Premium
Anal sphincter electromyography in patients with newly diagnosed idiopathic parkinsonism
Author(s) -
Linder J.,
Libelius R.,
Nordh E.,
Holmberg B.,
Stenlund H.,
Forsgren L.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
acta neurologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.967
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1600-0404
pISSN - 0001-6314
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0404.2011.01633.x
Subject(s) - parkinsonism , electromyography , progressive supranuclear palsy , medicine , pathological , parkinson's disease , differential diagnosis , medical diagnosis , atrophy , cohort , physical therapy , disease , physical medicine and rehabilitation , pathology
Objectives The differential diagnosis of patients with idiopathic parkinsonism is difficult, especially early in the course of the disease. External anal sphincter electromyography ( EAS ‐ EMG ) has been reported to be of value in the differential diagnosis between P arkinson's disease ( PD ) and multiple system atrophy ( MSA ). Patients with MSA are reported to have pathological EAS ‐ EMG and patients with PD are reported to have significantly less pathological EAS ‐ EMG results. Comparisons between patients with parkinsonian disorders have usually been made many years into the disease, and thus it is largely unknown if the results of EAS ‐ EMG can be used to distinguish the different diagnoses in the early phase of the disease. Materials and Methods We investigated 148 newly diagnosed patients with idiopathic parkinsonism from a population‐based incidence cohort (100 definite PD , 21 probable PD , 16 MSA , 11 progressive supranuclear palsy, and 40 controls) with EAS ‐ EMG within 3 months of their first visit and, in the majority of patients, before start of treatment with dopaminergic drugs. The clinical diagnoses were made using established clinical diagnostic criteria after a median follow‐up of 3 years. Results All patient groups had more pathological EAS ‐ EMG results than controls. No EAS ‐ EMG differences were found between the patient groups, especially not between PD and MSA . Conclusions External anal sphincter electromyography examination cannot separate the different parkinsonian subgroups from each other in early course of the diseases.