Treatment of Parkinson’s disease today is complicated by the proliferation of medications and therapeutic options. A new book, written by J. Eric Ahlskog, Ph.D., M.D., a Mayo Clinic neurologist and Parkinson’s disease specialist, provides clear treatment guidelines for physicians that simplify options and assure the best treatment possible for each patient.
In this new book, The Parkinson’s Disease Treatment Guide for Physicians (Oxford University Press, Hardcover), Dr. Ahlskog shares lessons learned from more than 25 years of treating patients with Parkinson’s disease and related disorders at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
“Parkinson’s disease is a treatable disorder with the therapeutic potential to resurrect lives, but it is easy for medical professionals to get confused by all the new drugs, reformulation of old drugs and potential for drug-disease adverse interactions,” says Dr. Ahlskog. “This book explains which drugs and doses work best for specific problems based on clinical experience and published evidence.”
The book is novel because it precisely mirrors Dr. Ahlskog’s earlier book, The Parkinson’s Disease Treatment Book: Partnering with Your Doctor to Get the Most from Your Medications (Oxford University Press, Hardcover). The earlier book was written in lay-language for Parkinson’s disease patients and families and covers the same material, chapter-by-chapter, as the new book for physicians.
“Together, these books allow a partnership between physicians and patients whereby they can literally be on the same page,” says Dr. Ahlskog. “This enables the patient to be informed and helps physicians by streamlining care, reducing confusion, and most importantly, facilitating the most effective treatment possible.”
Dr. Ahlskog discusses the books and how they can help physicians and patients:
This will be very helpful to both patients and medical professionals.
I am looking for quality life that gives purpose to be the better able serve God” purpose. Helping others who live day to day with this challenge.
I would like a book on Parkinson Disease that will help me out
by reading it and understand what’s going on.
Hi Audrey, Dr. Ahlskog mentioned a book above that might be helpful to you – The Parkinson’s Disease Treatment Book: Partnering with Your Doctor to Get the Most from Your Medications. Other than that book, you can find a lot of information on mayoclinic.com on the Parkison’s disease page. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/parkinsons-disease/DS00295.
When was this book published?
The book for patients was published in 2005. The details are still very appropriate for patients with Parkinson’s disease. If it was out of date, I would revise, but not necessary at this juncture. The book for physicians was written to mirror the book for patients. It was published in 2009. They have the same chapter topics and the same recommendations so that the doctor and patient/caregiver can almost-literally be on the “same page”.