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Related Concept Videos

Parkinson's Disease: Overview01:15

Parkinson's Disease: Overview

Neurodegenerative disorders are progressive diseases that cause irreversible damage and loss to neurons in specific brain areas. Examples of these disorders include Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). These disorders share characteristics such as proteinopathies, selective neuronal vulnerability, and a complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors. The primary therapeutic goal for these conditions is to...
Parkinson Disease l: Introduction01:24

Parkinson Disease l: Introduction

Parkinson’s disease is a chronic, progressive neurodegenerative disorder that primarily affects movement. It is characterized by motor symptoms such as resting tremors, muscle rigidity, bradykinesia (slowness of movement), and postural instability. Patients may notice hand tremors at rest, stiffness during movement, or a shuffling gait. In addition to motor features, non-motor symptoms include sleep disturbances, mood and behavioral changes, constipation, and cognitive impairment, all of which...
Parkinson Disease ll: Pathophysiology01:24

Parkinson Disease ll: Pathophysiology

Parkinson disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder primarily affecting movement, with additional non-motor features. Its pathophysiology involves complex interactions among genetic susceptibility, environmental exposures, and cellular dysfunction, including dopaminergic neuron loss, protein aggregation, and mitochondrial impairment.Selective NeurodegenerationA key feature is the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta, leading to reduced...
Parkinson's Disease: Treatment01:24

Parkinson's Disease: Treatment

Neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson's Disease (PD), involve the gradual and irreversible destruction of neurons in particular brain areas. These disorders exhibit standard features like proteinopathies, selective vulnerability of some neurons, and an interaction of intrinsic properties, genetics, and environmental influences in neural injury.
Parkinson's Disease is primarily a result of the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. The cornerstone of its...
Alterations in Muscle Tone lll01:11

Alterations in Muscle Tone lll

Rigidity and myotonia are distinct abnormalities of muscle tone that affect resistance and relaxation during movement. Although both involve altered muscle contraction, they arise from different neurological and muscular mechanisms.CharacteristicsRigidity is characterized by uniform resistance to passive movement across the entire range, independent of speed, affecting flexors and extensors equally. It may appear as lead-pipe rigidity (smooth, constant resistance) or cogwheel rigidity...
Alterations in Muscle Tone ll01:12

Alterations in Muscle Tone ll

Alterations in muscle tone are common manifestations of neurological disorders and reflect dysfunction within different nervous system regions. Spasticity, paratonia, and dystonia represent distinct forms of hypertonia, each with unique mechanisms, clinical features, and diagnostic importance.CharacteristicsSpasticity happens from upper motor neuron lesions and is characterized by velocity-dependent resistance to passive movement. Clinical features include:Exaggerated deep tendon reflexesClonus...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 27, 2026

An Instrumented Pull Test to Characterize Postural Responses
12:18

An Instrumented Pull Test to Characterize Postural Responses

Published on: April 6, 2019

Postural disorders in Parkinson's disease.

I Benatru1, M Vaugoyeau, J-P Azulay

  • 1Service de neurologie et rééducation neurologique, CHU de Dijon, 23, rue Gaffarel, 21079 Dijon cedex, France.

Neurophysiologie Clinique = Clinical Neurophysiology
|November 26, 2008
PubMed
Summary

Parkinson's disease frequently causes postural dysfunction, affecting orientation and balance. Physical therapy is the most effective treatment for these axial symptoms, as medication and deep brain stimulation show limited efficacy.

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Computerized Dynamic Posturography for Postural Control Assessment in Patients with Intermittent Claudication
14:52

Computerized Dynamic Posturography for Postural Control Assessment in Patients with Intermittent Claudication

Published on: December 11, 2013

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 27, 2026

An Instrumented Pull Test to Characterize Postural Responses
12:18

An Instrumented Pull Test to Characterize Postural Responses

Published on: April 6, 2019

Computerized Dynamic Posturography for Postural Control Assessment in Patients with Intermittent Claudication
14:52

Computerized Dynamic Posturography for Postural Control Assessment in Patients with Intermittent Claudication

Published on: December 11, 2013

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Movement Disorders

Background:

  • Postural abnormalities are common in Parkinson's disease (PD), impacting axial motor function.
  • These dysfunctions typically manifest later in PD, except in specific subtypes like late-onset idiopathic PD and atypical parkinsonian syndromes.
  • Postural issues involve orientation (stooped posture, camptocormia, Pisa syndrome) and balance (loss of postural reflexes).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the impact of Parkinson's disease on posture.
  • To discuss current and potential treatment strategies for postural dysfunction in PD.
  • To highlight the limited efficacy of dopaminergic medication and conventional deep brain stimulation (DBS) on axial symptoms.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on postural abnormalities in Parkinson's disease.
  • Analysis of the effectiveness of various treatments, including levodopa, medical therapies, and deep brain stimulation (DBS).
  • Discussion of emerging DBS targets and the role of physical therapy.

Main Results:

  • Postural impairment in PD is often poorly responsive to levodopa, suggesting non-dopaminergic mechanisms.
  • Standard medical treatments and DBS of the subthalamic nucleus or globus pallidus pars interna show limited benefit for axial symptoms compared to distal symptoms.
  • The pedunculopontine nucleus is identified as a promising target for future DBS interventions in PD.

Conclusions:

  • Physical therapy remains the primary and most effective intervention for managing postural dysfunction in Parkinson's disease.
  • Investigational approaches like DBS targeting the pedunculopontine nucleus may offer future therapeutic avenues.
  • Understanding the non-dopaminergic pathways involved in postural control is crucial for developing better PD treatments.