The spontaneous blink rate: a report on 32 cases with Parkinson's disease

THESES

THE SPONTANEOUS BLINK RATE: A REPORT ON 32 CASES WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE (ABSTRACT)^*. THESIS. NITERÓI, 1997.

MARCIO LUCIANO DE SOUZA BEZERRA^**

In contrast to behavioral indexes, the spontaneous blinking is easily gauged in routine clinical examinations.The decrease of spontaneous blink rate (SBR) in Parkinson's disease (PD) is a classical example of a brain disorder affecting blinking.

The present investigation deals with 32 patients with PD, mean age 70 years, as defined by Calne et al. (1992) criteria, and staged by Hoehn e Yarh scale, without dementia or levodopa-induced dyskinesias. Their SBR was compared to a sample of 33 normal subjects, mean age 42 years.

The analysis of spontaneous and attencional blinking showed a significant lower rate in the patient group (p = 0.001).

In constrast with most cases in the literature there was no relationship between SBR and Hoehn & Yahr stages of PD.

KEY WORDS: Parkinson's disease, blinking, spontaneous blink rate.

*

O piscar de olhos espontâneo: a propósito de 32 pacientes com a doença de Parkinson (Resumo) Tese de Mestrado, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade Federal Fluminense (Área: Neurologia). Orientador: Pedro Ferreira Moreira Filho.

**

Address: Rua Marques de Paraná 191 / 1005, 24030-210 Niterói RJ, Brasil.

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  06 Nov 2000
• Date of issue
  Dec 1998