New guidelines for Parkinson's disease

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Better diagnosis and treatment will improve the quality of life for people who have Parkinson's disease.
The American Academy of Neurology wants to educate physicians more about Parkinson's disease, a movement disorder caused by a lack of dopamine in the brain. They point out that up to one in ten of those with Parkinson's currently do not get a proper diagnosis. And up to 20 per cent who have been diagnosed with the disease turn out to have something else on post-mortem.

The new guidelines issued by the Academy list a wide range of different treatments for those with Parkinson's, including levodopa which does not, as was previously feared, speed up disease progression. Movement problems can be improved with exercise, physical and speech therapy. Depression, psychosis and dementia commonly occur alongside Parkinson's but these are not inevitable side effects. They are treatable and should always be discussed with the neurologist. Hopefully the new guidelines will be helpful to those with Parkinson's disease and those who are caring for them.

Source
American Academy of Neurology meeting 3rd April 2006

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