To optimise finger tapping as a useful test in the diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease it is essential to perform it for precisely 20 seconds with each hand and ask the patient to sequentially touch each of the four fingers onto the thumb Tweet added by Andrew Lees @ajlees

Andrew Lees

2 years

To optimise finger tapping as a useful test in the diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease it is essential to perform it for precisely 20 seconds with each hand and ask the patient to sequentially touch each of the four fingers onto the thumb

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Maximilian U. Friedrich

@vertigologist

2 years

@ajlees What specifically are you looking at in the sequential finger-thumb tapping, Andrew?

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Andrew Lees

@ajlees

2 years

@vertigologist A slowness of first movement and then a reduction in both the speed and amplitude of each finger movement. Each movement disorder has its own distinct pattern eg PSP, ALS, Dystonia. If you tap for more than 20 seconds decrement becomes obvious in normal elderly too

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