Hello David: In your experience, are the 'functional' symptoms of PD and Alz similiar? And if so is your treatment the same or would you treat a client with PD different than a client with Alz? Granted ALL clients are individuals requiring individual care but are their general treatment differences based on the client's diagnoses?
Ron ================================================= Tuesday, December 2, 2003, 9:25:18 AM, you wrote: LD> My understanding and experience of the mental changes/dementia due LD> to PD are related to the decrease in dopamine within the LD> nigro-striatal-cortical connections to the frontal lobe. The mental LD> changes occur as the disease progresses. It seems to cause a decreased LD> emotional investment in the movement I may be assessing (i.e. gait). LD> Therefore, this has been discussed as being one of the reasons for the LD> lack of initiation in P w/ PD. LD> Also, long-term use of L-Dopa can lead to schizzophrenic type dementia. LD> My approach to EVERY person with AD or PD is individualized and LD> never based soley on the diagnosis....certainly establishing where the LD> person is in regards to mental status is the start, for this will let me LD> know if I should use cerebral or primitive mechanisms in my approach to LD> treating the movement deficit. LD> Seems like most of the people with AD that I have treated were in LD> LTC facilities and were at the later stages. I would use very LD> common/familiar tasks (i.e. bicyle/dance/walk) for mobility training. LD> The person with PD may not respond as well given the side effects of LD> meds and the freezing issues associated with movement in the later LD> stages. However, in early stages, I can use cueing and strength LD> training to improve balance and gait. LD> David A. Lehman, PhD, PT LD> Associate Professor LD> Tennessee State University LD> Department of Physical Therapy LD> 3500 John A. Merritt Blvd. LD> Nashville, TN 37209 LD> 615-963-5946 LD> [EMAIL PROTECTED] LD> Hello: LD> What differences if any do you all see in the way that Alzheimer's versus LD> Parkinson's diseases manifest themselves in your clients? LD> Are your treatment approaches different based solely on the disease? LD> Thanks, LD> Ron LD> _______________________________________________ LD> To unsubscribe, visit: LD> http://otnow.com/mailman/listinfo/otlist_otnow.com LD> The OTnow Mail Archive: LD> www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________ To unsubscribe, visit: http://otnow.com/mailman/listinfo/otlist_otnow.com The OTnow Mail Archive: www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] ===============================================
