[Current developments in Parkinson's disease]

Our understanding of Parkinson's disease has considerably evolved in the last few years. While the cardinal motor features bradykinesia, rigidity, and tremor define the disease and respond to dopamine replacement therapy, there is a wider-spread neurodegeneration causing non motor symptoms and their impact on the quality of life of patients is being increasingly recognized. The follow-up requires a good collaboration between primary care physicians and neurologists. The purpose of this article is to offer a practical treatment guide of uncomplicated Parkinson's disease for general practitioners and internal medicine specialists. The management of late complications of Parkinson's disease will be addressed in another article.