Nonmotor symptoms in Parkinson's disease: expanding the view of Parkinson's disease beyond a pure motor, pure dopaminergic problem

Abstract

Nonmotor symptoms (NMS) of Parkinson's disease (PD) are critical to identify and treat because of their impact on quality of life. Despite growing evidence of the importance of NMS on patients' quality of life, gaps remain in their recognition and treatment. The result is a need for increased information and understanding of specific NMS and the clinical approaches for their assessment and management in the context of PD as a whole. This article discusses the NMS of PD, their relationship to the pathologic basis of PD, and how NMS can be best managed.

Keywords: Dopaminergic; Motor symptoms; Nonmotor symptoms; Parkinson's disease.