Turkish neurologist discusses signs for early detection of Parkinson

Turkish neurologist Dr. Guven Arslan identifies early symptoms of Parkinson’s, such as loss of smell and constipation, stressing their significance in prompt diagnosis

Neurologist Dr. Guven Arslan, based at Acibadem Kayseri Hospital in Türkiye, has recently shed light on the critical importance of early diagnosis in managing Parkinson’s disease.

Dr. Arslan underlined that some of the earliest indicators of Parkinson’s include loss of smell, constipation and hand tremors.

“Precise and early diagnosis of Parkinson’s can significantly improve treatment outcomes,” Dr. Arslan stated.

He explained that Parkinson’s disease arises due to the deterioration of brain cells responsible for producing dopamine, a key neurotransmitter involved in motor control and coordination.

Although Parkinson’s commonly begins in the 50s, Dr. Arslan noted that the full onset of clinical symptoms often doesn’t manifest until the 60s.”Key symptoms of Parkinson’s include slowed movement, expressionless faces, and hand tremors,” he said. Dr. Arslan added that while hand tremors are often the symptom that leads patients to seek clinical help, the disease also significantly affects gait and speech.

Besides hand tremors, which typically occur at rest and can spread to both hands as the disease progresses, Dr. Arslan highlighted other crucial symptoms: a gradual decrease in facial expressions, a monotone quality in speech, alterations in speech pace and a sudden change in handwriting size.

Dr. Arslan advocated for increased public awareness of Parkinson’s’s’ significant impact on daily life.

“With correct diagnosis and treatment, patients can greatly improve their functional capacity,” he advised, emphasizing the importance of seeking professional medical advice when symptoms appear.

Dr. Arslan also discussed current treatment strategies for Parkinson’s, which primarily focus on replenishing the depleted dopamine in the brain. These include daily tablet medications, injection treatments, and in advanced stages, device-assisted therapies like direct medication delivery through a tube to the stomach or deep brain stimulation using a brain pacemaker.

Source: Newsroom