When people first notice symptoms developing, they usually visit their GP who can refer them to a neurologist or other specialist. Parkinson\u2019s disease cannot be diagnosed after just one hospital test and doctors will usually carry out a series of tests and investigations. The first stages of a diagnosis of Parkinson\u2019s disease will involve checking your medical history and carrying out a thorough neurological examination. Commonly, this involves a series of questions about your symptoms and a physical assessment of your ability to perform various tasks with your hands, arms, and legs. The doctor will observe you walking, talking and getting up from a chair. They will check your facial expression and might ask for a sample of your handwriting. They might also check your pulling and pushing strength and test your reflexes.<\/p>\n
CT scan \/ MRI scan
\nA CT scan (Computerised Tomography scan) is a special type of X-ray which takes pictures of the brain from different angles. An MRI scan (Magnetic Resonance Imaging scan) produces detailed pictures of the brain using strong magnetic fields and radio waves. Neither scan can confirm whether you have Parkinson\u2019s disease but they can help doctors rule out other conditions which could potentially be causing your symptoms.<\/p>\n
(You might like to read our Brain and spine scans fact sheet for further information.)<\/p>\n
PET scan \/ SPECT scan
\nA PET scan (Positron Emission Tomography scan) or a SPECT scan (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography scan) can be used to confirm a diagnosis of Parkinson\u2019s disease. You will be injected with a very small amount of radioactive dopamine which is picked up by the scanners and enables doctors to check dopamine activity in the brain. These scans are not widely available in the UK and might not be available in a hospital in your area.<\/p>\n
What are the treatments?
\nCurrently there is no cure for Parkinson\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n
Symptoms can be mild in the early stages of the condition and people might not need immediate treatment. Your doctor and specialist will monitor your situation.<\/p>\n
There are several different types of drugs used to treat Parkinson\u2019s disease. Drug treatments are tailored to each individual\u2019s needs and are likely to involve a combination of different drugs. Your medication should be reviewed regularly. It is likely that, over time, changes will be made to the types of drugs you take and the doses you take each day.<\/p>\n
The main types of drug treatment for Parkinson\u2019s disease are:<\/p>\n
drugs which replace dopamine (levodopa; the most common drug treatment)
\ndrugs which mimic the role of dopamine (dopamine agonists)
\ndrugs which inhibit the activity of acetylcholine (a chemical which becomes overactive due to a lack of dopamine and can cause tremor)
\ndrugs which prevent the body breaking down dopamine
\nother drugs such as anti-sickness medication
\nEverybody is affected differently by medication. The possible side effects of Parkinson\u2019s disease drugs include nausea (feeling sick), vomiting (being sick), tiredness and dizziness. Some people might experience confusion, nightmares and hallucinations. For some people, dopamine agonists have been linked to compulsive behaviour such as addictive gambling or hypersexuality (an abnormally high sex drive and interest in sex).<\/p>\n
The effectiveness of the main drug treatment levodopa can wear off over time and its long-term use can cause some people to develop involuntary twisting or writhing movements of the arms, legs or face (dyskinesia). To reduce the risk, doctors might delay the use of levodopa for younger people.<\/p>\n
Surgery
\nSurgery to treat Parkinson\u2019s disease is not suitable for everyone and is usually only discussed as a possibility for people who have severe symptoms that have not improved with different drug treatments.<\/p>\n
The main type of surgery for Parkinson\u2019s disease is deep brain stimulation (using technology to send electrical impulses to specific areas of the brain). In some cases lesioning surgery might be appropriate. The two main types of this surgery are pallidotomy (mainly used to treat severe dyskinesia by destroying a tiny part of the brain in an area called the internal globus pallidus), and thalamotomy (only used in very rare cases to treat severe tremor by destroying a tiny part of the brain in an area called the thalamus). Whilst it can be effective, lesioning surgery is not a recommended choice for most people because it is irreversible and any side effects will be permanent.<\/p>\n
Research is being carried out on surgery to transplant brain tissue from human foetuses into the brains of people with Parkinson\u2019s disease to replace the cells that produce dopamine. This form of surgery remains experimental and is not currently available in the UK.<\/p>\n
Other treatments
\nDepending on their individual situation, people with Parkinson\u2019s disease might benefit from the services of various specialist health professionals.<\/p>\n
Physiotherapists can help with physical and mobility problems and give advice on exercise and staying active.<\/p>\n
Occupational therapists can help with performing everyday tasks like washing, cooking and using equipment around the home.<\/p>\n
Speech and language therapists can help with speech and communication problems.<\/p>\n
Dieticians can give advice on balanced diets, what to eat if you are taking medication and maintaining a healthy weight.<\/p>\n
Some people affected by Parkinson\u2019s disease find complementary and alternative therapies helpful. They are unlikely to provide a specific treatment for your Parkinson\u2019s disease or your symptoms but they might help to improve your general well-being.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When people first notice symptoms developing, they usually visit their GP who can refer them to a neurologist or other specialist. Parkinson\u2019s disease cannot be diagnosed after just one hospital test and doctors will usually carry out a series of tests and investigations. The first stages of a diagnosis of Parkinson\u2019s disease will involve checking your medical history and carrying out a thorough neurological examination. Commonly, this involves a series of questions about your symptoms and a physical assessment of your ability to perform various tasks with your hands, arms, and legs. The doctor will observe you walking, talking and<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":185,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-187","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/epsdco.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/187","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/epsdco.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/epsdco.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/epsdco.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/epsdco.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=187"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/epsdco.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/187\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":188,"href":"https:\/\/epsdco.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/187\/revisions\/188"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/epsdco.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/185"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/epsdco.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=187"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/epsdco.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=187"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/epsdco.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=187"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}