Opinion: Who should get to see the neurologist first: the sick or the at-risk?
Once a year, Jessi Keavney goes to see her neurologist. During the visit, the doctor asks if she has developed any new symptoms and then performs a detailed physical exam. He observes the speed and amplitude of her hand and foot movements, and then assesses her ability to stand from a seated position. While she walks, the doctor evaluates her arm swing, the length of her stride, and her posture.
Altogether, this choreography represents a standardized appraisal of the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. But Keavney does not have Parkinson’s, or any other neurological illness.
