IS DECREASED DEXTERITY IN PARKINSON DISEASE DUE TO APRAXIA?

Abstract

“When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, “it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less.” —Lewis Carroll Quidquid id est, timeo Danaos et dona ferentis. (Whatever it is, I fear Greeks even when they bring gifts [even a word!]) —Virgil Bradykinesia is a cardinal sign of Parkinson disease (PD). Although taken to mean “slow movements,” it is apparent from clinical experience and quantitative studies that the movement impairment in PD is more than simple slowing. Rhythmically repeated movements are progressively damped so that the last movement in a series is often smaller and slower than the first. Movement sequences are more impaired than individual movements. In this issue, Quencer et al. report that patients with PD (on medication) were slower than controls in a coin-rotation task, but not on simple finger tapping.1 They infer from their findings that at least part of the movement disorder …