Glossary
Acetylcholine
A neurotransmitter in both
the central nervous system and the peripheral
nervous system
Alprazolam
An antianxiety medication of
the benzodiazepine class
Amitriptyline
An antidepressant medication
of the tricyclic class
Anhedonia
The inability to experience
pleasurable emotions from normally
pleasurable activities
Anticholinergic
A substance that blocks
the neurotransmitter acetylcholine
Apomorphine
An anti-Parkinsonian
medication of the dopamine agonist class
Autonomic nervous system
Part of the
peripheral nervous system that controls
functioning largely below the level of
consciousness, e.g. heart rate, digestion,
salivation, perspiration, diameter of the
pupils, urination and sexual arousal
Biofeedback
A technique using electronic
monitoring equipment to obtain information
about an involuntary function of the central
or autonomic nervous system. Biofeedback
can be used to train an individual to gain
control over bodily functions which are
normally automatic
Bradykinesia
Abnormal slowness of movement;
sluggishness of physical and mental
responses
Central nervous system (CNS)
Contains the majority of the nervous system
and consists of the brain, the spinal cord
and the retina
Clozapine
A neuroleptic medication of the
atypical class that is used to treat psychosis
Cognition
The process of thought
Deep brain stimulation (DBS)
A surgical
treatment involving the implantation of a
medical device which stimulates specific
parts of the brain with electrical impulses
Delirium
An acutely confused state
Diplopia
Double vision
Domperidone
An antidopaminergic medication
that is used to treat nausea, vomiting
and gastroparesis
Dopamine
A neurotransmitter that is produced
in several areas of the brain, including
the substantia nigra. When dopamine
is given as a drug it does not directly
affect the central nervous system because
it cannot cross the blood-brain barrier. To
increase the amount of dopamine in the
brain in Parkinson’s, levodopa, the precursor
of dopamine, can be used because it
can cross the blood-brain barrier
Dopamine agonist
A type of medication
that activates dopamine receptors in the
absence of dopamine
Dysphagia
Difficulty in swallowing
Gait
The pattern of movement of the
limbs. Parkinsonian gait is characterised by
small shuffling steps and a general slowness
or even absence of movement
Gastroparesis
Delayed stomach emptying
Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL)
A measure that assesses the effects of
chronic illness. It is used to better
understand how an illness interferes with
a person’s day-to-day life
Hypomimia
Reduced facial expression
Lewy body
An abnormal mass of protein
that develops inside nerve cells in Parkinson’s
disease and some other disorders
Levodopa
The precursor to the neurotransmitters
dopamine, noradrenaline and
adrenaline, levodopa is used in the clinical
treatment of Parkinson’s and dopamine responsive
dystonia
Levodopa/benserazide
This combination
of medicines is also sometimes known
as co-beneldopa. It is used in Parkinson’s
to increase the levels of dopamine in the
brain
Mosapride
A medication that that accelerates
gastric emptying
Motility
The ability to move food through
the digestive tract
Neuroleptic
A type of medication that is
primarily used to treat psychosis, including
delusions, hallucinations and disordered
thought
Neuropsychiatric disorder
A disease of
the nervous system
Obstipation
Severe constipation
Olfaction
The sense of smell
Orthostatic hypotension
A sudden drop
in blood pressure on standing up which
causes dizziness. Sometimes known as
postural hypotension
Paraesthesia
A tingling, pricking or numb
sensation of the skin. Colloquially it is
sometimes described as “pins and needles”
Parasomnias
A type of sleep disorder that
involves abnormal and unnatural movements,
behaviours, emotions, perceptions
and dreams. They can occur while falling
asleep, while sleeping or when waking up
Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy
(PEG) tube
A type of feeding tube that is
inserted through the abdomen, directly into
the stomach
Polysomnography
A comprehensive
recording of the biophysiological changes
that occur during sleep
Pramipexole
An anti-Parkinsonian medication
of the dopamine agonist class
Psychosis
Any form of severe mental
disorder in which the individual’s contact
with reality becomes highly distorted.
People experiencing psychosis often exhibit
personality changes, inappropriate behaviour
and a deterioration in normal social
functioning
Punding
A compulsive fascination with
and performance of repetitive, mechanical
tasks, such as assembling and disassembling,
collecting or sorting household
objects
Rasagiline
An anti-Parkinsonian medication
of the second generation MAO-B
(monoamine oxidase type B) inhibitor class
Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep
A normal stage of sleep characterised by
the rapid movement of the eyes. It is physiologically
different from the other phases
of sleep and is the phase when vividly-recalled
dreams mostly occur
REM sleep behaviour disorder
A sleep
disorder that involves abnormal behaviour
during the REM phase of sleep
that is characterised by the absence of
normal muscle paralysis. It is associated
with movement ranging from simple limb
twitches to more complex and sometimes
violent activity in which people appear to
be unconsciously acting out their dreams
Ropinirole
An anti-Parkinsonian medication
of the dopamine agonist class
Seborrhoea
Excessive secretion of sebum
or an alteration in its quality resulting in an
oily coating, crusts, or scales on the skin
Selegiline
An anti-Parkinsonian medication
of the MAO-B (monoamine oxidase
type B) inhibitor class
Sleep hygiene
Behaviours or environmental
factors that can affect a person’s ability
to fall asleep
Substantia nigra
A brain structure located
in the midbrain that plays an important
role in reward, addiction and movement.
Parkinson’s disease is caused by the death
of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia
nigra
Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating
Scale (UPDRS)
A scale used to follow the
progression of Parkinson’s disease. The
recently updated version of the scale is in
four sections:
Part I: Non-motor aspects of experiences
of daily living
Part II: Motor aspects of experiences of
daily living
Part III: Motor examination
Part IV: Motor complications
UPDRS-motor
The part of the UPDRS that
evaluates motor symptoms and complications
