title: Motor deficits in Parkinsonian reaching: dopa-sensitivity influenced by real-world task constraint.
abstract: Parkinson's disease (PD) patients can perform many daily activities, but movement deficits are evident. Those deficits may be increased when the required movement is constrained in accuracy. Variable improvements in performance with PD medication have been demonstrated, and sensitivity to task constraint has been evident in some studies. The authors quantified both specific movement deficits and improvements for PD patients in a reaching task. PD patients (N=8) both on and off medication showed a need for greater ongoing control in movements with higher task-accuracy constraints. Increased task-accuracy constraints further compromised movement timing and structure among PD patients who were off medication, suggesting that unmedicated PD patients may typically compensate by using more conscious control of movement, resulting in increased slowing and segmentation of components when higher task accuracy is required.
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta T1K 3M4, Canada.
authors.forename: Jon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Doan
authors.forename: Ian Q
authors.initials: IQ
authors.lastname: Whishaw
authors.forename: Sergio M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Pellis
authors.forename: Oksana
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Suchowersky
authors.forename: Lesley A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000547:Amantadine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000978:Antiparkinson Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001132:Arm; D052160:Benzothiazoles; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002230:Carbidopa / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002396:Catechols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015259:Dopamine Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007980:Levodopa / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000187:drug effects*; D009068:Movement / Q000187:drug effects; D009570:Nitriles; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000077487:Pramipexole; D013844:Thiazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000978:Antiparkinson Agents; D052160:Benzothiazoles; D002396:Catechols; D015259:Dopamine Agents; D009570:Nitriles; D013844:Thiazoles; D007980:Levodopa; C071192:entacapone; D000077487:Pramipexole; D000547:Amantadine; D002230:Carbidopa