MOTOR-PERFORMANCE IN NORMAL-PRESSURE HYDROCEPHALUS ASSESSED WITH AN OPTOELECTRONIC MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUE

The motor performance of 10 patients with normal pressure hydrocephalu s (NPH) was clinically assessed with the aid of a computer assisted op toelectronic movement analysis system (Mac Reflex). We used the Postur e Locomotion Manual (PLM) method that gives a quantitative estimation of the postural, locomotor and manual performance in freely moving hum ans. Measurements were done before intervention, after CSF tap test an d 3 months post installation of a CSF ventriculo peritoneal shunt, Com parison was made to data from 10 matched normal subjects and 10 patien ts with Parkinson's disease (PD). Shunt operation of the NPH patients and 1-dopa treatment of the Parkinson patients improved the motor perf ormance to a comparable degree. However, while the NPH patients improv ed the speed in the PLM test after the operation, the PD patients also improved the co-ordination after 1-dopa treatment. This could indicat e a different mechanism behind the improvement of motor performance in NPH and PD after intervention.