Parkinson's
disease is usually diagnosed by a neurologist who can evaluate
symptoms and their severity. There is no test that can clearly
identify the disease. Sometimes people with suspected Parkinson's
disease are given anti-Parkinson's drugs to see if they respond.
Other tests, such as brain scans, can help doctors decide
if a patient has true Parkinson's disease or some other disorder
that resembles it. Microscopic brain structures called Lewy
bodies, which can be seen only during an autopsy, are regarded
as a hallmark of classical Parkinson's. Autopsies have uncovered
Lewy bodies in a surprising number of older persons without
diagnosed Parkinson's -- 8% of people over 50, almost 13%
of people over 70, and almost 16% of those over 80, according
to one study. As a result, some experts believe Parkinson's
disease is something of an "iceberg; phenomenon,"
lurking undetected in as many as 20 people for each known
Parkinson's patient. A few researchers contend that almost
everyone would develop Parkinson's eventually if they lived
long enough.