부산대학교 도서관

Background and purpose: Parkinson disease (PD) patients are classically classified according to two alternative motor subtyping methods: (i) tremor‐dominant versus postural instability and gait disorder; (ii) tremor‐dominant versus akinetic‐rigid. The degree of overlap between the two classification systems at diagnosis of PD and their temporal stability, as well as the correspondence between the two systems, were examined over a follow‐up period of 4 years. Methods: Newly diagnosed, untreated PD patients were classified as tremor‐dominant versus postural instability and gait disorder and tremor‐dominant versus akinetic‐rigid at baseline and after 2 and 4 years. Results: There was a poor overlap between the two classification systems at any time point and baseline subtype status could not predict 4‐year subtype membership. In fact, about half of our cohort shifted category during the first 2 years, regardless of the classification scheme adopted. A lower rate of shift was observed from 2‐ to 4‐year follow‐up. Conclusions: The two classical motor subtyping methods of PD poorly overlap, which implies that a patient can be categorized as tremor‐dominant in one classification system but not in the other. Moreover, their temporal instability undermines their prognostic value in the early stage of PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]