symptoms of parkinsons disease : HOW IS PARKINSON'S DISEASE DIAGNOSED?

Parkinson's disease is usually diagnosed by a neurologist who can evaluate symptoms and their severity. There is no test that can clearly identify the disease. Sometimes people with suspected Parkinson's disease are given anti-Parkinson's drugs to see if they respond. Other tests, such as brain scans, can help doctors decide if a patient has true Parkinson's disease or some other disorder that resembles it. Microscopic brain structures called Lewy bodies, which can be seen only during an autopsy, are regarded as a hallmark of classical Parkinson's. Autopsies have uncovered Lewy bodies in a surprising number of older persons without diagnosed Parkinson's -- 8% of people over 50, almost 13% of people over 70, and almost 16% of those over 80, according to one study. As a result, some experts believe Parkinson's disease is something of an "iceberg; phenomenon," lurking undetected in as many as 20 people for each known Parkinson's patient. A few researchers contend that almost everyone would develop Parkinson's eventually if they lived long enough.

WHAT TREATMENTS ARE AVAILABLE?

There is no cure for Parkinson's disease. Many patients are only mildly affected and need no treatment for several years after the initial diagnosis. When symptoms grow severe, doctors usually prescribe levodopa (L-dopa), which helps replace the brain's dopamine. Sometimes doctors prescribe other drugs that affect dopamine levels in the brain. In patients who are very severely affected, a kind of brain surgery known as pallidotomy has reportedly been effective in reducing symptoms. Another kind of brain surgery, in which healthy dopamine-producing tissue is transplanted into the brain, is also being tested. Finally, researchers are trying to identify substances that will prevent dopamine-producing brain cells from dying.


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National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke