Parkinson’s Symptoms: When Should You Get a Brain MRI?

[@chaseme9860]

With parkinsons, doctors don't diagnose a disease, they diagnose symptoms. In reality, "Parkinsons" is a group of symptoms, not a disease. Each group of symptoms in the spectrum of neurodegenerative disorders has its own name. It's like saying someone with a broken arm has broken bone disease, when in reality it could be from cancer, osteoporosis etc... Also, Parkinsons as a diagnosis with the current criteria, is actually a late diagnosis of this neurogenerative disorder. Parkinsons begins much sooner than the current criteria for clinical diagnosis. Good doctors are now recognizing sleep disturbances like insomnia and RBD as early stage Parkinsons.

[@Juma-m7b]

My Neurologist ordered an MRI, first thing to rule out prior trauma and stroke. Then she set on a course of a THREE-MONTH clinical evaluation, Med Trial (which completely changed my life) and then she made the diagnosis of PD. My symptoms started with crazy dreams, that seemed as real as life itself. I developed a tremor in my jaw, which my PCP saw. My then PCP had a husband with PD (he recently passed) and the jaw tremor she noticed was the reason for sending me to the Neuro. I am seven years post diagnosis and the meds are working a little less than they used to, the stiffness is horrifying in the morning, thankfully the meds release it in an hour and I can get up. My memory is fading, im on meds for it and it has slowed it down, but PD is everything its said to be, the MOST IMPORTANT THING TO DO IF YOU HAVE PD......GET UP, EXERCISE, if you dont, this illness will run you down FAST! Best to each of you.