L-Dopa As A Treatment for Catatonia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

L-Dopa As A Treatment for Catatonia - Essay Example The condition is characterized by alterations in motor function similar as that of those manifested in Parkinson’s Disease (PD) without â€Å"pill-rolling,† muscle rigidity, catatonia, loss of balance, shuffling gait, and oculogyric crisis (Dourmashkin, 1997, p. 515). Focusing on catatonia, it is a neuromuscular condition characterized by alterations in muscle tone or activity, linked to various mental and physical illnesses (â€Å"Catatonia,† n.d.). In encephalitis lethargica, individuals suffer from catatonic stupor, distinguished by the individual’s greatly reduced motor activity. L-DOPA is a medication known to treat Parkinson’s Disease (PD), characterized by decreased levels of dopamine in the brain resulting to altered motor functions. Dopamine is responsible for several body functions, particularly movement when in the brain. Since dopamine itself cannot cross the blood-brain barrier but rather binds to receptors, L-DOPA is given to PD patients, because the latter has the capacity to enter the blood-brain barrier and then be converted into dopamine, thus an increase of the chemical. With the increase of dopamine in the body, there is increased ability to perform smooth and controlled movements. Because of the great morbidity and mortality caused by the disease, Oliver Sacks conducted an experiment in 1969 among those who did not die of the illness. These patients were chronically confined in a hospital, almost completely motionless and drooling with saliva. Sacks administered L-DOPA in gradual increasing doses over a number of days, and in typical cases the first few days had very minimal changes (Roberts, 1995, p. 311). After a few more days, the patients previously â€Å"frozen† and â€Å"mute† for decades suddenly â€Å"awaken.† They surprisingly â€Å"awoke from their silent, frozen world and for a short few months made contact with the real world about them†