For informational purposes only — not a substitute for professional medical advice. Read disclaimer
Parkinsons.org

Editorial Standards

This page explains exactly how the information on Parkinsons.org is produced. We publish it because you deserve to know where our content comes from, how it is checked, and what its current limitations are — especially for a health topic where accuracy matters.

How our content is created

Each article is researched from authoritative medical literature and written in plain language for patients and caregivers. We draft content with the assistance of AI writing tools and then check it against the primary sources cited on the page. Every substantive medical statement is intended to be traceable to a source listed in that page's references. We prioritize explaining the evidence clearly over publishing quickly.

Which sources we use

We cite primary and authoritative sources, in roughly this order of preference:

  1. U.S. government and NIH sources — NINDS, NIA, CDC, FDA, and MedlinePlus.
  2. Peer-reviewed journals — for example the New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet and Lancet Neurology, JAMA Neurology, Movement Disorders, and Brain.
  3. Cochrane systematic reviews for questions of treatment effectiveness.
  4. Academic medical centers such as Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, and Johns Hopkins.
  5. Established nonprofit medical organizations, including the Parkinson's Foundation, the Michael J. Fox Foundation, and the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

We do not cite other consumer-health publishers as authorities; where they summarize research, we link the underlying study or guideline instead. Wherever possible we link to a stable identifier (a DOI or a PubMed record) so the source remains reachable over time.

How we check accuracy

Before publishing, we verify key facts against their original sources: prevalence and incidence figures against published epidemiology, drug information against FDA-approved prescribing information, and treatment guidance against current clinical guidelines from bodies such as the American Academy of Neurology and the Movement Disorder Society. When sources disagree or the evidence is preliminary, we say so plainly rather than overstate certainty.

What we do not yet do

Our content is not yet reviewed by a licensed physician. We are transparent about this rather than displaying “medically reviewed” badges we have not earned. We are working to form a Medical Advisory Board of movement-disorder specialists; when reviewers are in place, we will name them, with their verifiable credentials, on the pages they review. Until then, please treat this site as educational information to discuss with your own healthcare team — see our medical disclaimer.

Keeping content current

Parkinson's research moves quickly. We review articles on a recurring schedule and update them sooner when there is a material change — an FDA approval or safety warning, major trial results, or a new clinical guideline. Each article shows the date it was last updated.

Independence and funding

We carry no pharmaceutical advertising, accept no undisclosed sponsorships, and publish no supplement affiliate links inside our medical content. No company or organization pays to influence what we write.

Corrections

If you spot an error, tell us on our contact page and we will investigate promptly. When we correct a substantive factual error, we record it on our corrections page.