Young Onset Parkinson's Disease: A Modern and Tailored Approach

Abstract

In people with young onset Parkinson's disease (YOPD), onset of symptoms is between 21 and 40 years of age. The distinction between YOPD and late-onset Parkinson's disease is supported by genetic differences (a genetic etiology is more common in people with YOPD) and clinical differences (e.g., dystonia and levodopa-induced dyskinesias are more common inYOPD). Moreover, people with YOPD tend to have different family and societal engagements compared to those with late-onset PD. These unique features have implications for clinical management, and call for a tailored multidisplinary approach involving shared-decision making.

Keywords: Parkinsons’s disease; caregiver; dystonia; genetics; quality of life; work; young-onset.

Fig. 1

Mindmap visualizing the challenges faced by a young onset Parkinson’s disease patient. This mindmap displays the clinical aspects, circumstances, societal engagements and complexity of the young onset Parkinson’s disease patient. It helps to facilitate person-centred care based on the individual needs of the person living with Parkinson’s disease on a young age. This mindmap is created by Xander van Ruissen (YOPD patient and co-author of this paper) and his wife Dorien Wissink.