[Clinical criteria of Parkinson's disease]

Abstract

The clinical criteria of Parkinson's disease are akinesia in combination with at least one of the following three symptoms: tremor (asymmetrical resting tremor), rigidity, impairment of posture, gait and balance. Symptomatic and atypical parkinsonian syndromes are ruled out by history, clinical examination, cranial CT, MRI, SPECT or PET. Patients with Parkinson's disease respond to levodopa or dopaminagonists throughout the course of the disease. Parkinson's disease is also characterised by various vegetative symptoms, impairment of olfaction, anxiety, depression, and with increasing age also by cognitive deficits and dementia.