at comparing the effects of various treatment options for Parkinson’s patients.

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