Parkinson Disease
Course #68772 -
- Participation Instructions
- Review the course material online or in print.
- Complete the course evaluation.
- Review your Transcript to view and print your Certificate of Completion. Your date of completion will be the date (Pacific Time) the course was electronically submitted for credit, with no exceptions. Partial credit is not available.
Parkinson disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects approximately 1% of those older than 60 years of age. Improved recognition of both non-motor and motor symptoms can promote early diagnosis and treatment of PD. Importantly, early intervention leads to better quality of life for the patient, and this may be facilitated by improved understanding of PD pathophysiology, signs and symptoms, differential diagnosis, and therapeutic options. As a chronic condition, patients with PD have ongoing contact with their primary care provider for PD and non-PD related concerns. Additional aspects related to PD are likely to be encountered, including issues with medications prescribed to control PD symptoms, comorbid conditions, and polypharmacy. This course will review all of the relevant aspects of PD diagnosis and treatment necessary for the optimal care of patients with the disease.
This advanced course is designed for all psychologists who may encounter patients with Parkinson disease.
The purpose of this course is to provide psychologists a review of pathogenesis, disease progression, diagnosis, and management of Parkinson disease, in order to improve patient care and quality of life.
Upon completion of this course, you should be able to:
- Outline the history, epidemiology, and clinical signs/symptoms of Parkinson disease (PD) and scientific developments related to recognition of the disease.
- Describe the assessment and management of PD.
- Assess motor and non-motor symptoms and signs in relation to pathophysiology of PD.
- Anticipate the time course of symptom development in patients with PD, and use this to assess clinical probability and to inform follow-up of a patient in whom the diagnosis is unclear.
- Refine history and clinical examination skills in order to detect the early motor and non-motor signs and symptoms of PD.
- Develop a strategy for the initial workup of patients with suspected PD that conforms with diagnostic and clinical staging criteria.
- Compare and contrast syndromes that may mimic PD and their differential diagnosis.
- Devise a treatment strategy and select an appropriate drug regimen for the management of PD.
- Create an approach to the management of PD based on stage of the disease, severity of symptoms, and rate of progression.
- Discuss the role of non-motor symptoms of PD and devise a strategy for treatment.
- Outline a long-term plan for monitoring the course of illness, including patient and family education and safety precautions.
John M. Leonard, MD, Professor of Medicine Emeritus, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, completed his post-graduate clinical training at the Yale and Vanderbilt University Medical Centers before joining the Vanderbilt faculty in 1974. He is a clinician-educator and for many years served as director of residency training and student educational programs for the Vanderbilt University Department of Medicine. Over a career span of 40 years, Dr. Leonard conducted an active practice of general internal medicine and an inpatient consulting practice of infectious diseases.
Contributing faculty, John M. Leonard, MD, has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
James Trent, PhD
The division planner has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
Sarah Campbell
The Director of Development and Academic Affairs has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
The purpose of NetCE is to provide challenging curricula to assist healthcare professionals to raise their levels of expertise while fulfilling their continuing education requirements, thereby improving the quality of healthcare.
Our contributing faculty members have taken care to ensure that the information and recommendations are accurate and compatible with the standards generally accepted at the time of publication. The publisher disclaims any liability, loss or damage incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any of the contents. Participants are cautioned about the potential risk of using limited knowledge when integrating new techniques into practice.
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The role of implicit biases on healthcare outcomes has become a concern, as there is some evidence that implicit biases contribute to health disparities, professionals' attitudes toward and interactions with patients, quality of care, diagnoses, and treatment decisions. This may produce differences in help-seeking, diagnoses, and ultimately treatments and interventions. Implicit biases may also unwittingly produce professional behaviors, attitudes, and interactions that reduce patients' trust and comfort with their provider, leading to earlier termination of visits and/or reduced adherence and follow-up. Disadvantaged groups are marginalized in the healthcare system and vulnerable on multiple levels; health professionals' implicit biases can further exacerbate these existing disadvantages.
Interventions or strategies designed to reduce implicit bias may be categorized as change-based or control-based. Change-based interventions focus on reducing or changing cognitive associations underlying implicit biases. These interventions might include challenging stereotypes. Conversely, control-based interventions involve reducing the effects of the implicit bias on the individual's behaviors. These strategies include increasing awareness of biased thoughts and responses. The two types of interventions are not mutually exclusive and may be used synergistically.