Parkinson's Disease: Public Health Policy and Aging
This paper examines Parkinson's disease (PD) as a growing public health challenge, particularly for aging populations. With no known cause or cure, the author reviews current research directions — including alpha-synuclein pathology, blood-brain barrier disruption, and cannabinoid neuroprotection — before turning to U.S. policy responses. The paper analyzes federal research funding through NINDS, the substantial economic burden of PD treatment (estimated at over $10 billion annually), and the contradiction between federal cannabis prohibition and evidence supporting cannabinoid-based symptom relief. The author recommends increased research funding and federal legalization of medical cannabis as practical steps toward reducing costs and improving care for PD patients.
- Introduction: Parkinson's Disease and the Aging Population: No known cause or cure; risk factors and complications
- Current Research Directions and Treatment Prospects: Alpha-synuclein, blood-brain barrier, and cannabinoid research
- Federal Funding and Public Policy Response: NINDS disburses millions; research funding as primary response
- The Economic Burden of Parkinson's Disease: Direct and indirect costs exceed ten billion dollars annually
- Cannabis Policy and the Barrier to Affordable Care: Federal prohibition contradicts evidence for cannabinoid relief
- Recommendations for Improving the Federal Response: Increase research funding and legalize medical cannabis
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What makes this paper effective
- Integrates peer-reviewed clinical research with economic data and policy analysis, demonstrating a multi-dimensional understanding of a complex health issue.
- Uses concrete figures (e.g., $161 million in NIH spending, $10.78 billion in total economic impact) to ground policy arguments in measurable reality.
- Maintains a clear, consistent thesis — that federal cannabis prohibition is the most significant and unnecessary barrier to affordable PD care — and returns to it throughout.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper effectively employs a problem–evidence–policy structure: it establishes the clinical problem, surveys relevant research, quantifies the economic stakes, identifies a specific policy contradiction (opioids vs. cannabis), and closes with concrete recommendations. This pattern is well-suited to public health policy writing and makes the argument easy to follow.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with an overview of PD's unknown etiology and complications, then surveys promising research avenues. It transitions to policy by examining NINDS funding, followed by a detailed breakdown of treatment costs. The argument sharpens around the cannabis policy contradiction before concluding with two recommendations: expanded research funding and federal medical cannabis legalization. The reference list covers clinical, economic, and policy sources, showing appropriate breadth for an undergraduate health policy paper.
Introduction: Parkinson's Disease and the Aging Population
One of the diseases that creates a burden on our healthcare system, especially among the aged, is Parkinson's disease. At present, there is no known cure for Parkinson's — merely treatments that can help reduce symptoms. This makes it difficult to develop a comprehensive public health solution. On the prevention side, one of the challenges is that while some risk factors have potentially been identified, there is no known cause. For example, a meta-analysis suggests that living in a rural area, drinking well water, farming, and exposure to pesticides may all be risk factors (Priyardashi et al., 2001).
The current state of research is such that the different forms Parkinson's disease takes are being actively studied (Peto et al., 1995). Moreover, the different ways in which Parkinson's presents can bring about a number of different complications, from which the need for treatment arises. One example is that Parkinson's disease (PD) patients suffer from gastrointestinal issues at a higher rate than the general population — the link is established, but the mechanisms by which it occurs are not yet understood (Natale et al., 2008).
Current Research Directions and Treatment Prospects
A number of studies have shown promise in moving toward a cure for Parkinson's. One study found that alpha-synuclein synaptic pathology might help provide direction for a cure (Bellucci et al., 2012). Disruption of the blood-brain barrier has been identified as a possible causal factor, and therefore a potential pathway to treatment (Lee & Pienaar, 2014). A substantial body of research shows that cannabinoids are effective in treating Parkinson's symptoms, owing to their neuroprotective properties (Carroll, Zeissler, Hanneman & Zajicek, 2012).
Several studies of self-reporting PD patients support this finding, showing that many use cannabis to manage their condition and that nearly half find it to be effective (Venderova et al., 2004). These findings have significant implications for both treatment strategy and public policy, as discussed below.
References
Bellucci, A., Navarria, L., Zaltieri, M., Missale, C. & Spano, P. (2012). Alpha-synuclein synaptic pathology and its implications in the development of novel therapeutic approaches to cure Parkinson's disease. Brain Research, 1432, 95–113.
Carroll, C., Zeissler, M., Hanneman, C. & Zajicek, P. (2012). Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) exerts a direct neuroprotective effect in a human cell culture model of Parkinson's disease. Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology, 38, 535–547.
Investors.com (2017). Adamas Parkinson's drug is double the cost of analyst expectations. Investors' Business Daily. Retrieved November 20, 2017 from https://www.investors.com/news/technology/adamas-parkinsons-drug-cost-is-double-analyst-expectations/
Lee, H. & Pienaar, I. (2014). Disruption of the blood-brain barrier in Parkinson's disease: Curse or a route to a cure? Frontiers in Bioscience, 19, 272–280.
Liptak, K. (2017). White House: Feds will step up marijuana law enforcement. CNN. Retrieved November 20, 2017 from http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/23/politics/white-house-marijuana-donald-trump-pot/index.html
Natale, G., Pasquali, L., Ruggieri, S., Paparelli, A. & Fornai, F. (2008). Parkinson's disease and the gut: A well-known clinical association in need of an effective cure and explanation. Neurogastroenterology and Motility, 20, 741–749.
NINDS (2017). Focus on Parkinson's disease research. NINDS.NIH.gov. Retrieved November 20, 2017 from https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Current-Research/Focus-Research/Focus-Parkinsons-Disease
Peto, V., Jenkinson, C., Fitzpatrick, R. & Greenhall, R. (1995). The development and validation of a short measure of functioning and well-being for individuals with Parkinson's disease. Quality of Life Research, 4(3), 241–248.
Priyardashi, A., Khuder, S., Schaub, E. & Priyardashi, S. (2001). Environmental risk factors and Parkinson's disease: A meta-analysis. Environmental Research Section, 86, 122–127.
Valldeoriola, F. (2010). Cost and efficacy of therapies for advanced Parkinson's disease. Towards New Therapies for Parkinson's Disease.
Venderova, K., Ruzicka, E., Vohseck, V. & Visnovsky, P. (2004). Survey on cannabis use in Parkinson's disease: Subjective improvement of motor symptoms. Movement Disorders, 19(9), 1102–1106.
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