How is Parkinson's Disease diagnosed
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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.
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