Institute of Parkinsonism
Parkinson's disease affects 1% of individuals over the age of 60. Diagnostic criteria for typical parkinsonism manifestations (2 out of 3 required): Resting tremor; Rigidity; Bradykinesia. In patients with parkinsonism, a very thorough medical history must be obtained to exclude secondary causes such as medications, toxins, and injuries. Early clinical signs of atypical parkinsonism:
- falls in the early stages of the disease;
- poor response to Levodopa;
- symmetry at disease onset;
- rapid disease progression;
- absence of tremor and symptoms of dysautonomia (urinary and fecal incontinence, urinary retention, orthostatic hypotension).
It is critically important not to make an erroneous diagnosis of Parkinson's disease to avoid initiating incorrect treatment. The Parkinson's department examines patients with neurological symptoms such as tremor, upper and lower extremity movement disorders, speech impairment, and gait disturbances.
Differential diagnosis: Essential tremor.
When an isolated symptom of tremor is present with no other neurological symptoms or findings, a diagnosis of essential tremor is made. This condition develops in both young and elderly patients without a specific cause (no medication use, no chronic diseases, no other central nervous system pathology). In these cases, the diagnosis is based on the symptom of tremor and completely normal CNS study results — MRI, EMG, EEG, and comprehensive blood tests.
- Progressive supranuclear palsy.
- Corticobasal ganglionic degeneration.
- Wilson's disease.
- Lewy body dementia.
- Neurological manifestations of vascular dementia.
