Online medical information 'not always accurate'

People using home care should be wary when getting their medical information from the internet, doctors have said in a letter.

In the piece, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, a group of neurologists revealed that people in popular online videos about Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders may not have the conditions themselves.

This misinformation could cause confusion for patients with these conditions who are seeking health information online, noted the authors.

Mark Hallett, senior investigator, said: "Patients and doctors have to be very thoughtful and careful when looking for information on YouTube, as well as the Internet in general.

"There is a great deal of good information on the Internet, but one has to be careful."

In other Parkinson's news, a study in journal Neuron has revealed how the lack of brain chemical dopamine could rewire interaction between two groups of brain cells.

This discovery could lead to treatments for Parkinson's disease.

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