Journal article
Does Black vs. White race affect practitioners’ appraisal of Parkinson’s disease?
NPJ Parkinson's Disease, Vol.9, 106
07/07/2023
DOI: 10.1038/s41531-023-00549-2
PMCID: PMC10328950
PMID: 37419894
Abstract
Black patients are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PD) at half the rate as White patients. The reasons for this large disparity are unknown. Here, we review evidence that practitioner bias may contribute. A key sign of PD is hypomimia or decreased facial expressivity. However, practitioner bias surrounding facial expressivity in Black people versus White people may lead practitioners to appraise Black patients with hypomimia as having higher levels of facial expressivity. Furthermore, practitioner bias may cause them to characterize reduced facial expressivity as being due to negative personality traits, as opposed to a medical sign, in Black patients with hypomimia. This racial bias in the evaluation of hypomimia in Black versus White patients could profoundly impact subsequent referral decisions and rates of diagnosis of PD. Therefore, exploring these differences is expected to facilitate addressing health care disparities through earlier and more accurate detection of PD in Black patients.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Does Black vs. White race affect practitioners’ appraisal of Parkinson’s disease?
- Creators
- Shana Harris - University of IowaNandakumar S. Narayanan - University of IowaDaniel Tranel - University of Iowa
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- NPJ Parkinson's Disease, Vol.9, 106
- DOI
- 10.1038/s41531-023-00549-2
- PMID
- 37419894
- PMCID
- PMC10328950
- NLM abbreviation
- NPJ Parkinsons Dis
- eISSN
- 2373-8057
- Publisher
- Nature Publishing Group UK
- Grant note
- ;
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 07/07/2023
- Academic Unit
- Neurology; Psychological and Brain Sciences; Iowa Neuroscience Institute
- Record Identifier
- 9984442028002771
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