Movement irregularities in atypical parkinsonian syndromes

This study examined discrete motor irregularities in ballistic aiming movements in patients with atypical parkinsonian syndromes (APS). Nine patients with APS were compared to 9 patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) and 9 controls on ballistic arm extension movements performed on a digitizing tablet without visual feedback and without accuracy constraints. Patients with APS showed a higher number of irregularities in the acceleration and jerk time series compared to PD patients and controls. No difference was found between PD patients and controls. These discrete irregularities were not associated with general motor impairment, tremor, akinesia, or rigidity. These results suggest that atypical parkinsonism is associated with movement irregularities in ballistic movements, which may help differentiate APS from PD.