Parkinson's disease: new approaches to diagnosis and treatment

The findings three decades ago that the symptoms of Parkinson's disease were related to a deficiency of striatal dopamine and that they were reversible by the administration of levodopa heralded a new era of investigative interest in this disorder. Since then, there has been steady progress towards a better understanding of the nature of Parkinson's disease. The breadth of the clinical entity as regards its phenomenology and natural history have been more fully defined, new concepts regarding its etiology and early detection have been suggested and numerous approaches to treatment developed. In the main, therapy has been directed towards control of symptoms, but recent attempts at halting the inevitable progression have been developed. This presentation critically reviews these various aspects of Parkinson's disease.