NR 507 Week 7 – Recorded Disease Process Presentation Peer Review Pharmacological and nonpharmacological interventions

This is primarily to control the manifestation of the disorder (Palma, 2018). Hence, pharmacotherapy entails symptomatic drug therapy to control motor signs. Levodopa/carbidopa forms the mainstay of symptomatic treatment. Other drugs include Monoamine oxidase (MAO)– B inhibitors and dopamine agonists. Other treatments target nonmotor symptoms. Nonpharmacological therapy includes deep brain stimulation, which is minimally invasive (Suarez-García et al., 2020).

Summary and relevance to APN

The APN must understand that Parkinson’s disease is a synucleinopathy that is diagnosed primarily clinically; hence, the need to know the presentation. One must also distinguish it from other disorders to proceed to symptomatic treatment. APNs must apply their knowledge not only to correctly manage the distressing disorder but also competently counsel the patient and their relatives for optimal holistic outcomes.

References

Palma, J. A. (2018). Autonomic dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease and other synucleinopathies: introduction to the series. Movement disorders: Official Journal of the Movement Disorder Society, 33(3), 347.

Suarez-García, D., Grisales-Cárdenas, J. S., Zimerman, M., & Cardona, J. F. (2020). Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation to Enhance Cognitive Impairment in Parkinson’s Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Frontiers in Neurology, 11, 1615.