Proprioceptive regulation of voluntary ankle movements, demonstrated using muscle vibration, is impaired by Parkinson's disease.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To test the hypothesis that the proprioceptive regulation of voluntary movement is disturbed by Parkinson's disease, the effects of experimental stimulation of proprioceptors, using muscle vibration, on the trajectories of voluntary dorsiflexion movements of the ankle joint were compared between parkinsonian and control subjects.

Methods

Twenty one patients with Parkinson's disease, on routine medication (levodopa in all but one), and an equal number of age matched, neurologically intact controls, were trained initially to make reproducible ankle dorsiflexion movements (20 degrees amplitude with a velocity of 9.7 degrees /s) following a visual "go" cue while movement trajectories were recorded goniometrically. During 50% of the experimental trials, vibration (105 H

SUBMITTER: Khudados E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1736569 | biostudies-literature | 1999 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature