Clinical and fine motor evaluation of patients with Wilson's disease

At the time of diagnosis and after therapy, we examined 33 patients sufferi ng from Wilson's disease. We applied a standardized diagnostic score system on the basis of clinical signs. Without observing any differences between pseudoparkinsonian and pseudosclerosis subtypes, patients with neurological symptoms significantly improved by 2.33 points. Patients with initially more severe symptoms showed the same improvement as less affected patients. Fine motor disturbances were evaluated using the V -scope system. Finger tapping a nd drawing a spiral were compared to Values of a healthy control group (n=52). Patients with neurological symptoms sho wed significantly decreased frequencies in both tests. The clinical score w as related to frequencies in finger tapping but not in drawing a spiral. Th erefore finger tapping can be used as an objective diagnostic tool to evalu ate the severity of Wilson's disease, while spiral testing appears to be a sensitive screening tool.