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Dynamic Digital Biomarkers of Motor and Cognitive Function in Parkinson's Disease
Published on: July 24, 2019
Timed tests of motor function in Parkinson's disease
Angus D Macleod1, Carl E Counsell
1ST2 Doctor, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Aberdeen, UK. angusd123@gmail.com
Parkinsonism & Related Disorders
|May 18, 2010
Summary
Establishing normal ranges for timed motor function tests in Parkinson's disease (PD) is crucial. While PD patients showed slower performance, few fell outside established control ranges, limiting diagnostic utility.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Movement Disorders
- Clinical Diagnostics
Background:
- Timed motor function tests are vital for Parkinson's disease (PD) assessment.
- Establishing normative data for these tests is essential for diagnosis and monitoring.
- Current normal ranges for hand-tapping and timed walking tests are lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine normal reference ranges for hand-tapping and timed walking tests in healthy individuals.
- To compare the performance of Parkinson's disease patients with these established normal ranges.
- To evaluate the diagnostic utility of these timed tests in early Parkinson's disease.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study involving newly diagnosed, untreated Parkinson's disease patients and age/gender-matched controls.
- Measurement of hand-tapping speed (taps in 30s) and a 6-meter get-up-and-go test.
- Calculation of 95% reference ranges for controls, analyzing age and gender effects, and comparing PD patient performance.
Main Results:
- Established 95% control reference ranges: 18-74 taps (dominant hand) and 9-27 seconds (get-up-and-go).
- Males and younger individuals had better tapping scores; walking time increased with age.
- Parkinson's disease patients performed significantly slower (15 taps, 4.5s difference), but few fell below control ranges (10% tapping, 17% walking).
Conclusions:
- Timed motor function tests show slower performance in Parkinson's disease patients compared to controls.
- These tests have limited diagnostic value for incident Parkinson's disease due to low sensitivity in detecting individuals outside normal ranges.
- Further research is required to determine the utility of these tests for monitoring disease progression in Parkinson's disease.
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