New Diagnosis Workshop: Parkinson's Disease Management and Treatment (2023)

In this workshop series on Parkinson's disease, Dr. Tara Rastin discusses the individualized approach to managing and treating the disease. She emphasizes the importance of physical therapy and exercise as a key component of treatment. Dr. Rastin also explains the use of medications, particularly levodopa, in managing motor and non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

She discusses how in the early phases of Parkinson's, patients may not experience fluctuations in symptoms dose to dose, but instead, they may have a long duration effect where they notice a clear change in functioning after taking levodopa. As the disease progresses, patients become more aware of a dose-dependent response, experiencing periods of symptom improvement followed by a return of symptoms with each dose of medication. Dyskinesia, excess rocking or writhing movements, is more likely to occur with longer disease duration rather than cumulative levodopa exposure. Advanced therapies like Deep Brain Stimulation and Duodopa® can be helpful for levodopa-responsive symptoms that have fluctuated throughout the day and do not respond well to medication alone.

View the video slides accompanying this presentation by clicking here.

**Disclaimer: These sessions are designed to provide general education and are not intended for individual advice and/or clinical care. The information conveyed in this recording was accurate at the time of presentation.**