Bradykinesia

Bradykinesia

Perception is an intangible part of every being. It cannot be explained, defined, or nailed down the way that most scientists would like. In some ways, perception can be taught-a person's circumstance and background would cause him or her to perceive a situation in a particular way. In other ways, perception is unpredictable and ever changing. Even here, attempting to describe the indescribable, there are flaws in the last two sentences because they are based on the writer's perceptions of perception. It is too subjective for a "scientific" definition. What does it mean for a person suffering from bradykinesia? If the individual understands the condition, she will realize that the perceptions she has are not always correct. She may perceive herself to be making a fist, or spreading her fingers, but in fact she may not have accomplished this. (1) A blind and deaf person may have perceptions about the world around her. Most likely, her only correct perceptions are those perceptions about herself such as: "I am moving my arm," or "I am swinging my legs." The external stimuli are ineffective in this person, whereas a person with bradykinesia can only react completely and at a normal speed to external stimuli. Because of damage to signal pathways, the internal stimuli are ineffectively activated. (1)

Bradykinesia is a Greek term that means "slow movement", and it is one of the constituents of Parkinson's disease (2), although it is also associated with other diseases. For patients suffering from Parkinson's disease, it is usually the most tiring and frustrating of the associated conditions. Small muscle movement is one of the first affected areas of the body. Therefore, a common test is to ask the patient to tap her finger. Normal individuals tap their fingers at 4 or 5 Hz, someone afflicted with bradykinesia can usually manage only up to 1 Hz.(3) There is no cure for bradykinesia. Certain surgeries may help decrease the condition. Hope remains for the future while researchers continue to explore different possibilities, examining causes and treatments that will lead to a cure and to more clues about Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and other conditions with which bradykinesia is associated. (4)

Not only does bradykinesia affect the speed of movement, the person's ability to complete a motion suffers. While walking, the arms no longer swing, but remain lax at the person's sides. (2) If a person suffering from bradykinesia is asked to make a fist without looking, he or she can tell that their movements are slow.