Finding a Clearer Parkinson's Diagnosis

About this episode

This episode discusses the challenges of diagnosing Parkinson's disease and the efforts to improve early diagnosis and treatment.

Parkinson’s isn’t easy to diagnose — everyone’s symptoms differ based on their individual biology, leading to delays in diagnosis and treatment. One of The Michael J. Fox Foundation’s (MJFF) key areas of focus is finding ways to diagnose Parkinson’s disease earlier and more clearly, which could one day lead to more personalized treatments that can improve quality of life. Like our podcasts? Please consider leaving a rating or review and sharing the series with your community. https://apple.co/3p02Jw0 There are so many ways to get involved in the research that is leading to clearer disease diagnosis. Learn more about your role in research at: https://www.michaeljfox.org/your-role-parkinsons-research The Foundation’s landmark study, the Parkinson’s Precision Medicine Initiative, also known as PPMI, is recruiting volunteers. Join the study that’s changing everything at michaeljfox.org/podcast-ppmi Mentioned in this episode: Researchers are studying the link between sense of smell and brain health. People with and without Parkinson's can help by taking a scratch-and-sniff test. It’s free, mailed to your home and takes just 15 minutes to complete. mysmelltest.org/getstarted

Topics covered

• Parkinson's diagnosis
• personalized treatments
• research involvement
• symptom variability
• early diagnosis

Keywords

• Parkinson's
• diagnosis
• treatment
• research
• symptoms
• personalized medicine
• smell test

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, Parkinson’s Precision Medicine Initiative, mysmelltest.org

More episodes of The Michael J. Fox Foundation Parkinson's Podcast

• Everyday Tips for Living Well with Parkinson’s Disease · May 20, 2026 · 32 min
• What Causes Parkinson’s Disease? (Webinar Audio) · April 22, 2026 · 53 min
• Parkinson's: Fact vs. Fiction · April 15, 2026 · 29 min
• Sleep and Parkinson’s: What’s Going On (and What Can Help) (Webinar Audio) · March 25, 2026 · 55 min
• Catalyzing Community to End Parkinson’s · March 18, 2026 · 35 min
• In This Together: Care Partnership and Parkinson’s (Webinar Audio) · February 24, 2026 · 53 min