title: [A study of heel-knee tapping test in cerebellar ataxia by a motion measurement system].
abstract: It is often difficult to estimate slight alterations in the severity of ataxia by bed-side neurological examinations. We analyzed the heel-knee tapping test, which has often been used as a standard bed-side examination to check incoordination in lower limbs, using a new motion measurement system "video/computer motion measurement system". We studied 9 normal controls and 21 patients with spinocerebellar degenerations (SCD). In patients with SCD, the up-and-down motion range of the heel was variable and the heel moved in the anterior-and-posterior direction, because of knee sways during the test. Following oral administration of TRH analogue, TA-0910, above-mentioned findings were clearly improved. Analysis of spatial and time elements of the knee joint demonstrated quantitative improvement. Therefore, an effect of TA-0910 on incoordination of the lower limbs could be proved objectively by a computer motion measurement system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, National Nishinara Hospital, Japan.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ando
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujimoto
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takayanagi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ando
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003201:Computers; D006365:Heel / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007717:Knee / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D013132:Spinocerebellar Degenerations / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014741:Video Recording