Quantitative measurement of trunk rigidity in parkinsonian patients

• Published in: Journal of neurology Vol. 254; no. 2; pp. 202 - 209
• Main Authors: MAK, Margaret K. Y, WONG, Eric C. Y, HUI-CHAN, Christina W. Y
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin Springer 01.02.2007; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Biomechanical Phenomena; Case-Control Studies; Disease; Electromyography; Female; Humans; Injuries of the nervous system and the skull. Diseases due to physical agents; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Multiple sclerosis and variants. Guillain barré syndrome and other inflammatory polyneuropathies. Leukoencephalitis; Muscle Contraction - physiology; Muscle Rigidity - physiopathology; Muscle, Skeletal - physiopathology; Neurology; Parkinson's disease; Parkinsonian Disorders - physiopathology; Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine - methods; Posture - physiology; Range of Motion, Articular - physiology; Reproducibility of Results; Sensitivity and Specificity; Severity of Illness Index; Torque; Traumas. Diseases due to physical agents; Velocity; Human; Trunk; Speed; Nervous system diseases; Parkinson's disease; Central nervous system disease; Parkinson disease; objective measurement; Degenerative disease; rigidity; Cerebral disorder; Extrapyramidal syndrome
• ISSN: 0340-5354; 1432-1459
• DOI: 10.1007/s00415-006-0327-4

We aimed to develop an objective measurement to quantify trunk rigidity in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), and to examine its reliability, validity and sensitivity in differentiating PD patients from control subjects. In Study 1, an isokinetic dynamometer was employed to assess trunk rigidity in 6 PD patients and 6 healthy controls. Passive trunk flexion and extension at 4 angular velocities were applied and resistive torques were recorded. Both work done and resistive peak torques to passive trunk flexion (Torque(PF)) and extension (Torque(PE)) were found to be highly reliable within a 2-day interval in PD patients and control subjects. In Study 2, trunk muscle tone was compared between 15 PD and 15 control subjects. Significantly higher muscle tone, as shown by increases in work done, and in Torque(PF) and Torque(PE )at higher movement speeds, was found in PD patients. Within each subject group, resistive trunk muscle tone was found to increase with increasing velocity of passive movement, but the extent of increase was greater in PD patients. Our results thus suggest that the objective method developed by us was reliable and could differentiate trunk rigidity in PD patients from that of healthy subjects.