Diagnostic Biomarkers of Parkinson's Disease

Abstract

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder caused mainly by a lack of dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter involved in movement, motivation, memory, and other functions; its level is decreased in the PD brain due to dopaminergic cell death. Lack of this vital substrate in the parkinsonian brain is a motor impairment abnormality and possibly a reason for the cognitive deficit seen in parkinsonian patients. Biomarkers are measurable and reproducible parameters that make it possible to identify physiological and pathological processes. They must be specific, easy to obtain, and reproducible. Some are capable of diagnosing Parkinson's disease whose symptoms have not yet been described. This is where its usefulness lies in the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease, since this disease, by the time it presents symptoms, already shows neuronal damage and the therapeutic approach can only delay its progression.