Are Parkinson's disease patients referred too late for device-aided therapies and how can better informed and earlier referrals be encouraged?

In the advanced Parkinson's disease, motor and non-motor symptoms become more severe and more difficult to treat. Oral therapy may become insufficient in controlling a patient & PRIME;s motor complications, which results in a substantial deterioration of the patient's quality of life, ability to work and self-reliance. This is when device-aided treatments should be considered and offered, if suitable for a given patient. They include subcutaneous and intestinal infusion therapies, deep brain stimulation and, more recently, MRI-guided focussed ultrasound. Device-aided treatments should be offered in accordance with guidelines and treatment standardization. Also there is a need to ensure availability of treatment and education of patients and physicians.

Automated summary

In advanced Parkinson's disease, motor and non-motor symptoms worsen and become harder to treat. When oral therapy is insufficient in controlling motor complications, device-aided treatments, such as infusion therapies and deep brain stimulation, should be considered. These treatments should be provided according to guidelines and treatment standards, and ensuring availability and education for patients and physicians is crucial.