[Developmental reflexes and parkinsonism in mentally disturbed aged: a 1-year follow-up study]

In an earlier publication we reported on the incidence of developmental reflexes and symptoms of parkinsonism in 100 psychogeriatric patients with a mean age of 81 years. This article deals with the follow-up, one year later. The 24 patients who had deceased between the two investigatins appeared to have had a higher incidence of the palmomental reflex than those surviving. In the 75 patients who could be reinvestigated, the following findings were made. No developmental reflexes or symptoms of parkinsonism were found in 11 patients during the first and in 15 during the second investigation, 5 of these had the same results in both. The number of developmental reflexes had increased 34% and the number of symptoms of parkinsonism 29% from the first to the second investigation. The BOP (a Dutch derivative of the Stockton Geriatric Rating Scale, in which the higher score indicates the higher need of care) in those having two examinations was lower in the first. There were considerable changes in the number and the kind of reflexes and symptoms of parkinsonism from the first investigation to the second.