[Clinical and electromyographical analysis of peculiarities of parkinsonian syndrome in multiple system atrophy and Parkinson's disease]. / Kliniko-élektromiograficheskii analiz osobennostei parkinsonicheskogo sindroma pri mul'tisistemnoi atrofii i bolezni Parkinsona.

Because differential diagnosis between Parkinson's disease (PD) and multiple system atrophy (MSA) may be difficult due to overlapping of clinical features, especially at the early stage of the diseases, a search for additional clinical and instrumental markers increasing reliability of etiological diagnosis appears actual. The article presents the results of comprehensive comparison of parkinsonian signs and spectral electromyography (sEMG) data in 18 patients with MSA, diagnosed clinically according to criteria of Gilman et al (1998), and in 21 PD patients. Though no between-group differences in total expression of parkinsonian signs evaluated with The Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, part III, were found, MSA patients demonstrated progressive motor deficits, severer hypokinesia in the distal regions of the extremities, more pronounced impairment of axial movements, postural instability and gait disturbances but milder resting tremor, as compared to the PD patients (p < 0.05). Besides, the MSA patients were more frequently resistant to levodopa and had axial drug-induced dyskinesia (p < 0.05). An analysis of sEMG data revealed that MSA patients had a more prominent peak in 10-17 Hz frequency band (for arm muscles) and in Hz 7-14 (for leg muscles) as well as higher amplitudes peak frequencies (p < 0.05) positively correlated to hypokinesia severity. The results may be useful for differential diagnosis between PD and MSA.

[Individual computer-assisted pharmacotherapy in Parkinson disease]. / Individual'nyi podbor farmakoterapii pri bolezni Parkinsona s pomoshch'iu komp'iuternoi diagnostiki.

The authors examined whether it is valid to use electromyographic signs for control of both the efficiency of pharmacotherapy and an individual choice of drugs. A new computer method of processing of muscular electrical potentials' registered-by supradermal electrodes is proposed. The method permitted quantitation of electromyographic signs of the main symptoms of Parkinson's disease (tremor, rigidity, akinesia). Based on the signs obtained, a system of automatic diagnosis of the main symptoms of Parkinson's disease by a separate muscle was designed. This method was used in examination of 72 patients with different clinical forms of Parkinson's disease in the course of selectivity pharmatherapy for them. The method can be used for more precise diagnosis of the disease of clinical forms, for an individual choice of drugs during long-term antiparkinsonic mono- and combined therapy and for evaluation of efficiency of the treatment performed.

[Method of spectral analysis of the rounded EMG and its role in the study of physiologic tremor]. / Metod spektral'nogo analiza ogibaiushchei EMG i ego rol' v izuchenii fiziologicheskogo tremora.

A new computerized method for the assessment of electrical activity of muscles is described. The method is based on statistical processing of the spectral parameters of circumscribing EMG. The method is intended for examination of normal and pathological tremor. The authors describe the results of the use of the method for examination of physiological tremor which may serve as standard criteria for the identification of pathological deviations.

[Spectral electromyographic analysis of essential tremor]. / Spektral'nyi élektromiograficheskii analiz éssentsial'nogo tremora.

The authors have developed a new method of computerized statistical analysis of the spectral parameters of the circumscribing electromyogram in patients with essential tremor (ET), making use of objective frequency and amplitude parameters. The results have shown that ET differed from physiological tremor not only by amplitude but also by frequency characteristics. Four groups of patients have been identified which differed in relation to both parameters. Clear-cut criteria have been defined which may be used in the differential diagnosis between ET and parkinsonism-associated tremor. It has been suggested that the pathological mechanisms of ET and parkinsonism-associated tremor differ in their location.

[Study of the pathogenesis of tremor in parkinsonism by the technic of spectral analysis of the rounded EMG using a computer]. / Izuchenie patogeneza tremora pri parkinsonizme metodom spektral'nogo analiza ogibaiushchei EMG s pomoshch'iu komp'iutera.

Tremor was studied in 2 forms of parkinsonism. A new method of computerized spectral EMG analysis was employed in the investigation. Amplitude and frequency characteristics of tremor in parkinsonism have been identified, which make it possible to objectify the diagnosis at the early stages of the disease and to facilitate its differentiation from other types of pathological tremor. The developed method may be used for assessing the efficiency of the chemotherapeutical and surgical treatment of parkinsonism. Some suggestions were made concerning the mechanism of pathological tremor.