Parkinson's Disease Examination
The Parkinsonian station is a pattern-recognition exercise: tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, postural instability. This checklist also prompts the features that separate idiopathic Parkinson's from the Parkinson-plus syndromes and drug-induced parkinsonism.
Introduction
0/5Inspection
0/3Assess if patient appears well or unwell
While standing up
0/11Pull patient backwards from the shoulders. Assess for inability to maintain balance. Stand behind patient to catch them if they lose balance.
Face
0/5May be due to bradykinesia
Positive when ongoing blink response to tapping
Loss of vertical gaze, predominantly upwards suggestive of Idiopathic Parkinson's. Loss of vertical and lateral gaze suggests PSP (Progressive Supranuclear Palsy).
Upper limb
0/4Check if tremor increases with distraction or decreases with intention
Assesses bradykinesia
Check for cogwheeling, lead pipe rigidity
Speech
0/2Ask patient to write a sentence and assess for small handwriting
Parkinson's Plus symptoms
0/1Ask about
0/2Practise a related station
- Cerebellar ExaminationNeurology · 20 marking points
- Cranial Nerve ExaminationNeurology · 44 marking points
- Lower Limb Neurological ExaminationNeurology · 37 marking points
- Upper Limb Neurological ExaminationNeurology · 39 marking points
- Abdominal (GI) ExaminationAbdominal & GI · 44 marking points
- Back (Thoracolumbar Spine) ExaminationMusculoskeletal · 33 marking points