Camptocormia in Parkinson’s Disease: A Review of the Literature

Abstract

Camptocormia (CC) is defined as a trunkal flexion which worsens while standing, sitting and walking and disappears in the supine position. CC is a well-known clinical phenomenon in patients with generalized neuromuscular disorders like polymyositis, myasthenia gravis or motor neuron diseases, and it is also described in the context of movement disorders like Parkinson’s disease (PD) or multiple system atrophy. In association with PD, CC seems to be a rare symptom which occurs preferentially in late stages of the disease. Currently, there are 3 main hypotheses on the pathogenesis of CC in PD, i.e. a focal myopathy of the trunk muscles, axial dystonia and a drug-induced etiology. This review gives a synopsis and critical acclaim of these 3 etiologies and refers to the current study data and possible treatment strategies.