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Motor dysfunction in mildly demented AD individuals without extrapyramidal signs.
W P Goldman1, J D Baty, V D Buckles
1Department of Neurology, Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
Neurology
|September 25, 1999
Summary
Early Alzheimer's disease (AD) shows stage-dependent motor slowing, particularly in gait and reaction time, but not finger tapping. Very mild AD did not exhibit motor impairment.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Gerontology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Motor dysfunction is recognized in later stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD).
- The presence of motor impairment in early-stage AD remains less understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether early-stage Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by motor impairments.
- To differentiate motor function in very mildly and mildly demented AD patients compared to controls.
Main Methods:
- Compared individuals with very mild (CDR 0.5) and mild (CDR 1) AD to healthy controls (CDR 0).
- Assessed non-motor cognitive, psychomotor, and specific motor functions including gait velocity, finger tapping, reaction time, and movement time.
- Excluded participants with clinically evident extrapyramidal signs.
Main Results:
- Mildly demented AD patients showed slowed motor function in gait velocity, reaction time, and movement time, but not finger tapping.
- No significant motor dysfunction was observed in the very mildly demented AD group.
- Both AD groups exhibited expected impairments in non-motor cognitive and psychomotor tests.
Conclusions:
- Alzheimer's disease (AD) is associated with stage-dependent motor slowing, independent of extrapyramidal dysfunction.
- Motor slowing in mild AD may be a general characteristic or indicate co-existing neuropathology like Parkinson's disease (PD).
- Further research is needed to clarify the implications of motor slowing in mild AD.