Brain disorders are a growing epidemic among humans in today’s world. For many of these diseases, there is nothing that can be done to cure them completely. However, there is always a way to slow down the onset of a disease, and the process of how it progresses. Three major brain diseases that occur are Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and Huntington’s disease. In these three diseases, there is a pattern of how exercise stimulates the brain to fight these diseases.
Alzheimer’s disease causes intellectual impairment in humans from the age of 30 and is more prominent in humans above the age of 60. It is a progressive, irreversible brain disease that causes problems such as short-term memory loss, and dissipates thinking skills. This disease can be inherited through genetics. Scientists don’t believe there is a cure for Alzheimer’s disease.
Parkinson’s disease is also a disorder that mostly occurs in individuals of old age. This neurological disorder affects the parts of the brain that involve voluntary movement. Parkinson’s affects the parietal lobe, which is responsible for movement and orientation, and the frontal lobe, which is responsible for speech and movement. Age is the most common established risk factor of this disease. The cause of this disease as well as the cure for this disease remains remote to scientists. Research has indicated that exercise can have a positive impact on slowing down the progression of the disease.
Huntington’s disease is a degenerative neurological disorder that destroys a patient’s ability to walk, speak, reason, and care for themselves. It is almost always inherited by family history. Symptoms of this disease are tremors, seizures, muscle spasms, and learning problems. Depression is a well-known risk factor.
There may not be a cure to prevent Alzheimer’s disease, but there are ways to slow down the onset of the disease. Research has indicated that exercise can slow down this disease. Eating healthy foods and exercising prevents the onset of plaques in the brain. Without plaques in the brain, Alzheimer’s disease is easier to deal with. Also, since exercise promotes more blood f low to the brain, it would minimize shrinking of the brain in patients with Alzheimer’s. The brain could fight better if the blood flow is stronger. Relaxation exercises can fight Alzheimer’s disease because prolonged stress can release hormones that could be possibly harmful to the brain.
There are numerous reasons to why exercise has positive effects on fighting Parkinson’s disease. Exercise offers stimulation to various neurological pathways and prevents the loss of brain cells, resulting in the increase of blood flow to the brain, thereby increasing the possibility of the brain to fight the symptoms of the disease. Because Parkinson’s disease affects an individual’s ability to move, exercise helps to keep muscles strong and improve flexibility and mobility. Exercise will not stop Parkinson’s disease from progressing; but, it will improve balance and it can prevent joint stiffening.
Since Huntington’s disease is associated with balance, doing Tai chi or any other type of martial art can help fight the disorder as it contradicts the effect of the disease by strengthening an individual’s body movements.
In conclusion, exercise promotes the overall health and counteracts ill effects of specific brain diseases. The reason why exercise can have the same effect on all of these diseases is because they are inter-related. Alzheimer and Huntington’s diseases can be inherited through family history. Parkinson and Huntington’s diseases both have effect voluntary movements. All of these diseases are affected by exercise because exercise increases the blood flow to the brain. That is the main reason why exercise can reduce the onset of Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and Huntington’s disease. Basically using the part of the brain that each of the disease attacks strengthens the brain’s ability to fight back. Therefore, exercise promotes the overall health and counteracts ill effects of specific brain diseases.
Works Cited
Primary sources
Books:
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Interview:
O’Donald, Kathy, Health Specialist. Personal interview. 3 Apr. 2009.
Email:
Callahan, Kate. “Reply from Dr. Callahan.” E-mail to Karan Joshi. 3 Mar. 2009.
Online Journal:
“Failed efforts to thwart Alzheimer’s disease raise questions.” Harvard Mental Health Letter 25.8 (Feb. 2009): 1-3. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. [Library name], [City], [State abbreviation]. 1 Apr. 2009 .
Secondary sources
Book:
Landau, Elaine. Parkinson’s Disease. Danbury, Connecticut: Grolier Publishing, 1999.
Online Journals:
Larson, Eric B. “Physical Activity for Older Adults at Risk for Alzheimer Disease.” Journal of the American Medical Association 300.9 (2008): 1077-1079. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. Grover School Lib., West Windsor, NJ. 14 Feb. 2009 .
“shades of gray.” Better Nutrition 66.3: 32-32. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. Grover School Lib., West Windsor, NJ. 14 Feb. 2009 .
Tufts University. “Work Up a Sweat to Help Prevent Parkinson’s Disease.” Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter 25.5 (July 2007): 8-8. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. Grover School Lib., West Windsor, NJ. 14 Feb. 2009 .
Online Encyclopedia:
Adamec, Kandel, Joseph Adamec, and Christine Adamec. “Huntington’s disease.” The Encyclopedia of Senior Health and Well-Being. 2003. Health Reference Center. Facts On File News Services. 21 Nov. 2008 . This source talks all about Huntington’s disease.
Mosley, Anthony D., and Deborah S. Romaine. “Parkinson’s disease.” The Encyclopedia of Parkinson’s Disease. 2004. Health Reference Center. Facts On File News Services. 21 Nov. 2008 . This source is all about Parkinson’s disease.
Turkington, Carol, and Joseph R. Harris. “memory and brain disorders.” The Encyclopedia of Memory and Memory Disorders. 2nd ed. 2001. Health Reference Center. Facts On File News Services. 21 Nov. 2008 .
Encyclopedia:
Harmon, Dan. “Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease.” Life Out of Focus ; Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders. Ed. Carol C. Nadelson and Claire E. Reinburg. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Chelsea House Publishers, 1999. 73-82.
