Expert Video - What tests are used to differentiate Parkinson's disease from other similar conditions?

Expert neurologists describe the differential diagnosis process used to exclude other movement disorders that mimic Parkinson’s disease (PD). Unfortunately Parkinson’s disease can be challenging to diagnose because there is no simple test for Parkinson’s, and because it shares signs and symptoms with other conditions that affect the nervous system. The experts discuss imaging tests such as DaT scan or PET scan that determine if a person has low levels of dopamine, however these can’t differentiate whether a lack of dopamine is classical PD or a mimic of PD.

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Jointly provided by the Annenberg Center for Health Sciences at Eisenhower and Prime Medic Inc., in collaboration with Postgraduate Institute for Medicine.

This activity is supported by independent educational grants from AbbVie Inc. and Acorda Therapeutics Inc.

This website is part of the Animated Patient™ series developed by Prime Medic Inc., to provide highly visual formats of learning for patients to improve their understanding, make informed decisions, and partner with their healthcare professionals for optimal outcomes.