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- Title
EARLY DIAGNOSIS OF PARKINSON'S DISEASE: LET THE PATIENT TELL YOU.
- Authors
Metman, Leo Verhagen
- Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is diagnosed primarily with a "low-tech" approach of listening (patient history) and observing (neurological examination), and in some cases watchful waiting over several years. Diagnosing idiopathic PD can be challenging due to its insidious onset, lack of pathognomonic signs or symptoms, and especially the lack of laboratory or imaging tests that confirm the diagnosis (a disease "marker"). Although historically considered to be a pure movement disorder, PD is now being recognized as a neuropsychiatric disorder with many non-motor symptoms that can predate motor symptoms and can be equally disabling. Depression is one of the most common non-motor PD symptoms. Early in the disease, there are many non-medical therapies that help to improve motor function, independence, and quality of life. Using extracts from an interview with a patient, who describes her early signs and symptoms and the diagnostic process from her point of view, this article discusses early diagnosis of PD, particularly with regard to patient history and non-motor features of PD. Currently available diagnostic tools, non-medical treatments of PD, and PD pathology are also discussed. Through their responses during a clinic visit, patients tell us what we need to know to diagnose PD and to decide what treatment will work best for them as individuals.
- Subjects
PARKINSON'S disease diagnosis; CLINICAL medicine; DIAGNOSIS of brain diseases; NEUROPSYCHIATRY; MEDICAL care; MEDICAL history taking; DIAGNOSIS
- Publication
Johns Hopkins Advanced Studies in Medicine, 2008, Vol 8, Issue 12, p413
- ISSN
1530-3004
- Publication type
Article