signs and symptoms
this walking pattern involves taking short steps while barely lifting the feet off the ground
what is a shuffling gait?
this cardinal feature of Parkinson’s disease refers to slowness of voluntary movement and progressively reduced movement amplitude.
what is bradykinesia?
the tests which support diagnosis are
- MRI (rule out strokes, tumours)
- DaTscan
- Syn-One test
- positive response to dopamine-replacing medications
a quieter voice and reduced variation in pitch can make speech sound soft and this.
what is a monotone?
this involuntary movement is classically a 4–6 Hz “pill-rolling” tremor that is most obvious at rest.
what is resting tremor?
core diagnostic criteria are
- bradykinesia
- one of the following: resting tremor, rigidity, postural instability
this specific change in muscle tone produces ratchet-like resistance when an examiner moves a person’s arm.
what is a cogwheel rigidity?
this later motor finding causes impaired balance, difficulty recovering from perturbations, and an increased risk of falls.
what is postural instability?
diagnosing parkinson's is so difficult because
- it is diagnosed clinically
- no single test can conclusively diagnose it
this term describes abnormally small handwriting that can occur in Parkinson’s disease.
what is micrographia?
this increased resistance to passive movement may be described as “lead-pipe” or “cogwheel”.
what is rigidity?
red flags that may indicate another possible diagnosis than parkinsons are
- objective limb weakness
- rapid neurological deterioration
- recurrent falls
- current use of dopamine-blocking medications
- severe hypotension
- early cognitive impairment
- urinary incontinence