Which disease's description includes bradykinesia, rigidity, and tremor?

Which disease's description includes bradykinesia, rigidity, and tremor?

• A. Alzheimer's disease
• B. Cystic fibrosis
• C. Asthma
• D. Parkinson's disease

Answer: (D)

Bradykinesia, rigidity, and tremor point to a Parkinson's disease motor syndrome. Bradykinesia is slowness of movement, rigidity is increased muscle tone causing stiffness, and tremor—often a resting tremor with a pill-rolling feel—tends to appear early and on one side. These signs reflect loss of dopamine-producing neurons in the substantia nigra, which reduces dopamine signaling to the striatum and disrupts the basal ganglia circuits that help start and smooth movements. Other conditions have different primary features: Alzheimer's disease mainly involves memory and thinking problems; cystic fibrosis affects mucus production in the lungs and digestive system; asthma centers on airway narrowing and wheezing. So the described trio best matches Parkinson's disease.

Bradykinesia, rigidity, and tremor point to a Parkinson's disease motor syndrome. Bradykinesia is slowness of movement, rigidity is increased muscle tone causing stiffness, and tremor—often a resting tremor with a pill-rolling feel—tends to appear early and on one side. These signs reflect loss of dopamine-producing neurons in the substantia nigra, which reduces dopamine signaling to the striatum and disrupts the basal ganglia circuits that help start and smooth movements. Other conditions have different primary features: Alzheimer's disease mainly involves memory and thinking problems; cystic fibrosis affects mucus production in the lungs and digestive system; asthma centers on airway narrowing and wheezing. So the described trio best matches Parkinson's disease.