Parkinson's Disease Health Center

There's no precise test for Parkinson's disease. This article describes how doctors diagnose the condition.

For patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), a PET scan is used to assess activity and function of brain regions involved in movement.

CT, or computed tomography, uses X-rays and computers to produce images of inside the body including the brain. This test is used to look for signs of disease like Parkinson's in the body .

MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, is a test that produces very clear pictures, or images, of the human body without the use of X-rays. Instead, MRI uses a large magnet, radio waves, and a computer to produce these images.