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Updated: Jul 22, 2026

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Assessment of Sensorimotor Function in Mouse Models of Parkinson's Disease
Published on: June 17, 2013
[Sudomotor dysfunction in Parkinson's disease]
Masayuki Yoshioka1, Hisayoshi Oka, Masayo Morita
1Department of Neurology, Aoto Hospital, Jikei University School of Medicine.
Rinsho Shinkeigaku = Clinical Neurology
|October 30, 2003
Summary
Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) exhibit reduced sweating in their hands and feet, indicating sudomotor dysfunction. This dysfunction worsens with PD progression, particularly affecting the extremities.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Autonomic Neuroscience
Context:
- Autonomic dysfunction is a common complication in Parkinson's disease (PD).
- Sudomotor dysfunction, specifically impaired sweating, is a poorly understood aspect of PD.
- Cardiovascular, bladder, bowel, and sudomotor symptoms are frequent autonomic manifestations in PD.
Purpose:
- To quantitatively assess sudomotor function in patients with Parkinson's disease.
- To compare sweating levels in PD patients and age-matched controls.
- To investigate the relationship between sudomotor dysfunction and PD severity.
Summary:
- Quantitative sweating measurements using an evaporimeter were performed on 20 PD patients and 10 controls.
- PD patients showed significantly reduced sweating on the dorsal hands and feet compared to controls.
- Sweating reduction in PD correlated with disease severity (Yahr stages), particularly in distal extremities.
Impact:
- Sudomotor dysfunction in Parkinson's disease primarily impacts the distal extremities.
- The findings highlight a progressive decline in sweating in the hands and feet as PD advances.
- This research contributes to a better understanding of autonomic nervous system involvement in PD progression.
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