Vascular parkinsonism: a clinical review

Abstract

Over the last 75 years there has been continuous debate about the existence of vascular parkinsonism (VP). The condition has been named and renamed several times, with terms such as arteriosclerotic parkinsonism, arteriosclerotic pseudo-parkinsonism and lower-body parkinsonism. Despite the progress in our understanding of other parkinsonian syndromes, such as progressive supranuclear palsy and multiple-system atrophy, and significant developments in neuroimaging techniques, the concept of VP is still unclear and the clinical diagnosis is often difficult. There are no widely agreed diagnostic criteria. This article reviews the current literature relating to VP in particular to identify the different clinical presentations that have been described.