Objective Quantification of Neuromotor Symptoms in Parkinson’s Disease: Implementation of a Portable, Computerized Measurement Tool
By Papapetropoulos, Spyridon; Katzen, Heather L.; Scanlon, Blake K.; Guevara, Alexandra; Singer, Carlos; Levin, Bonnie E.; Parkinson's Disease, Vol. 2010Publication Date: 2010
Study undertaken to provide technical guidance for measuring parkinsonian symptoms with the Coordination Ability Test System (CATSYS), a computerized measurement system to quantify normal and abnormal neuromotor function. For the study, 44 patients with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (PD) and 28 healthy controls were evaluated with CATSYS, a portable, Windows-based system consisting of a data logger and 4 different sensors for quantification of neuromotor functions: a tremor pen, a touch recording plate, a reaction time handle, and a force plate for balance recording. CATSYS discriminated between participants with PD and controls on measurements of resting tremor, postural tremor, pronation/supination of the forearm, finger tapping, simple reaction time, and postural sway intensity and velocity. CATSYS measurements using the proposed test battery were associated with relevant clinician rated Unified Parkinson’s disease rating scale (UPDRS) items assessing tremor and bradykinesia, the slowed ability to start and continue movements associated with PD. Based on study results, the authors conclude that more work is warranted to establish CATSYS as a diagnostic and monitoring instrument in movement disorders using the proposed technical approaches.
Published by: SAGE-Hindawi Access to Research (Website:http://www.sage-hindawi.com/)
Link to text: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2957312/
