Parkinson’s disease or PD is a chronic and progressive movement disorder that affects millions of people worldwide.

It is caused by the loss of dopamine, a chemical produced by the nerve cells in the brain that is responsible for controlling movement. As a result of this loss, people with Parkinson’s disease may experience tremors, rigidity, postural instability, and bradykinesia or slowness of movement.

However, not all symptoms that resemble Parkinson’s disease are actually due to it. Several other conditions present with similar signs and symptoms but have different underlying causes and treatment.

Here are some diseases that can mimic Parkinson’s disease:.

Progressive Supranuclear Palsy

Progressive supranuclear palsy or PSP is a rare and progressive neurological disorder that affects the brainstem and basal ganglia. It shares many features with Parkinson’s disease, such as stiffness, unsteadiness, and slowed movements.

However, PSP has some unique characteristics, including vertical gaze palsy or difficulty looking up, impaired speech, and dementia.

Multiple System Atrophy

Multiple system atrophy or MSA is another rare and progressive neurological disorder that affects the autonomic nervous system, basal ganglia, and cerebellum.

It can present with similar symptoms to Parkinson’s disease, such as tremors, stiffness, and bradykinesia. However, MSA has some distinguishing features, including early autonomic dysfunction such as low blood pressure, urinary incontinence, and difficulty regulating body temperature.

Dementia with Lewy Bodies

Dementia with Lewy bodies or DLB is a type of dementia that shares many features with Parkinson’s disease, such as tremors, rigidity, bradykinesia, and postural instability.

However, DLB has some unique characteristics, including fluctuations in cognition, visual hallucinations, and abnormal sleep patterns. DLB is often misdiagnosed as Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s disease, but it requires different management.

Corticobasal Degeneration

Corticobasal degeneration or CBD is a rare and progressive neurological disorder that affects the cortex and basal ganglia. It can present with similar symptoms to Parkinson’s disease, such as stiffness, tremors, and bradykinesia.

However, CBD has some distinguishing features, including apraxia or the inability to perform purposeful movements, sensory loss, and dystonia or involuntary muscle contractions.

Drug-Induced Parkinsonism

Drug-induced parkinsonism or DIP is a condition that resembles Parkinson’s disease but is caused by certain medications or toxins. DIP can present with similar symptoms to Parkinson’s disease, such as tremors, rigidity, and bradykinesia.

However, DIP has some distinguishing features, including symmetric involvement of the upper and lower extremities, relative sparing of the face and neck muscles, and rapid onset and resolution after discontinuing the offending agent.

Vascular Parkinsonism

Vascular parkinsonism or VP is a condition that resembles Parkinson’s disease but is caused by multiple small strokes or ischemic lesions in the brain.

VP can present with similar symptoms to Parkinson’s disease, such as stiffness, tremors, and bradykinesia. However, VP has some distinguishing features, including gait disturbance, urinary incontinence, and a history of cardiovascular disease or stroke.

Huntington’s Disease

Huntington’s disease or HD is a rare and hereditary neurological disorder that affects the basal ganglia and cortex. It can present with similar symptoms to Parkinson’s disease, such as tremors, rigidity, and bradykinesia.

However, HD has some distinguishing features, including chorea or involuntary dance-like movements, cognitive decline, and psychiatric symptoms such as depression and aggression.

Wilson’s Disease

Wilson’s disease or WD is a rare and hereditary disorder that affects copper metabolism and can lead to toxic accumulation of copper in the liver and brain.

It can present with similar symptoms to Parkinson’s disease, such as tremors, stiffness, and bradykinesia. However, WD has some distinguishing features, including kayser-fleischer rings or greenish-brown rings around the cornea, liver dysfunction, and psychiatric symptoms such as anxiety and depression.

Hydrocephalus

Hydrocephalus is a condition that arises when the cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and exerts pressure on the surrounding tissues.

It can present with similar symptoms to Parkinson’s disease, such as gait disturbances, urinary incontinence, and cognitive decline. However, hydrocephalus has some distinguishing features, including the “gait apraxia” or the inability to initiate gait, urinary urgency, headache, and memory impairment.

Essential Tremors

Essential tremors or ET is a common neurological disorder that affects millions of people worldwide. It can present with involuntary shaking of the hands, head, and voice, which can mimic Parkinson’s disease.

However, ET differs from Parkinson’s disease in several ways, including a lack of rigidity, slowness, and postural instability. ET is often responsive to beta-blockers, while Parkinson’s disease is not.

Conclusion

As we have seen, several diseases can mimic Parkinson’s disease and lead to misdiagnosis and improper treatment.

Therefore, it is crucial to consult a neurologist who can distinguish between Parkinson’s disease and its mimics based on clinical examination, imaging tests, and other diagnostic tools. Accurate diagnosis and management can improve the quality of life of people with Parkinson’s disease and prevent unnecessary interventions.