Nervous System Document Based Questions (DBQ)

Transcription

1 Artifact A NFL Players Face Triple the Risk of Neurological Disease MIAMI (CBS Miami) A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention could break new ground on concussions suffered by ex-nfl players and the degenerative effects they have on them. According to U.S. News and World Report, the new CDC study found NFL players are three times as likely to die from neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer s or Parkinson s as the general population. The study analyzed 3,500 retired NFL players who played for at least five years, according to U.S. News. Out of those studied, 334 former players have died and neurodegenerative diseases caused or contributed to 27 deaths, U.S. News reported. Still, the researchers said that multiple studies will be needed to concretely attribute the repeated blows to the head players receive to the increased risk of neurodegenerative disease. The NFL has sought in recent years to change the rules to try and reduce the concussion risk to players. However, much of the responsibility for diagnosing the concussions relies on the players to report problems to team trainers and doctors. With players always ready to take a spot on the 53-man roster, many players don t report their full symptoms to keep playing and thereby increasing their risk of further injury. The NFL gave a $30 million to the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health for brain injury research this week and has worked with universities who are investigating CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy, which is believed to trigger some neurodegenerative disease What is the connection, according to the article, between neurological disorders such as Parkinson s and Alzheimer s diseases and the NFL? L6-8RST1 2. What reasons does the article give for the lack of reports of concussions or neurological disorders by active NFL players? L6-8RST1 3. How many NFL players have suffered as a result of damages to their nervous system? L6-8RST1 JCB Educational Services

2 Artifact B 4. According to the diagram, what are some of the key indicators that a person has Parkinson s disease? L6-8RST1, L6-8RST7 5. What cause, if any, has been identified for people to contract Parkinson s disease? L6-8RST1, L6-8RST7 6. What is the connection between the nervous system and Parkinson s disease? L6-8RST1, L6-8RST7 JCB Educational Services

3 Artifact C 7. According to the map, what percentage of baby boomers are living in Colorado and Alaska with Alzheimer s disease? L6-8RST1, L6-8RST7 8. Which states have the highest percent change in people who are have Alzheimer s disease, age 65 years and older, between ? L6-8RST1, L6-8RST7 9. What trend can the reader infer will continue to take place for Alzheimer s between based upon the trend represented on the map? L6-8RST1, L6-8RST7 JCB Educational Services

4 Michael J. Fox Has Parkinson Disease Artifact D The 37-year-old Canadian actor Michael J. Fox has Parkinson disease, a progressive degenerative disease of the part of the brain called the substantia nigra that controls movement. Although Parkinson disease occurs mostly in older people, it sometimes does strike people in their forties or, as with Mr. Fox, even younger people. Mr. Fox was first diagnosed when he noticed a "twitch" in his left little finger while he was working on the set of the 1991 film Doc Hollywood, he told People magazine. Parkinson disease has several classic signs and symptoms including tremors, stiffness of the limbs, a mask-like face, gait disturbance (difficulty walking), depression and, late in the disease, dementia. The tremor is characteristically a resting tremor that especially involves the hands and fingers. It is described as a "pill rolling" tremor, a name that harks back to the similarity between the tremor's movement and that required to "roll a pill" in pharmacies past. In the early stages of Parkinson disease, the tremor stops when the person does something active, such as walking. Mr. Fox said that he paced during an interview to quell his tremor. After the diagnosis in 1991, Fox's disease progressed over the next few years affecting his entire left side with tremors and stiffness. Michael J. Fox said he is in the "late mild" stage of the disease. For clinical purposes, Parkinson disease is arbitrarily divided into mild, medium, and severe stages. Stiffness of the limbs and difficulty starting movements are characteristic. In the early stages of the disease, this may show up as trouble running, etc. As the disease worsens, the patient may have a difficult time initiating activities such as walking or dressing. Mr. Fox said that sometimes he is so stiff he cannot pick up and operate his TV remote control. Along with a limited capacity to moving the arms and legs, a patient with Parkinson disease also experiences a decreased ability to move the muscles of the face. As a result, the facial expression tends to be unchanging and is said to be "mask-like." Another feature of Parkinson disease is difficulty stopping an action once it has been started. For instance, patients may have trouble stopping once they do start walking. Affected individuals may walk faster and faster until they fall or hit something in their path. Up to 50% of patients develop depression and 20% suffer memory loss. Additionally, some people with Parkinson disease may have hallucinations, seeing and hearing things that are not real. While there are no medications that can stop Parkinson disease from progressing, many good medical treatments are available for its symptoms. Fox takes the drug Sinemet (levodopa-carbidopa). It controls JCB Educational Services

5 some of the milder symptoms, including, "the constant rigidity of his hips, tremors in one or both hands, and a 'tapping' feeling in his feet." Mr. Fox reportedly has also had brain surgery (on the thalamus) to try to relieve his tremors. Among Mr. Fox's reasons for going public about his condition is his desire to raise public awareness of Parkinson disease and funds for it Based upon the context clues in paragraph 1, what can you infer that the meaning of degenerative is? L6-8RST4 11. When did Michael J. Fox first notice that he had symptoms of Parkinson's disease? L6-8RST1 12. When is the typical onset of Parkinson's disease symptoms? L6-8RST1 13. When the article quotes Michael J. Fox as bring in the "late mild," stage of the disease, what can the reader infer are his daily symptoms? L6-8RST1 14. What did Michael J. Fox do early in the progression of his disease to cope with the symptoms? L6-8RST1 15. Beyond physical limitations, what are the neurological symptoms of Parkinson's disease? L6-8RST1 JCB Educational Services