MOTOR SYMPTOMS SIMILAR TO PARKINSONISM IN HEAVY SMOKERS

The major objective in this study was a comparison of the motor perfor mance of young male smokers and non-smokers. We tested the endurance c apacity, maximal isometric strength, speed of whole-body movements, fl exibility and balancing ability of 74 smokers and 118 non-smokers. The n we measured the balancing ability, the visual reaction time and the speed of limb movements of non-smokers and heavy smokers depending on the time of abstinence from smoking. The balancing ability of heavy sm okers deteriorates in comparison with non-smokers after an abstinence period of 11-120 min by 42% (p<0.05), and after more than 120 min by 5 1% (p<0.01). Heavy smokers had a longer reaction time both after 2 hou rs of abstinence and after smoking. The speed of limb movements is dec reased after not smoking for a brief period compared to non-smokers an d clearly improved immediately after smoking. This deterioration of mo tor performance of heavy smokers after a short period of abstinence ap pears similar to the motor symptoms of Parkinsonism and is ''treated'' by cigarette smoking.