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Simple and choice reaction time in Parkinson's disease
Y Kutukcu1, W J Marks, D S Goodin
1Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Box 0114, Room M-794, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
Brain Research
|January 8, 1999
Summary
Parkinson's disease patients exhibit delayed reaction times compared to controls, particularly in complex tasks. This suggests a deficit in auditory processing rather than motor preprogramming.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Motor Control
- Human Physiology
Background:
- Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder affecting motor function.
- Previous research suggested motor preprogramming deficits in PD.
- Understanding reaction time (RT) in PD is crucial for diagnosis and management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate reaction times in Parkinson's disease patients.
- To differentiate between motor preprogramming and sensory processing deficits in PD.
- To analyze the impact of task complexity on RT in PD.
Main Methods:
- Evaluated reaction times in 6 Parkinson's disease patients and 6 controls.
- Utilized a simple reaction task and three choice reaction tasks of varying complexity.
- Measured RT from stimulus onset to electromyographic activity in the responding muscle.
Main Results:
- Parkinson's disease patients showed significantly delayed reaction times across all tasks compared to controls.
- The delay was more pronounced in more complex choice reaction tasks.
- The relative increase in RT was modest (4% simple, 8% choice tasks).
Conclusions:
- The findings do not support a primary defect in motor preprogramming in Parkinson's disease.
- Results indicate a disturbance in cerebral processing of auditory stimuli post-occurrence.
- This suggests a sensory processing deficit occurring before motor activity initiation in PD.