Alberto J. Espay, MD, MSc, reflects on how diagnosing Parkinson's disease involves asserting expertise while acknowledging that each patient's experience is unique. This creates a tension between personalized care and the prospect of efficacious universal treatments.
This cognitive dissonance undermines efforts to develop effective therapies, as treatments often fail when not tailored to individual biological differences. To improve outcomes, Dr Espay asserts that it is vital to align treatments with specific patient characteristics, rather than assuming a one-size-fits-all approach.
