Parkinson's Parkinson's Symptoms and Diagnosis 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Bradykinesia in Parkinson's disease is best described as:
- Slowness of movement (Correct answer)
- Involuntary movements
- Muscle rigidity
- Loss of balance
Correct answer: Slowness of movement
Bradykinesia refers to slowness of movement and is one of the most disabling features of Parkinson's disease.
Question 2: Which type of rigidity is classically associated with Parkinson's disease?
- Cogwheel rigidity (Correct answer)
- Clasp-knife rigidity
- Lead-pipe rigidity only
- Spastic rigidity
Correct answer: Cogwheel rigidity
Cogwheel rigidity, a ratchet-like resistance felt during passive movement, is the classic form seen in Parkinson's disease.
Question 3: What imaging technique is considered the gold standard for confirming dopaminergic deficit in suspected Parkinson's disease?
- DaTscan (SPECT imaging) (Correct answer)
- MRI brain
- CT brain
- PET with FDG
Correct answer: DaTscan (SPECT imaging)
DaTscan uses SPECT imaging to visualize dopamine transporter activity and can confirm presynaptic dopaminergic deficit in Parkinson's disease.
Question 4: The Hoehn and Yahr scale is used to assess:
- Disease severity and progression (Correct answer)
- Cognitive function
- Medication response
- Tremor frequency
Correct answer: Disease severity and progression
The Hoehn and Yahr scale is a widely used system for describing how Parkinson's symptoms progress in stages from I to V.
Question 5: Anosmia (loss of smell) in Parkinson's disease is significant because:
- It often precedes motor symptoms by years (Correct answer)
- It indicates advanced disease
- It results from medication side effects
- It is unrelated to Parkinson's pathology
Correct answer: It often precedes motor symptoms by years
Loss of smell is a well-documented prodromal feature of Parkinson's disease that can precede motor symptoms by a decade or more.
Question 6: Which area of the brain shows the most significant degeneration in Parkinson's disease?
- Substantia nigra pars compacta (Correct answer)
- Cerebellum
- Hippocampus
- Prefrontal cortex
Correct answer: Substantia nigra pars compacta
The substantia nigra pars compacta contains dopamine-producing neurons that degenerate in Parkinson's disease, causing the characteristic motor symptoms.
Parkinson's Parkinson's Symptoms and Diagnosis 2
Bradykinesia in Parkinson's disease is best described as: