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Blink rates in parkinsonism
Author(s) -
Karson Craig N.,
Lewitt Peter A.,
Calne Donald B.,
Wyatt Richard Jed
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
annals of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.764
H-Index - 296
eISSN - 1531-8249
pISSN - 0364-5134
DOI - 10.1002/ana.410120614
Subject(s) - parkinsonism , dyskinesia , medicine , psychology , levodopa , anesthesia , audiology , physical medicine and rehabilitation , parkinson's disease , disease
Spontaneous eye blink rates were counted in 54 parkinsonian patients, 52 of whom were receiving levodopa. The mean blink rate of the more disabled patients, 7 per minute, was significantly less than the 17 blinks per minute observed in midly disabled ( p < 0.02) and 22 blinks per minute ( p < 0.001) in moderately disabled patients. Drug‐induced dyskinesia in 21 patients was associated with an elevated blink rate, 32 per minute, as compared with 12 per minute for non‐dyskinetic patients ( p < 0.01).