The study reveals a high rate of diagnostic changes in Parkinson’s disease

A new study by the University of Turku and Turku, Finland, found that a significant proportion of Parkinson’s diagnoses are later corrected. Up to one in six diagnoses changed after ten years of follow -up and the majority of new diagnoses were made within two years of the initial diagnosis.

A recent study published in Neurology reveals significant diagnostic instability in Parkinson’s disease, with 13.3% of diagnoses being revised in a 10 -year follow -up period. When dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) is treated as a separate diagnostic category, the revision rate is increased to 17.7%.

The large -scale study was followed by more than 1,600 patients who were originally diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. The results show the continued difficulty in distinguishing it from other similar disorders, despite improvements in diagnostics.

Specifically, the majority of these diagnostic changes occur within the first two years of diagnosis, which highlights the challenges and clinical doctors facing the diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. “

ValTteri Kaasinen, Professor of Neurology, University of Turku and main study researcher

Clinical practices and diagnostic challenges increase incorrect diagnoses

Usually revised diagnoses included vascular parkinsonism, progressive supernatural paralysis, multi -system atrophy and clinically undefined parkinsonism.

While Dopamine (DAT) display was often used to help diagnose, the study found that post -mortem neuropathological tests were performed only in 3% of deceased patients, with 64% confirming the initial diagnoses of the disease. This decrease in post -mortem examinations reflects a global trend in other studies.

The study also highlights the difficulty of differentiation between Parkinson’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies, especially in relation to the controversial “one -year rule”.

“This rule, which considers the time sequence of motor and cognitive symptoms, has led to more recent cases that have been identified compared to the original clinical diagnoses.

Urgent need for improved diagnostic procedures

“The main conclusions of our study are the urgent need for continuous improvement of diagnostic processes, enhanced clinical training for neurologists, the most frequent use of post -mortem diagnostic confirmation and the development of widely accessible, cost -effective biomarkers.”

Increasing the autopsy rate will enhance the understanding of clinics for diagnostic accuracy, especially in cases where initial diagnoses are unclear or revised. Developing cost -effective and accessible biomarkers could improve diagnostic accuracy, especially in non -specialized arrangements, eventually leading to better care of patients.

This retrospective study was conducted at the University Hospital of Turku and three regional hospitals in Finland, analyzing patient records from 2006 to 2020, the study aimed to evaluate the long -term diagnostic stability of Parkinson’s Disease and Parkinson They were diagnosed by neurologists, specializing in motion in motion.