New Diagnosis Workshop: Parkinson’s Disease Etiology, Diagnosis, and Symptoms (2023)

Dr. Jonathan Squires offered an overview of Parkinson’s disease in this webinar. Parkinson's is a neurodegenerative disorder marked by the loss of specific brain cells and the presence of the abnormal protein alpha-synuclein. While the exact cause remains elusive, known risk factors include age, gender, head injuries, environmental influences, and genetics. Diagnosis relies on clinical symptoms due to the absence of diagnostic tests.

Dr. Squires discussed how early-stage Parkinson's diagnosis accuracy stands at 70-80%, with misdiagnoses often attributed to mimic disorders. The disease progresses variably among individuals and encompasses motor symptoms like tremors and bradykinesia, alongside non-motor symptoms such as mood disturbances, sleep issues, and autonomic dysfunction.

During the Q&A session, he addressed autonomic changes, cognitive shifts, and symptom management. Autonomic changes affect blood pressure, digestion, heart rate, and sexual function. Cognitive difficulties, more common in older individuals, may involve language fluency and visual spatial processing. Slowing disease progression is recommended through exercise, social engagement, a Mediterranean-style diet, and medication when symptoms become burdensome, particularly for tremor control.

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.**