Spiritual care for the management of Parkinson's disease: Where we are and how far can we go

Abstract

An increasing number of studies have investigated the neural networks and brain regions activated by different aspects of religious faith or spiritual practice. The extent to which religiousness and spirituality are dependent on the integrity of neural circuits is a question unique to neurological illnesses. Several studies have reported that neural networks and brain areas represent the various components of religious faith or spiritual activity in recent decades. In addition to research in healthy people, another strategy is to observe if neurological abnormalities caused by stroke, tumour, brain damage, or degenerative sickness are accompanied by an alteration in religiosity or spirituality. Similarly, Parkinson's disease (PD), an ailment characterized by dopaminergic neuron malfunction, has been utilized to explore the role of dopaminergic networks in the practice, experience, and maintenance of religious or spiritual beliefs. Case–control and priming studies have demonstrated a decline in spirituality and religion in people with PD due to dopaminergic degeneration. These studies could not adequately control for confounding variables and lacked methodological rigour. Using qualitative and quantitative assessments, a mixed‐method approach might shed additional light on putative religious beliefs alterations in PD. In the current review paper, we discussed the recent research on the impact of PD on spiritual beliefs and spirituality.

Gender as a Moderator of Spirituality and Spiritual Care in ICU Nurses During COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Spiritual care is defined as “a non-discipline-specific healthcare function analogous to emotional or physical care”. 7 This concept is fundamental in providing quality care for patients with the aim of promoting patients’ spiritual wellbeing, enhancing comfort, decreasing stress, and helping patients to cope with their illness. 8 Studies suggested that providing spiritual care can be achieved through attending patients’ wishes, accepting and respecting their feelings, values, religious and cultural beliefs, in addition to helping the patients to perform religious rituals and referring them to spiritual advisor when experiencing distress.…”