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Parkinson disease


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Question Question


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Are there any diseases that have similar symptoms to Parkinson disease?

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A number of disorders can cause symptoms similar to those of Parkinson disease. People with symptoms that resemble Parkinson disease but that result from other causes are sometimes said to have parkinsonism. Some of these disorders are listed below.[1]

  • Postencephalitic parkinsonism
  • Drug-induced parkinsonism
  • Toxin-induced parkinsonism
  • Arteriosclerotic parkinsonism
  • Parkinsonism-dementia complex of Guam
  • Post-traumatic parkinsonism 
  • Essential tremor
  • Normal pressure hydrocephalus 
  • Progressive supranuclear palsy
  • Corticobasal degeneration 
  • Multiple system atrophy 
  • Dementia with Lewy bodies 

More information on each of these conditions is available in the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) publication, Parkinson's Disease: Hope Through Research. 

Parkinsonian symptoms may also appear in patients with other, clearly distinct neurological disorders such as Wilson disease, Huntington disease, Alzheimer disease, spinocerebellar ataxias, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Each of these disorders has specific features that help to distinguish them from Parkinson disease.[1]

Last updated: 7/19/2010

We hope this information is helpful. We strongly recommend you discuss this information with your doctor. If you still have questions, please contact us.

Warm regards,
GARD Information Specialist

Please see our Disclaimer.

References References


  1. Parkinson's Disease: Hope Through Research. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/parkinsons_disease/detail_parkinsons_disease.htm#127443159.

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