Knowra Parkinsonism Parkinsonism Parkinsonism is a clinical syndrome defined by bradykinesia with rigidity, resting tremor, or postural instability. Parkinson’s disease is its most common cause, but drugs, toxins, vascular injury, and other neurodegenerative diseases can also produce it.
Bradykinesia : Slowness and reduced amplitude of movement, especially during repeated or sequential actions. It is the defining motor feature required to diagnose parkinsonism.
Parkinson’s disease : A progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by loss of dopamine-producing neurons and often Lewy bodies. It is the most common cause of parkinsonism.
Movement disorder : A neurological condition that affects the speed, fluency, control, or presence of movement. Parkinsonism is a recognizable syndrome within this broader clinical family.
Essential tremor : A movement disorder characterized mainly by action tremor, often affecting the hands during posture or movement. Its action tremor contrasts with the resting tremor often associated with parkinsonism.
Basal ganglia : A group of interconnected brain nuclei involved in selecting and regulating movement, learning, and other functions. Disrupted basal-ganglia circuits underlie the motor syndrome.
Drug-induced parkinsonism : Parkinsonian symptoms caused by medications that reduce dopamine signaling or interfere with movement circuits. It can resemble Parkinson’s disease and may improve after the causative drug is changed.
Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale : A clinical scale used to assess motor and nonmotor features and daily functioning in Parkinson’s disease. Its motor examination measures signs commonly used to describe parkinsonism.
Ataxia : Impaired coordination that causes unsteady, inaccurate, or poorly timed movements. It can cause gait difficulty, but reflects coordination failure rather than parkinsonian bradykinesia.
Nigrostriatal pathway : A dopamine-producing projection from the substantia nigra to the striatum that helps regulate movement. Loss of its dopamine input is a major mechanism in Parkinson’s disease parkinsonism.
Vascular parkinsonism : A parkinsonian syndrome associated with cerebrovascular disease, often affecting gait and lower-body movement. It is a nondegenerative cause that may be suggested by vascular lesions and clinical pattern.
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