Neurological update: the palliative care landscape for atypical parkinsonian syndromes

Atypical parkinsonian syndromes are neurodegenerative conditions, characterised by rapid disease progression and shorter life expectancy compared to idiopathic Parkinson’s disease. These conditions inflict substantial physical and psychosocial burden on patients and their families; hence, there is a clear rationale for a palliative care approach from diagnosis. An interdisciplinary care model has been shown to improve symptom burden, quality of life and engagement with advance care planning, in a heterogeneous group of neurodegenerative conditions. In this update, we summarise how the landscape for treating these patients has changed and the questions that still need to be resolved.