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As some have written, PD has numerous mimics with similar symptoms, depend- ing on just which part of the brain is affected, and the best way to diagnose is to try different drugs to see what works. If levodopa (Sinemet) works, you may as well assume it is PD. If it doesn't, well, tough. The profession used to think that Lewy bodies (microscopic tangles in the cells found postmortem) were pathognomonic, but now they don't. Similarly, they say that Essential Tremor is frequently misdiagnosed as PD, but nobody seems to know what ET really is. A priority goal for future research is to find a definite 'biomarker' of PD. The importance of this is that in controlled trials of say, a new drug, effects could be better evaluated if participants who didn't really have PD could be eliminated. So far, the definitive biomarker for PD has been elusive. Cheers and season's greetings, Joe J. R. Bruman (818) 789-3694 3527 Cody Road Sherman Oaks CA 91403 On Sat, 23 Dec 1995, Camilla Flintermann wrote: > Re: diagnosis--several sources have said that PD is NOT diagnosed by MRI,CAT, > other tests, but CLINICALLY. One of these was our own neuro, who specialize s > in PD, another was Dr. George Paulson, head of neurology at the Parkinson Cen t > er of Excellence at Ohio State U., and cited as one of the"Hundred Best Doctor s > in the US" in a reference book by that name. So while it is *possible* she > may have PD, there should be symptomatic indications, it seems. > Camilla Flintermann, CG for Peter, 76/6+ in Oxford,OH >