Peripheral nerve involvement and severity of motor disorder in Parkinson's disease: a correlational study.
BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that there is concomitant peripheral nerve involvement in patients suffering from neurodegenerative disorders by correlating motor and peripheral nerve involvement in Parkinson's disease.


RESULTS
A total of 23 patients suffering from Parkinson's disease diagnosed strictly according to the UKPDBB criteria were examined. The group comprised 14 males (mean age: 57 years, mean age at onset: 51 years, mean duration of disease: 7 years, mean duration of dopaminergic treatment: 4 years) and 9 females (mean age: 67 years, mean age at onset: 63 years, mean duration of disease: 4 years, mean duration of dopaminergic treatment: 1 year).


CONCLUSIONS
Polyneuropathy was clinically present and confirmed using EMG examination in 10 patients (43.5 %), 5 males and 5 females. This suggests that the neurodegenerative process involves both the central and the peripheral nervous system in Parkinson's patients.
Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University Olomouc, and University Hospital Olomouc Center for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Czech Republic. zuzana.chovancova@fnol.cz
Zuzana
Z
Chovancova
Petr
P
Kanovsky
Jaroslav
J
Dufek
Martin
M
Nevrly
Pavel
P
Otruba
D000200:Action Potentials; D000368:Aged; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009431:Neural Conduction; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000150:complications*; D011115:Polyneuropathies / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*