Nonmotor fluctuations in patients with Parkinson's disease.
We studied the nature and frequency of nonmotor "off" phenomena in 130 consecutive patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) with motor fluctuations. Twenty-two patients (17%) experienced nonmotor fluctuations as an end-of-dose phenomenon. Previously unreported, or little appreciated, nonmotor "off" states include sensory dyspnea, nausea, facial flushing, cough, hunger, unilateral limb edema, proximal limb pain, and trigeminal neuralgia-like pain. We attempted treatment modification in 12 of 22 patients; nonmotor "off" symptoms improved in nine of these 12 patients (75%). Recognizing these phenomena will prevent unnecessary tests and treatments.
Department of Neurology, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick 08903, USA.
M E
ME
Hillen
J I
JI
Sage
D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000503:physiopathology*