AFAA Personal Trainer Certification Practice Exam

What neurological disorder is primarily associated with degeneration in the basal ganglia?

1. Alzheimer's Disease

2. Parkinson's Disease

3. Multiple Sclerosis

4. Huntington's Disease

The correct answer is: Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's Disease is primarily associated with degeneration in the basal ganglia, a group of nuclei in the brain that play a crucial role in coordinating movement. In Parkinson's Disease, there is a significant loss of dopamine-producing neurons in the substantia nigra, which is part of the basal ganglia system. This degeneration leads to characteristic motor symptoms such as tremors, rigidity, bradykinesia (slowness of movement), and postural instability. While Alzheimer's Disease primarily affects memory and cognitive function, targeting different brain regions like the hippocampus, multiple sclerosis involves autoimmune attacks on the central nervous system that disrupt communication between the brain and body, and Huntington's Disease involves the degeneration of specific neurons but is more globally affecting the brain and does not target the basal ganglia in isolation. Each of these conditions has distinct pathophysiological mechanisms that do not primarily involve the same degeneration within the basal ganglia as seen in Parkinson's Disease.