Abstrait

Multidisciplinary treatment of Parkinson’s disease: current state and future directions

Sotirios A Parashos

The multidisciplinary treatment of Parkinson’s disease has been used in the clinical setting for a number of years in order to address Parkinson’s disease-related symptoms that do not usually respond to the established pharmacological treatments, but also to mitigate impairment, decrease disability and enhance quality of life. Yet, there are very few studies on the effectiveness of such treatment. This article discusses the existing evidence and proposes approaches for the clinical application and future research of the multidisciplinary treatment of Parkinson’s disease. Considerations in designing a clinical program or a clinical trial should include a target need; selection of the appropriate assessment tools and outcome measures; selection of appropriate interventions; interdisciplinary implementation; inpatient versus outpatient setting; and follow-up planning.