Blink Reflex in Idiopathic Parkinson's Disease : Reduction of Habituation in Paired Stimulation

J Korean Neurol Assoc > Volume 15(4); 1997 > Article

Journal of the Korean Neurological Association 1997;15(4): 775-782.

파킨슨병 환자의 순목반사 : 반복자극에 의한 습관화의 감소

최일수, 이상암, 마효일, 임주혁, 이명종

울산대학교 의과대학 서울중앙병원 신경과학교실

Blink Reflex in Idiopathic Parkinson's Disease : Reduction of Habituation in Paired Stimulation

Il Soo Choi, M.D., Sang Ahm Lee, M.D., Hyeo Il Ma, M.D., Joo Hyuk Im, M.D., Myung Chong Lee, M.D.

Department of Neurology, Ulsan Univ. College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center

Abstract

The habituation of early (R1) and late response (R2) of blink reflex was investigated in 44 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and 19 control subjects. The latency, duration and area of R1 and R2 components of blink reflex in single stimulation, and the percentage recovery of R1 in paired stimulation were not different between patients and control subjects. However, in PD patients, the latency of R2 evoked by test stimuli was shorter than that of conditioning stimuli, and the percentage recovery of R2 habituation was increased as compared to that of control subjects. The degree of early recovery of R2 habituation was slightly more evident in advanced PD patients and nonmedicated patients than that of control subjects. In addition, the early recovery of R2 was present in the test of asymptomatic side of PD patients. Our results suggests that blink reflex may be used as a method of evaluating the clinical status of PD patients.