Investigative Tools

Diagnosis of PD is inherently ambiguous, and is typically based on presentation of the characteristic motor symptoms of PD and responsiveness to dopamine replacement therapies.  There is a substantial research effort underway to develop or refine clinical scales and biomarkers to aid earlier and more definitive diagnosis of PD, and to track disease progression.  Development of such tools could play an important role in identifying cases of PD prior to the development of motor symptoms, by which time there is already substantial dopaminergic cell loss.  Identification of biomarkers that can be measured prior to the development of motor symptoms would be of great value in developing neuroprotective therapeutics.