Parkinson's disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder, affecting 1% of the population at age 65, 2-3% at age 85. Neurodegenerative disorders are increasing in prevalence due to demographic changes, and there are a variety of new treatment options. This course will take you through the recognition and diagnosis of this disease, and initial treatment. We will review motor complications which emerge in patients treated for Parkinson's disease over time. We will also discuss mental status changes in Parkinson's disease, which are not a universal occurrence, but can be a management challenge.

While special expertise exists for difficult therapeutic problems, many patients with Parkinson’s disease are under the care of general medical doctors and geriatricians. This course is intended to provide broad familiarity with the issues which guide management. It is intended for primary care physicians, geriatricians and psychiatrists.

NUMBER OF CREDIT HOURS: The Harvard Medical School designates this enduring material for a maximum of 2 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

This course should take approximately 2 hours to complete.

COST: $40.00 for the average learner. Participants living in emerging nations receive a 50% discount or can register for free. See our International Pricing Page for details.

OVERALL LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

1. Understand the principles which guide the diagnosis and management of Parkinson's disease
2. Update clinical problem solving skills with neurological cases
3. Understand the dopamine pathway and pharmacology of dopaminergic drugs

CLINICAL LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

1. Recognition and diagnosis of Parkinson's disease
2. Initial management
3. Recognition and treatment of motor complications
4. Understanding of cognitive and behavioral features of Parkinson's

METHOD OF PARTICIPATION:

Registrants participate in the learning process by answering interactive multiple choice questions that are dispersed throughout the case presentation. You must answer a question correctly in order to continue through the course. If you answer a question incorrectly, you will be prompted to try again.

In order to earn credit, physicians must complete the entire educational activity before the termination date (see above). Non-physicians may register for the course but are not eligible for AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Instead, non-physicians will earn a certificate of participation after successfully completing the course before its termination date.

COMBINATION OF MEDIA USED:

This internet enduring material is a case-based, interactive presentation comprised mainly of text, interactive questions, and images. A variety of media, including video clips, audio clips, and Flash animation, may be presented. Links to any necessary plugins are provided when necessary, but no plugins are required for general use of the CME website, and you may skip the multimedia presentation(s) within the course if you choose.

back to the top

LEWIS RICHARD SUDARSKY, MD Course Director

Dr Lewis Sudarsky received his MD from Harvard Medical School in 1974. He is in the Neurology Department at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, where he is director of the Parkinson's and Movement Disorder program. Dr Sudarsky is Associate Professor in Neurology at Harvard Medical School. In addition to Parkinson's disease therapeutics, areas of interest include gait disorders, dystonia, and hereditary ataxia. DISCLOSURE: Reported no relevant financial relationships with commercial entities

back to the top

DANIEL TARSY, MD Reviewer

Dr. Tarsy is a Professor of Neurology at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, MA. DISCLOSURE: Esai Neurosciences: Consultant; Allergan: Fellowship education grant; National Parkinson Foundation: Clinical Program Support; Boehringer Ingelheim: Research funding; Schwarz Pharma: Research funding; Teva Neurosciences: Patient education grant

back to the top

SANJIV CHOPRA, MD Planner

Dr. Sanjiv Chopra is Professor of Medicine and Faculty Dean for Continuing Medical Education at Harvard Medical School and Senior Consultant in Hepatology at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston. In his role as Faculty Dean for Continuing Education, Dr. Chopra provides oversight and leadership of the Department and oversees the academic development of our programs. Dr. Chopra is an experienced clinician, researcher, and educator. In his research roles, he has served both as a principal investigator as well as co-investigator. He has more than 120 publications and five books to his credit, addressing topics in disease states, patient care, and leadership. Dr. Chopra’s teaching experience is extensive, and he has won numerous teaching awards for his work with medical students, residents and physicians. Currently, he directs and speaks at 10 multiday CME courses, nine of which are through HMS. For his full bio, please click here. DISCLOSURE: Reported no relevant financial relationships with commercial entities.

ANDI LONG, EDM Planner

Andi Long directs the Department of Continuing Education’s Distance Learning group, which offers a variety of online continuing medical education programs to health care professionals around the world. Andi develops strategies for new pilot programs and systematically rolls out new distance learning initiatives and has a leadership role in IT planning and other online processes for HMS DCE. She oversees the day-to-day operations of each distance learning activity and ensures ACCME compliance across all enduring programs. She has had the privilege of working with hundreds of Harvard Medical School Faculty members to develop high-quality, engaging online programs that physicians in more than 170 countries have taken part in. Andi earned her Ed.M. in Technology, Innovation, and Education from Harvard Graduate School of Education and graduated from Bridgewater State College, summa cum laude, with a degree in English. Her professional interests focus on teaching and learning with new technologies and online course development. DISCLOSURE: Reported no relevant financial relationships with commercial entities.

back to the top

NUMBER OF CREDITS: 2 

The Harvard Medical School is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The Harvard Medical School designates this enduring material for a maximum of 2 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

This course should take approximately 2 hours to complete.

Within 2 weeks of completing the course, you will receive your certificate via email.

Click the image to view a sample of the certificate

back to the top