Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 17, 2026

Characterizing the Relationship Between Eye Movement Parameters and Cognitive Functions in Non-demented Parkinson's Disease Patients with Eye Tracking
07:26

Characterizing the Relationship Between Eye Movement Parameters and Cognitive Functions in Non-demented Parkinson's Disease Patients with Eye Tracking

Published on: September 26, 2019

Eye-hand coordination patterns of progressive and consistent micrographia in Parkinson's disease: neurophysiological

Naoki Kotsuki1, Shin-Ichi Tokushige1, Satomi Inomata-Terada2

  • 1Department of Neurology, Kyorin University Hospital, 6-20-2 Shinkawa, Mitaka 181-8611 Tokyo, Japan.

Clinical Neurophysiology : Official Journal of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology
|May 15, 2026
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Parkinson's disease micrographia has two types, progressive (PM) and consistent (CM), linked to distinct brain changes. Eye-hand coordination metrics may help subtype Parkinson's disease patients.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Movement Disorders
  • Clinical Neurology

Background:

  • Micrographia in Parkinson's disease (PD) manifests as progressive (PM) or consistent (CM) phenotypes.
  • Understanding the distinct pathophysiology of PM and CM is crucial for PD management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize the features of progressive micrographia (PM) and consistent micrographia (CM) in Parkinson's disease (PD).
  • To elucidate the underlying pathophysiology differentiating PM and CM phenotypes.

Main Methods:

  • Handwriting analysis under visual feedback (VF) and no-VF conditions in 42 PD patients and 31 controls.
  • Assessment of eye movements during writing and saccade tasks (VGS, MGS).
  • Correlation of behavioral data with clinical scores and neuroimaging (MIBG, DaT scans).

Main Results:

  • PM associated with upward gaze drift, reduced amplitude, impaired MGS, and decreased MIBG uptake (basal ganglia/pre-SMA dysfunction).
  • CM characterized by leftward gaze bias, slower movements, postural instability, and preserved MIBG (midbrain/cerebellar involvement).
  • Visual feedback improved handwriting in both groups, notably in PM.

Conclusions:

  • Distinct eye-hand correlations may underlie PM and CM, linked to different PD pathophysiology (e.g., α-synuclein propagation patterns).
  • These findings suggest PM and CM have separate neurophysiological bases, aiding clinical subtyping in PD.
  • Eye-hand metrics offer potential for personalized interventions and clinical subtyping in Parkinson's disease.
Keywords:
Eye trackingEye-hand coordinationMicrographiaMotion captureParkinson’s diseaseVisual feedback

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