[girija]

1: Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2009 Jan;15 Suppl 1:S47-52.
Links
Emotional impairment in Parkinson's disease.

Kawamura M, Kobayakawa M.
Department of Neurology, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. kawa@med.showa-u.ac.jp

Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) may show emotional impairment in the early stages of the disease. PD patients show disadvantageous decision-making, which is related to decreased emotional responses, as measured by skin conductance responses (SCRs). This pattern of decreasing SCRs is similar to that observed in amygdala-damaged patients. In facial expression recognition, PD patients did not show amygdala activation. In another study, PD patients did not show amygdala activations to unpleasant olfactory stimuli, which were observed in normal controls. Emotional impairment in PD patients may reflect amygdala dysfunction in early PD.

PMID: 19131044 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

[reverett123]

I have a theory of my own that bears on this. As I am so fond of pointing out (with great emotion, I might add ), PD starts when the fetus is exposed to the waste products of a maternal infection during a critical time. This sensitizes the immune system and sets up an inflammatory response that is particularly strong in the SN and which eventually leads to motor symptoms.

However, our bodies don't just passively accept chronic inflammation but, instead, combat it by releasing cortisol - a variant of the stress response. This lowers inflammation but, because of the hypersensitivity, this is only a temporary fix. As cortisol levels return to normal inflammation again creeps up. Cortisol levels are again boosted. Inflammation drops once more. Back and forth, over and over.

This struggle never ends for us and it takes an increasing toll as the years pass. The most resource-efficient way to respond is to maintain an elevated steady-state level of cortisol, and that is exactly what we do. Where a normal graph of 24-hour cortisol levls is a roller coaster plunging from a dawn peak down to an evening trough, that of a PWP is an elevated flat line. Our bodies have their own intelligence and know that maximum lifespan comes with that pattern. Anything that perturbs that flat line brings a cost.

So, like some stereotypical Norwegian bachellor farmer, we avoid evcessive emotions.

Originally Posted by girija

1: Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2009 Jan;15 Suppl 1:S47-52.
Links
Emotional impairment in Parkinson's disease.

Kawamura M, Kobayakawa M.
Department of Neurology, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. kawa@med.showa-u.ac.jp

Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) may show emotional impairment in the early stages of the disease. PD patients show disadvantageous decision-making, which is related to decreased emotional responses, as measured by skin conductance responses (SCRs). This pattern of decreasing SCRs is similar to that observed in amygdala-damaged patients. In facial expression recognition, PD patients did not show amygdala activation. In another study, PD patients did not show amygdala activations to unpleasant olfactory stimuli, which were observed in normal controls. Emotional impairment in PD patients may reflect amygdala dysfunction in early PD.

PMID: 19131044 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

[BEMM]

I can see the logic in supposing, Everett, that our amygdala was impaired by infection in the womb which makes us prone to brain cell death whenever we get negatively emotionally charged.
From my own experience i have noticed that we are all peace keepers, we PDers, and we can none of us afford, emotionally or physically, to fly into a rage or to even get slightly upset.
It seems that a person with PD might know by instinct from birth that an even keel emotionally is a matter of survival. Every little upset kills another few brain cells.
I don't accept that we are emotionally impaired so that we lack feeling and empathy, I think we are forced to curb emotion and forced to husband our enthusiasm.

Here is another interesting article on the subject:

http://www.biopsychiatry.com/amygdala.htm