Symptoms and Signs Help Differentiate Parkinsonism from Parkinson Disease

The differential diagnosis of parkinsonism remains a clinical exercise. Currently, no imaging technology or laboratory test allows neurologists to differentiate among the various conditions that can present as parkinsonism (i.e., present as resting tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, and postural reflex instability). Because of important differences in the early treatment of such disorders, these authors reviewed the literature and present the salient diagnostic features of each of the major parkinsonian syndromes. They begin with the most common, Parkinson disease, but also discuss progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), multiple system atrophy (MSA), Alzheimer disease (AD), dementia and parkinsonism (i.e., dementia with Lewy bodies), and cortic…