Atypical Parkinsonian Disorders

Despite an enormous amount of research in the past five years, our understanding of atypical parkinsonian disorders (APD) remains very much in its infancy. In Atypical Parkinsonian Disorders: Clinical and Research Aspects, a panel of highly knowledgeable and thoughtful investigators comprehensively reviews, for the first time, what is known not only about the cause and treatment of these devastating disorders, but also the issues that clinicians, researchers, patients, and caregivers face in dealing with them. The authors focus on progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal degeneration, multiple system atrophy, dementia with Lewy bodies, and familial atypical parkinsonism, covering the basic science (history, epidemiology, genetics, pathology, nosology, computer modeling, and animal models), detailed clinical and laboratory assessments, and available diagnostic tools, including neuropsychiatric, neurologic, neuropsychologic, speech, electrophysiologic, and imaging evaluations. Current and future therapeutic approaches are also detailed, along with extensive discussions about future research directions.