In the present study we aim to answer the question whether PD patients have a higher threshold in detecting changes in velocity compared to age-matched controls. Besides that we aim to find out whether a correlation exists between bradykinesia and…
ID
Source
Brief title
Condition
- Movement disorders (incl parkinsonism)
Synonym
Research involving
Sponsors and support
Intervention
Outcome measures
Primary outcome
The differences between the correctly judged stimuli will be used to detect
differences between the PD group and controls.
Secondary outcome
The correlation coefficient between hypokinesia (objectified by means of
reaction times and standardized tests) and the amount of correctly judged
stimuli will be used to detect differences within the PD group.
Background summary
Parkinson*s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease in which besides motor
also perceptual disturbances are present. Recently we discovered that PD
patients are impaired in estimating the speed of moving objects (METc
2006-239). This was in line with an earlier conducted fMRI paradigm (METc
2006-082), in which a role for the basal ganglia (BG) in velocity estimation
was found. These two findings brought a more profound in the role of the BG in
the processing of temporal information and are consistent with existing
literature.
In our behavioural experiment (METc 2006-239) we used the indications *fast*
and *slow* that needed to be attributed to moving objects. This method enabled
us to objectify how subjects differentiate between various velocities. However,
by using this paradigm not enough information could be acquired to quantify
which velocities were judged similar. By using changes in velocity it is
possible to find out at which threshold velocities are judged equal.
Study objective
In the present study we aim to answer the question whether PD patients have a
higher threshold in detecting changes in velocity compared to age-matched
controls. Besides that we aim to find out whether a correlation exists between
bradykinesia and the threshold at which changes in velocity are detected.
Study design
PD patients will be recruited from an existing database of the movement
disorders working party of the UMCG. An age matched control group will be
recruited from relatives of PD patients and by means of external recruitment by
means of posters distributed inside the UMCG.
The experiment will last two times 15 minutes in which subjects will perform a
stimulus-response task. In the first task subject watch a ball that moves over
a screen and changes in direction and velocity after it hits the upper edge of
the screen. The extend in which this velocity changes will vary. When subjects
detect a change in velocity they have to press a button. In the second task,
subjects watch a ball that alternately moves from left to right and vice versa
over a screen. The speed of this ball will vary across stimuli in which the
fastest are not longer observed as moving. When subjects detect a moving ball
they have to press a button.
Study burden and risks
The extend of burden is based on our previous experiments virtually absent
Hanzeplein 1
9700RB Groningen
Nederland
Hanzeplein 1
9700RB Groningen
Nederland
Listed location countries
Age
Inclusion criteria
UPDRS III score >10 <30
Exclusion criteria
- decreased visual aquity
- relevant neurospychiatric comorbidity
- dementia
Design
Recruitment
Followed up by the following (possibly more current) registration
No registrations found.
Other (possibly less up-to-date) registrations in this register
No registrations found.
In other registers
| Register | ID |
|---|---|
| CCMO | NL23525.042.08 |