What Are the Stages of Parkinson’s Disease?

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurological disease. It is well known for affecting movement and balance. However, it can also affect mood and memory.¹

PD affects everyone differently. It can progress at different speeds, and people can experience certain symptoms but not others.²

To better understand and treat Parkinson’s, experts divided PD into 5 stages based on motor symptoms. This is called the Hoehn-Yahr (H-Y) staging system. However, motor symptoms are only 1 piece of the puzzle. Researchers are also beginning to use the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS).