title: [Spatial-temporal parameters of ballistic arm abduction in normal subjects and patients with Parkinson's disease].
abstract: Spatio-temporal parameters of ballistic arm abduction movements were studied in healthy control subjects and in patients with Parkinson's disease. Arm abduction was performed during a step-tracking task. Patients showed longer reaction times, slower mean velocities and lesser accuracy, with a marked tendency to undershooting. In patients, "ballistic" movements (taken as initial movements completed within a mean reaction time or less) were fewer and more inaccurate. Moreover, their motor performance was greatly impaired in motor tasks including slight expected perturbations during the movement: evident changes in velocity or even arrests, together with inability to overcome the obstacle were observed. The motor performance of all tested subjects did not differ significantly in visual open-loop conditions. The present results: i) support the hypothesis that Parkinsonism interferes with the generation of accurate ballistic actions and ii) contribute to the understanding of bradykinesia.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001132:Arm / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009068:Movement; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000503:physiopathology*
vernacular_title: Parametri spazio-temporali dell'abduzione balistica del braccio in soggetti normali ed in pazienti con malattia di Parkinson.