[Clinical characteristics of Parkinson's disease in natural population]

To study the Clinical characteristics of Parkinson's disease(PD) in natural population.

All the patients diagnosed as Parkinsonism from a prevalence study in Beijing in 1997 were collected for investigation. The spectrum of the clinical features of Parkinsonism and the onset, progression and prognosis of PD were analysed, as well as the impact factors to the prognosis were analysed.

109 cases were ascertained as PD from the sample population, in which 64(58.7%) were PD, 11 (10.1%) were Parkinson plus syndrome and 34(31.2%) were symptom Parkinsonism. 30 of the 64 PD cases were male. The median age of PD was 74.5 years. The median age at onset was 68 years old. The median duration was 5 years. The average Hoehn-Yahr staging score was 2.81. The clinical characteristics of PD and other Parkinsonism were compared, as asymmetry of symptoms and signs was an important feature to differentiate PD from other Parkinsonism. 20.3 percent of PD cases were associated with dementia. 16(25%) of the 64 PD cases initiated with essential tremor and developed to PD during 6-49 years after the onset of tremor. Tremor was the dominant initial symptoms of PD(60.9%). Type of initial symptoms was a relatively definite impact factor to the prognosis of PD. Levodopa treatment was likely to delay the duration of PD.

The clinical features of Parkinsonism in natural population were different as compared with previous studies. A further study on the natural history of PD thoroughly is needed.