[Circumstances of Parkinson's disease diagnosis]

Parkinson's disease is one of the most frequent neurodegenerative diseases. The usual characteristic signs combine the classical triad, rest tremor, bradykinesia and rigidity. The diagnosis is usually easy after several years, especially when the levodopa responsiveness is established, and most of the differential diagnosis can then be ruled out. However, the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease is not confirmed at autopsy in 25% of cases. The errors are much more frequent at disease onset since the clinical presentation may be insidious and may comprise non-motor signs such as pain, vegetative, sensory or neuropsychological signs. In the future, early recognition of the disease will become more and more important with the development of neuroprotective therapeutic strategies.