Description
A wide range of movement disorders can produce, at some time in their course, parkinsonian features. Accurate diagnosis using inclusion and exclusion criteria and careful observation of the patient, usually over a period of time, and observing their response to levodopa therapy, should lead to more accurate diagnosis enabling the clinician to support the patient more effectively, and anticipate problems depending on the precise diagnosis. Nevertheless, distinguishing some of these movement disorders early in the course may be extremely difficult and some circumspection is advised. The detection of treatable phenomena such as neuroleptic induced parkinsonism and communicating hydrocephalus is particularly important.
