Parkinson's Trivia 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which neurosurgeon pioneered the pallidotomy procedure widely used for Parkinson's in the 1990s?
- Alim Benabid
- Lauri Laitinen (Correct answer)
- Irving Cooper
- Lars Leksell
Correct answer: Lauri Laitinen
Lauri Laitinen revived and popularized pallidotomy in the early 1990s as an effective surgical option for Parkinson's patients.
Question 2: What is the 'on-off' phenomenon experienced by many Parkinson's patients on levodopa?
- Switching between tremor and rigidity
- Unpredictable fluctuations between mobile and immobile states (Correct answer)
- Alternating between sleep and wakefulness
- Fluctuating blood pressure readings
Correct answer: Unpredictable fluctuations between mobile and immobile states
The 'on-off' phenomenon refers to unpredictable motor fluctuations where patients cycle between periods of good mobility ('on') and immobility ('off').
Question 3: Actor Michael J. Fox disclosed his Parkinson's diagnosis publicly in which year?
- 1991
- 1993
- 1998 (Correct answer)
- 2001
Correct answer: 1998
Michael J. Fox publicly announced his Parkinson's diagnosis in 1998, seven years after he was first diagnosed at age 29.
Question 4: Which brain imaging technique is most commonly used to diagnose dopamine deficiency in Parkinson's disease?
- CT scan
- Standard MRI
- DaTscan (Correct answer)
- PET with amyloid tracer
Correct answer: DaTscan
DaTscan (dopamine transporter scan) uses a radioactive tracer to visualize dopamine transporter levels and detect deficiency characteristic of Parkinson's.
Question 5: What is 'freezing of gait' in Parkinson's disease?
- Tremor that stops during walking
- Brief involuntary episodes where the feet appear glued to the floor (Correct answer)
- Slowing of gait due to muscle stiffness
- Complete paralysis of the lower limbs
Correct answer: Brief involuntary episodes where the feet appear glued to the floor
Freezing of gait is a sudden, transient inability to initiate or continue walking, often described as feet feeling stuck to the floor.
Question 6: Which environmental toxin has been most strongly linked to an increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease?
- Lead
- Mercury
- Paraquat (pesticide) (Correct answer)
- Benzene
Correct answer: Paraquat (pesticide)
Paraquat, a widely used herbicide, has been strongly associated with increased Parkinson's risk in multiple epidemiological studies.
Question 7: What is the term for the involuntary writhing movements sometimes caused by long-term levodopa use?
- Bradykinesia
- Dyskinesia (Correct answer)
- Dystonia
- Akathisia
Correct answer: Dyskinesia
Dyskinesia refers to involuntary, uncontrolled movements that can develop as a side effect of long-term levodopa therapy.
Parkinson's Trivia 3
Which neurosurgeon pioneered the pallidotomy procedure widely used for Parkinson's in the 1990s?