To investigate the time from motor symptom onset to diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease (PD) among Chinese immigrants in New York City and identify potential contributing factors.

Diagnostic latency in PD is influenced by factors such as initial symptom presentation, gender, care seeking behavior, and sociocultural factors.  U.S. studies reported a latency of 9–13 months, while Chinese studies reported 10–15 months. Chinese immigrants (for the purpose of the study, Mainland, Taiwan and Hongkong) are underrepresented in PD research. This is the first study to evaluate diagnostic latency in Chinese immigrants with PD in NYC.

We retrospectively identified patients with idiopathic PD from the movement disorders clinic at a large academic center between 2022–2025. Inclusion criteria were diagnosis codes for parkinsonism, movement clinic encounter, and immigrant status from Mainland China, Taiwan, or Hongkong. Of 193 Asian patients, 82 met Chinese immigrant criteria, 74 were confirmed with idiopathic PD, and 57 had sufficient data for analysis. Descriptive statistics and group comparisons were performed using SPSS.

Among 57 patients, 35 (61.4%) were men, 49 (86.0%) were from Mainland China, and 37 (64.9%) preferred Mandarin. Mean diagnostic latency was 1.7 years (20.4 months, 95% CI 15.6–26.4), longer than both U.S. reports (9–13 months) and Chinese reports (10–15 months). The presenting motor symptom significantly influenced latency: gait/posture abnormalities were associated with longer latency compared to tremor, rigidity, or bradykinesia (3.0 vs 1.4 years, p=0.001). English-speaking patients showed a trend towards shorter latency (1.4 vs 1.8 years) though not statistically significant. 

Chinese immigrants in NYC experience longer diagnostic latency for PD compared to both U.S. and Chinese counterparts. Patients presenting with gait/postural symptoms face the greatest delays. Sociocultural and linguistic barriers may contribute, emphasizing the need for community outreach to reduce disparities.