Recognizing early Parkinson's disease

Differential diagnosis of Parkinson's disease should cover not only the classic disorder described by James Parkinson in 1817 (paralysis agitans) but also numerous other idiopathic and secondary disorders that have varying degrees of parkinsonian features. Because treatment options can vary greatly among mimicking disorders and differ from those effective for Parkinson's disease, a prompt, accurate diagnosis is essential. Physicians can distinguish between these often-overlapping disorders by differentiating primary from secondary parkinsonism and by classifying primary syndromes into disorders with prominent tremor and those without.