Parkinson's Disease Assignment

CHL5402 Assignment 1

Parkinson’s disease is a chronic, progressive neurodegenerative disease that disrupts one’s movement, resulting in slowness of movement, rigidity, tremors and postural instability. The primary cause of illness is the result of the death of dopamine – a chemical cell which carries signals between the nerves in the brain 1,2. Parkinson’s disease affects 1 in 500 people in Canada 3. According to the National Populations Health Study of Neurological Conditions, more than 55,000 Canadians (age 18 or older) reported that they have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in year of 2011 1. To this day, the number of Canadians identified with Parkinson’s disease continues on the rising side of the spectrum.

Parkinson’s disease

While Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines recommend adults (age 18 or older) to participate in 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week; many individuals are engaged in sedentary lifestyle 9,12,13. Through Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS), results indicate that Canadian adults spent on average a total of 4 hours and 11 minutes per day being physically active with more than 9 hours engaging in sedentary lifestyle 13. It found that total daily sedentary time was higher in older age groups (adults aged 40 to 79) 13. Conversely, adults aged 18 to 39 were found to be the most active with an average of 34 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily 13. Females were also observed to be less physical active than men in all age groups 13,14.

With the increasing trends of physical inactivity prevalence in Canada, different organizations have worked together to promote the importance of engaging in physical activity and maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle. Regular physical activity can help individuals maintain good health, including weight control and improving physical and mental health 15. Thus, physical activity should be continued to be fostered in

With an optimal amount of regular physical activity, the risk of certain chronic conditions can be reduced as much as 50% 13,24. However, with the increasing number of cases of Parkinson’s disease, there is still a lack of evidence to support the benefits of physical activity. In addition, while it is a pressing concern in Canadians, lack of research is done among this population. From these observations, it would then be important to ask, is the level of total physical activity associated with preventing and lowering the risk of Parkinson’s disease in