Parkinsonism usually occurs in subjects over 40 years of age.
The symptoms and signs associated with parkinsonism include (1,2):
- hypokinesia ( poverty of movement)
- bradykinesia (slowness of movement)
- rigidity
- rest tremor
The clinical features of parkinsonism are often initially unilateral. They may present as :
- coarse tremor present at rest
- pill-rolling movements
- cogwheel rigidity
- slowness of movement
- speech is typically monotonous, soft, faint, and lacking intonation
- expressionless face; dribbling
- small writing is characteristic - micrographia
- shuffling parkinsonian gait - festination
- oculogyric crises - forced upward deviation of the eyes - may occur in post-encephalitic or drug-induced parkinsonism
Reference
- NICE. Parkinson’s disease in adults. NICE guideline NG71. Published July 2017, last reviewed December 2024
- Sveinbjornsdottir S; The clinical symptoms of Parkinson's disease. J Neurochem. 2016 Oct;139 Suppl 1:318-324.