Quantitative Motor Assessment, Detection, and Suppression of Parkinson’s Disease Hand Tremor: A Literature Review

Author(s):  
Khoi Ly ◽  
Aimee Cloutier ◽  
James Yang

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is difficult to detect before the onset of symptoms; further, PD symptoms share characteristics with symptoms of other diseases, making diagnosis of PD a challenging task. Without proper diagnosis and treatment, PD symptoms including tremor, bradykinesia, and cognitive problems deteriorate quickly into patients’ late life. Among them, the most distinguishable manifestations of PD are rest and postural tremor. Tremor is defined as an involuntary shaking or quivering movement of the hands or feet. Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), Hoehn and Yahr (H&Y) scales are the most common rating scales that quantify the severity of PD. Due to the lack of consistency in these diagnostic tests, researchers are looking for devices for quantification and detection that can provide more objective PD motor assessments. Additionally, since there is currently no cure for PD, temporary PD symptom suppression is an active research area for improving patients’ quality of life. In this survey, the current state of research on Parkinson’s disease hand tremor quantification, detection, and suppression is discussed, especially focusing on electromechanical devices. The future direction of research on these devices is also considered.

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paresh K. Doshi

BackgroundRadiofrequency lesioning (RFL) though used since the 1950s, had been replaced by DBS in the 1990s. The availability of magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound for lesioning has renewed the interest in RFL.ObjectiveThis paper analysis RFL in contemporary Functional Neurosurgery for various indications and its outcome. Complication rates of RFL are compared with the same author’s experience of DBS.MethodsOne hundred and seven patients underwent RFL between 1998 and 2019. Indications included Parkinson’s Disease (PD), tremors, dystonia, and obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD). The surgeries performed include thalamotomy (29), pallidotomy (49), subthalamotomy (23), and anterior capsulotomy/nucleus accumbens lesioning (6). Appropriate rating scales were used for preoperative and postoperative evaluations.ResultsThere was a 25% recurrence rate of tremors for PD after thalamotomy. Writer’s cramp rating scale improved from a mean of 10.54–1.6 in task specific dystonia (TSD) patients, after thalamotomy. In PD patients, after pallidotomy, contralateral motor Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) and dyskinesia scores, improved by 41 and 57%, respectively, at 1-year. Burke-Fahn-Marsden Dystonia Rating Scale in hemidystonia patients improved from 18.04 to 6.91, at 1-year. There was 32 and 31% improvement in total and motor UPDRS, respectively, in the subthalamotomy patients, at 2-year. All patients of OCD were in remission. There were three deaths in the pallidotomy group. Postoperative, dysarthria, confusion, hemiparesis, dyskinesia, and paraesthesia occurred in 12 patients, of which, 7 were transient.ConclusionRFL is a useful option in a select group of patients with tremors and dystonia. It is our preferred treatment option for TSD and OCD.


2010 ◽  
Vol 68 (4) ◽  
pp. 495-501 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arthur Kummer ◽  
Francisco Cardoso ◽  
Antonio Lucio Teixeira

Anxiety is common in Parkinson's disease (PD), but studies concerning specific anxiety disorders are scarce. Essential psychometric properties of anxiety rating scales are also lacking. OBJECTIVE: To investigate general anxiety disorder (GAD) in PD and psychometric properties of the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (Ham-A). METHOD: Ninety-one PD patients underwent neurological and psychiatric examination, which included the MINI-Plus, the Ham-A and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (Ham-D). RESULTS: GAD was present in 30.8% of PD patients. Patients with GAD had longer disease duration (p=0.044) and were in use of higher doses of levodopa (p=0.034). They also tended to have more motor fluctuations and dyskinesias. The group with GAD scored higher in Ham-A (p<0.001), in the somatic (p=0.004) and psychic (p<0.001) subscales of Ham-A, and in Ham-D (p=0.004). The Ham-A showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.893) and a cutoff score of 10/11 is suggested to screen for GAD. CONCLUSION: GAD is frequent in PD and the Ham-A may be a useful instrument to screen for this disorder.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ditte Rudå ◽  
Gudmundur Einarsson ◽  
Anne Sofie Schott Andersen ◽  
Jannik Boll Matthiassen ◽  
Christoph U. Correll ◽  
...  

Background: Current assessments of motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease are often limited to clinical rating scales.Objectives: To develop a computer application using the Microsoft Kinect sensor to assess performance-related bradykinesia.Methods: The developed application (Motorgame) was tested in patients with Parkinson's disease and healthy controls. Participants were assessed with the Movement Disorder Society Unified Parkinson's disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) and standardized clinical side effect rating scales, i.e., UKU Side Effect Rating Scale and Simpson-Angus Scale. Additionally, tests of information processing (Symbol Coding Task) and motor speed (Token Motor Task), together with a questionnaire, were applied.Results: Thirty patients with Parkinson's disease and 33 healthy controls were assessed. In the patient group, there was a statistically significant (p &lt; 0.05) association between prolonged time of motor performance in the Motorgame and upper body rigidity and bradykinesia (MDS-UPDRS) with the strongest effects in the right hand (p &lt; 0.001). In the entire group, prolonged time of motor performance was significantly associated with higher Simson-Angus scale rigidity score and higher UKU hypokinesia scores (p &lt; 0.05). A shortened time of motor performance was significantly associated with higher scores on information processing (p &lt; 0.05). Time of motor performance was not significantly associated with Token Motor Task, duration of illness, or hours of daily physical activity. The Motorgame was well-accepted.Conclusions: In the present feasibility study the Motorgame was able to detect common motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease in a statistically significant and clinically meaningful way, making it applicable for further testing in larger samples.


2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (7) ◽  
pp. 1069-1077
Author(s):  
Adela Fendrych Mazancova ◽  
Evžen Růžička ◽  
Robert Jech ◽  
Ondrej Bezdicek

Abstract Objective A progressive cognitive impairment is one of the frequent non-motor symptoms during Parkinson’s disease (PD) course. A short and valid screening tool is needed to detect an incipient cognitive deficit at the mild cognitive impairment stage in Parkinson’s disease (PD–MCI). Method The present study aims to evaluate the classification accuracies of four cognitive screenings: Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Mattis Dementia Rating Scale second edition (DRS–2), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) in a cohort of PD patients (PD–MCI, n = 46; and Parkinson’s disease with normal cognition, PD-NC, n = 95) and Controls (n = 66). All subjects underwent a standard neuropsychological battery as recommended by the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society and underwent all four screening tools. Results In the detection of PD-MCI versus PD-NC, the MoCA showed a sensitivity of 84% and a specificity of 66% with a screening cutoff score at ≤25 points. The MoCA’s AUC was 86% (95% CI 78.7–93.1). In the detection of PD-MCI versus Controls, the FAB displayed 84% sensitivity and 79% specificity with a cutoff ≤16 points, to screen. The FAB’s AUC was 87% (79.0–95.0). Conclusions Our results show that the MoCA is the most discriminative tool for screening MCI in the PD population.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rocio García-Ramos ◽  
Clara Villanueva Iza ◽  
María José Catalán ◽  
Abilio Reig-Ferrer ◽  
Jorge Matías-Guíu

Introduction. To date, no rating scales for detecting apathy in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients have been validated in Spanish. For this reason, the aim of this study was to validate a Spanish version of Lille apathy rating scale (LARS) in a cohort of PD patients from Spain.Participants and Methods. 130 PD patients and 70 healthy controls were recruited to participate in the study. Apathy was measured using the Spanish version of LARS and the neuropsychiatric inventory (NPI). Reliability (internal consistency, test-retest, and interrater reliability) and validity (construct, content, and criterion validity) were measured.Results. Interrater reliability was 0.93. Cronbach’sαfor LARS was 0.81. The test-retest correlation coefficient was 0.97. The correlation between LARS and NPI scores was 0.61. The optimal cutoff point under the ROC curve was-14, whereas the value derived from healthy controls was-11. The prevalence of apathy in our population tested by LARS was 42%.Conclusions. The Spanish version of LARS is a reliable and useful tool for diagnosing apathy in PD patients. Total LARS score is influenced by the presence of depression and cognitive impairment. However, both disorders are independent identities with respect to apathy. The satisfactory reliability and validity of the scale make it an appropriate instrument for screening and diagnosing apathy in clinical practice or for research purposes.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
U. Hidding ◽  
A. Gulberti ◽  
A. Horn ◽  
C. Buhmann ◽  
W. Hamel ◽  
...  

The goal of the study was to compare the tolerability and the effects of conventional subthalamic nucleus (STN) and combined subthalamic nucleus and substantia nigra (STN+SNr) high-frequency stimulation in regard to neuropsychiatric symptoms in Parkinson’s disease patients. In this single center, randomized, double-blind, cross-over clinical trial, twelve patients with advanced Parkinson’s disease (1 female; age:61.3±7.3years; disease duration:12.3±5.4years; Hoehn and Yahr stage:2.2±0.39) were included. Apathy, fatigue, depression, and impulse control disorder were assessed using a comprehensive set of standardized rating scales and questionnaires such as the Lille Apathy Rating Scale (LARS), Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS), Becks Depression Inventory (BDI-I), Questionnaire for Impulsive-Compulsive Disorders in Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (QUIP-RS), and Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39). Three patients that were initially assigned to the STN+SNr stimulation mode withdrew from the study within the first week due to discomfort. Statistical comparison of data retrieved from patients who completed the study revealed no significant differences between both stimulation conditions in terms of mean scores of scales measuring apathy, fatigue, depression, impulse control disorder, and quality of life. Individual cases showed an improvement of apathy under combined STN+SNr stimulation. In general, combined STN+SNr stimulation seems to be safe in terms of neuropsychiatric side effects, although careful patient selection and monitoring in the short-term period after changing stimulation settings are recommended.


2022 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Alex Page ◽  
Norman Yung ◽  
Peggy Auinger ◽  
Charles Venuto ◽  
Alistair Glidden ◽  
...  

<b><i>Background:</i></b> Smartphones can generate objective measures of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and supplement traditional in-person rating scales. However, smartphone use in clinical trials has been limited. <b><i>Objective:</i></b> This study aimed to determine the feasibility of introducing a smartphone research application into a PD clinical trial and to evaluate the resulting measures. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> A smartphone application was introduced part-way into a phase 3 randomized clinical trial of inosine. The application included finger tapping, gait, and cognition tests, and participants were asked to complete an assessment battery at home and in clinic alongside the Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS). <b><i>Results:</i></b> Of 236 eligible participants in the parent study, 88 (37%) consented to participate, and 59 (27 randomized to inosine and 32 to placebo) completed a baseline smartphone assessment. These 59 participants collectively completed 1,292 batteries of assessments. The proportion of participants who completed at least one smartphone assessment was 61% at 3, 54% at 6, and 35% at 12 months. Finger tapping speed correlated weakly with the part III motor portion (<i>r</i> = −0.16, left hand; <i>r</i> = −0.04, right hand) and total (<i>r</i> = −0.14) MDS-UPDRS. Gait speed correlated better with the same measures (<i>r</i> = −0.25, part III motor; <i>r</i> = −0.34, total). Over 6 months, finger tapping speed, gait speed, and memory scores did not differ between those randomized to active drug or placebo. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> Introducing a smartphone application midway into a phase 3 clinical trial was challenging. Measures of bradykinesia and gait speed correlated modestly with traditional outcomes and were consistent with the study’s overall findings, which found no benefit of the active drug.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Yongqin Xiong ◽  
Dongshan Han ◽  
Jianfeng He ◽  
Rui Zong ◽  
Xiangbing Bian ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVE MRI-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) thalamotomy is a novel and minimally invasive alternative for medication-refractory tremor in Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, the impact of MRgFUS thalamotomy on spontaneous neuronal activity in PD remains unclear. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effects of MRgFUS thalamotomy on local fluctuations in neuronal activity as measured by the fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF) in patients with PD. METHODS Participants with PD undergoing MRgFUS thalamotomy were recruited. Tremor scores were assessed before and 3 and 12 months after treatment using the Clinical Rating Scale for Tremor. MRI data were collected before and 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, and 12 months after thalamotomy. The fALFF was calculated. A whole-brain voxel-wise paired t-test was used to identify significant changes in fALFF at 12 months after treatment compared to baseline. Then fALFF in the regions with significant differences were extracted from fALFF maps of patients for further one-way repeated-measures ANOVA to investigate its dynamic alterations. The association between fALFF changes induced by thalamotomy and tremor improvement were evaluated using the nonparametric Spearman rank test. RESULTS Nine participants with PD (mean age ± SD 64.7 ± 6.1 years, 8 males) were evaluated. Voxel-based analysis showed that fALFF in the left occipital cortex (Brodmann area 17 [BA17]) significantly decreased at 12 months after thalamotomy compared to baseline (voxel p < 0.001, cluster p < 0.05 family-wise error [FWE] corrected). At baseline, fALFF in the left occipital BA17 in patients was elevated compared with that in 9 age- and gender-matched healthy subjects (p < 0.05). Longitudinal analysis displayed the dynamic changes of fALFF in this region (F (5,40) = 3.61, p = 0.009). There was a significant positive correlation between the falling trend in fALFF in the left occipital BA17 and hand tremor improvement after treatment over 3 time points (Spearman’s rho = 0.44, p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS The present study investigated the impact of MRgFUS ventral intermediate nucleus thalamotomy on spontaneous neural activity in medication-refractory tremor-dominant PD. The visual area is, for the first time, reported as relevant to tremor improvement in PD after MRgFUS thalamotomy, suggesting a distant effect of MRgFUS thalamotomy and the involvement of specific visuomotor networks in tremor control in PD.


1999 ◽  
Vol 90 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas Kondziolka ◽  
Eugene Bonaroti ◽  
Susan Baser ◽  
Fran Brandt ◽  
Young Soo Kim ◽  
...  

Object. Parkinson's disease (PD) is a prevalent neurodegenerative disorder that becomes refractory to medication as the disease progresses. Although in the past 5 years increasing numbers of patients have undergone stereotactically guided posteroventral pallidotomy for advanced PD, the safety and efficacy of surgery remains to be documented. The goal in this study was to determine the potential operative morbidity and types of functional outcomes by using validated PD rating scales and a patient survey.Methods. In a prospective analysis of a consecutive surgical series the authors evaluated 58 patients with advanced PD who ranged in age from 40 to 79 years (mean 67 years) and who had undergone surgery between 1994 and 1997. They used a patient survey and the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) to study patients during periods of medication administration (“on”) and withdrawal (“off”; mean off score before surgery = 96).Temporary surgical morbidity was found in four patients (6.9%), three of whom developed transient dysarthria and one of whom exhibited transient confusion (1.7%). One patient had persistent dysarthria (1.7%). No patient developed a visual field deficit or sustained a brain hemorrhage. All patients were discharged from the hospital within 24 hours. Significant postsurgical improvements were noted in the UPDRS off-period total and motor scores, as well as in tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, and contralateral dyskinesia (p < 0.005). Improvements persisted in dyskinesia and tremor for the 21 patients who were evaluated past 1 year. The authors found no improvement in any on-period symptoms except dyskinesia. Thirty-one (61%) of 51 patients surveyed reported functional gains and/or dramatic improvement in symptoms, 17 (33%) reported symptomatic improvement without functional gains, and three (6%) had minimal or no change in symptoms. No change in the mini mental state examination score was noted during follow up. There were no significant postoperative changes in the use of medication.Conclusions. In advanced PD associated with either a medically refractory state with significant off periods or levodopa-induced dyskinesias, magnetic resonance imaging—guided pallidotomy with macrostimulation was associated with minimal morbidity and yet significantly reduced dyskinesia and off-period disability. These improvements were of value to the patient and persisted beyond the 1st year.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chifumi Iseki ◽  
Taiga Furuta ◽  
Masao Suzuki ◽  
Shingo Koyama ◽  
Keiji Suzuki ◽  
...  

A woman started to feel intractable pain on her lower legs when she was 76. At the age of 78, she was diagnosed as having Parkinson’s disease (PD). The leg pain was suspected to be a symptom of PD after eliminating other causes. The patient also suffered from nonmotor symptoms, depression, anxiety, hot flashes, and paroxysmal sweating. Though the patient had received pharmacotherapy including levodopa for 5 years, she still suffered from the nonmotor symptoms and was referred to our department. We treated her with acupuncture based on the Chinese traditional medicine and electroacupuncture five times per week. After the 2-week treatment, the assessment for the symptoms was as follows; visual analogue scale (VAS) score of the leg pain was 16 mm (70 mm, before), Hamilton’s rating scales for depression (HAM-D) score was 9 (18, before), timed 3 m Up and Go took 20 steps in 30 sec (24 steps in 38 sec, before), and the Movement Disorder Society-sponsored revision of the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) Part 1 score was 13 (21, before). Autonomic symptoms, hot flashes and paroxysmal sweating, were also alleviated. Acupuncture may be a good treatment modality for nonmotor symptoms in PD.


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