Standardized handwriting to assess bradykinesia, micrographia and tremor in Parkinson's disease.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To assess whether standardized handwriting can provide quantitative measures to distinguish patients diagnosed with Parkinson's disease from age- and gender-matched healthy control participants.

Design

Exploratory study. Pen tip trajectories were recorded during circle, spiral and line drawing and repeated character 'elelelel' and sentence writing, performed by Parkinson patients and healthy control participants. Parkinson patients were tested after overnight withdrawal of anti-Parkinsonian medication.

Setting

University Medical Center Groningen, tertiary care, the Netherlands.

Participants

Patients with Parkinson's disease (n = 10; mean age 69.0 years; 6 male) and healthy controls (n = 10; mean age 68.1 years; 6 male).

Interventions

Not applic

SUBMITTER: Smits EJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4031150 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature