Real life bobble heads

[djet820]

What is it that causes (I've only seen it in old people) old people to constantly wobble their head? While working I've seen 2 people do it when asking for something today.

[stu]

It's called Parkinson's Disease and I believe it has something to do with not being able to control your muscles as well.

[djet820]

I thought parkinsons caused you to just be really shaky

[stu]

Yeah, just like Michael J. Fox. He will eventually shake his head like that.

[CT9A]

MS will do this too.

[stu]

I think MS is way more progressive and serious though isn't it? I mean, I know that you lose muscle control, but in a much worse way.

[djet820]

and MS is what?

[stu]

Multiple Sclerosis (sp). Don't you go to school? ;)

[djet820]

Yeah I never heard of MS though... :(

[CT9A]

I think MS is way more progressive and serious though isn't it? I mean, I know that you lose muscle control, but in a much worse way.
Sorry. Should have said early stages of MS. You're right, advanced cases cause severe loss of muscle control. In early stages, certain muscles will act "twitchy".

[David]

in part of your brain you have a section that produces a hormon called dopamein (sp?) which gives you smooth movement (its like an oil additive :D ) as you age, a lot of the cells in there get destroyed mostly by radiation, once you lose ~80% of them Parkinson's Disease takes effect.

I kick ass ;NutKick;

[Jackrabbit]

An older buddy of mine shakes like that... not sure if he has Parkinson's or if it's just due to his diabetes and excessive alcohol consumption.

[stu]

Also, if you take too much of the medication that they give you for Schizophrenia for too long it cause a condition (forget what it's called) that is essentially man made Parkinson's Disease. Schizophrenia is a VERY shitty thing to have, then on top of that, one of the main, and most common medications can give you Parkinson's; and you still have Schizophrenia as well. :(

[foxxof]

they are also finding [i think (its been a while since i read this)] that opiates do the reverse. and some amphetamines can cause similar problems. so too much coke use can in later life cause parkinson's like problems.... and might be eventually treated with opiates.

weird eh. i might have that all backwards but i think thats correct because the opiates would calm the 'twitching' while the amphetamines would hyper-stimulate certain pathways.

[David]

there was some designer drug in the 70's that would accelerate the symtoms to the point where the users were literally frozen, unable to move, within hours of doing the coke.

there was also a dopamein hormon pill that came out in the 70s as well which cured all the symptomes of Parkinson's Disease, but it was habit forming and cause hollucinations so they took it off the market.

other than that pill there havn't been that many breakthroughs in the disease. Sure there are the bandwagon treatments that you hear about and promise results, but usually those are just lies and only work on mice.

-Parkinson's Disease God ;NutKick;

[stu]

That disease I was talking about that acts like Parkinson's Disease is called Tardive Dyskinesia. I'm not sure if it's two words, and I'm sure I messed up the spelling, but that's what it's called if anyone cares. I'm surprised that I remembered it at all.

[foxxof]

thats messed up to name something like that tardive