FUNCTIONAL SYMPTOMS? not sure what you mean here...but, for the most part in PD there is a brain versus movement disorder and in AD it is more of a memory issue
I think I answered your second question in my first response.....no, I would not treat the same My approach would be to assess the impairments that I feel contribute to the functional deficit and attempt to offer intervention that would improve the impairment thus function (i.e. weight training to improve balance). The person with AD would not be able to understand the weight training....so, I might use something more familiar to improve balance (like dance moves) So, did I answer your questions? David A. Lehman, PhD, PT Associate Professor Tennessee State University Department of Physical Therapy 3500 John A. Merritt Blvd. Nashville, TN 37209 615-963-5946 [EMAIL PROTECTED] -----Original Message----- From: Ron Carson [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, December 02, 2003 9:06 AM To: Lehman, David Subject: Re: [OTnow] Parkinson's disease / Alzheimer's 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] =============================================== _______________________________________________ To unsubscribe, visit: http://otnow.com/mailman/listinfo/otlist_otnow.com The OTnow Mail Archive: www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] ==============================================
