Professor Chen Biao: Parkinson’s Disease and Neurodegeneration Specialist
Professor Chen Biao is a senior neurologist, professor, doctoral supervisor, deputy director of neurology, and director of the Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders service at Xuanwu Hospital. His clinical and academic work focuses on Parkinson’s disease, tremor, dystonia, atypical parkinsonism, early warning and prevention research, genetics, and neurodegenerative disease in older adults.
Clinical and Academic Focus
- early and established Parkinson’s disease;
- essential tremor and other tremor syndromes;
- dystonia and involuntary movement disorders;
- atypical parkinsonism;
- motor fluctuations and dyskinesia;
- non-motor Parkinson’s symptoms;
- genetic and familial Parkinson’s disease;
- DBS candidacy and neurological follow-up; and
- second opinions for uncertain movement-disorder diagnosis.
Diagnosing Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s disease is diagnosed clinically from slowness of movement plus characteristic tremor, stiffness, or balance impairment. Response to dopaminergic medicine, symptom asymmetry, disease course, and non-motor features help support the diagnosis.
No single blood test or scan confirms every case. MRI, dopamine-transporter imaging, laboratory tests, or genetic testing may be used when the diagnosis is uncertain or another disorder is suspected.
Early and Non-Motor Symptoms
Constipation, reduced smell, dream-enactment behavior, depression, anxiety, fatigue, and autonomic symptoms can occur before clear motor signs, but these symptoms are common and do not by themselves establish Parkinson’s disease.
Research seeks combinations of clinical, imaging, genetic, and biological markers that identify risk before disabling symptoms develop. Routine preventive treatment for an asymptomatic high-risk person is not yet established.
Medication Management
Treatment may include levodopa, dopamine agonists, MAO-B inhibitors, COMT inhibitors, amantadine, and other medicines according to symptoms, age, cognition, lifestyle, and side-effect risk.
As disease progresses, some patients develop wearing-off, delayed or failed doses, freezing, and dyskinesia. Adjusting timing, formulation, meals, and combination therapy can improve control.
Parkinson’s medicine should not be stopped suddenly without medical advice.
Movement Disorders Beyond Parkinson’s
Essential tremor, dystonia, medication-induced movement, functional movement disorder, multiple-system atrophy, progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal syndrome, and vascular parkinsonism can overlap with Parkinson’s disease.
Careful examination and longitudinal follow-up are often more informative than a single visit.
Genetics and GBA Variants
Professor Chen’s team has studied GBA variants and their age-related penetrance in Parkinson’s disease. A risk variant does not mean that a person will definitely develop the condition.
Genetic testing is most useful when accompanied by counseling about uncertainty, family implications, privacy, and whether the result will change care.
Exercise and Rehabilitation
Regular aerobic, strength, balance, flexibility, gait, speech, and swallowing therapy can improve function and quality of life. Exercise should be tailored to falls risk, heart health, joint disease, and current ability.
Deep Brain Stimulation Assessment
Deep brain stimulation may help selected patients with medication-responsive Parkinson’s symptoms, disabling fluctuations, dyskinesia, or tremor. It does not cure the disease and is less reliable for medication-unresponsive balance, speech, or cognitive symptoms.
Selection requires movement-disorder assessment, medication-response testing, brain imaging, neuropsychology, and neurosurgical review.
Who May Consider a Consultation?
- patients with new tremor, stiffness, slowness, or gait change;
- patients with an uncertain Parkinson’s or movement-disorder diagnosis;
- patients with wearing-off, dyskinesia, freezing, or falls;
- patients with prominent sleep, mood, cognitive, or autonomic symptoms;
- patients with a family history or genetic result related to Parkinson’s disease;
- patients considering DBS or another device-aided treatment;
- patients with suspected atypical parkinsonism; or
- patients seeking a second opinion on long-term management.
Medical Records to Prepare
- a concise symptom and treatment timeline;
- short videos showing tremor, walking, turning, and involuntary movements;
- brain MRI and dopamine-transporter imaging in original format when available;
- all neurological and movement-disorder assessments;
- medication history with dose times, response, wearing-off, and side effects;
- motor diaries and home blood-pressure records;
- sleep, cognitive, mood, swallowing, speech, and rehabilitation assessments;
- genetic reports and a three-generation family history;
- DBS screening or operative records when relevant; and
- a clear list of functional goals and questions.
Planning an International Consultation
Sudden weakness, abrupt severe confusion, fever with marked rigidity, or inability to take essential Parkinson’s medicine requires urgent local assessment.
Stable patients should confirm whether videos, imaging, and medication records can be reviewed. Remote medical-record review requires physician authorization. Final diagnosis and DBS eligibility usually require in-person neurological and multidisciplinary assessment.
How CMCS Can Assist
CMCS – China Medical Concierge Shanghai is an independent medical concierge and health management company, not a hospital. We assist international patients with organizing and translating neurological records, identifying an appropriate specialist, requesting appointment availability, arranging interpretation, and planning medical travel in China.
Access to Professor Chen, remote review, genetic testing, DBS assessment, or a particular treatment is subject to doctor and hospital approval. CMCS does not guarantee appointments, diagnosis, procedure eligibility, or clinical outcomes.
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Important Note
Doctor titles, clinical roles, medicines, tests, procedures, and appointment arrangements may change. This profile is based on the supplied verified research document and is for general information only. It does not replace assessment by a qualified movement-disorders team.
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