Bradykinesia in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Abstract

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is primarily characterized by the degeneration of motor neurons, leading to muscle weakness and motor impairment. There are some clinical reports of bradykinesia in this condition, but no studies have objectively assessed voluntary movements in these patients. The relationship between motor neurons involvement and movement abnormalities is also unknown. We here kinematically assessed repetitive finger movements in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis as compared to healthy controls. We investigated possible relationships between altered movement kinematics and neurophysiological measures of motor neurons involvement in patients.