Transcranial sonography in parkinsonian disorders: clear window or blurred vision?

Parkinson's disease is extremely difficult to diagnose, given that no test provides conclusive evidence for the disease. Many patients in the early stages of the disease have very few symptoms or experience symptoms that overlap with other conditions that resemble Parkinson's disease, known as parkinsonian disorders. Transcranial sonography is an easy test that can take ultrasound images of different brain structures, including the substantia nigra (‘black substance’). Unfortunately, our research found that ultrasound images of the various brain structures did not help to diagnose Parkinson's disease or parkinsonian disorders.