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It means that 96% of people with PD can ride a bike, but about half of people with atypical PD (a much worse disease) cannot. I found it interesting that the ability to ride a bike is retained even though balance and walking problems are common.. Howard Silverstein, MD Cell: (561) 271-2343 Fax: (561) 750-0333 Sent from my iPad On Jan 8, 2011, at 1:39 AM, mschild <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Doctors should question those with Parkinson's on cycling ability > > Healthcare News > 07/01/2011 > Whether or not a Parkinson's patient is able to ride a bike could help doctors > diagnose their specific condition, scientists claim. > > Questioning patients on their ability to ride a bike could be a far more > effective Parkinson's disease test than more expensive examinations, according > to scientists. > > Researchers from the Netherlands used brain imaging and other tests on > patients with Parkinson's disease and also on those with atypical > Parkinsonism. > > When asked whether they were still able to ride a bicycle, only four per cent > of those with standard Parkinson's said they were no longer able to while 52 > per cent of participants with atypical Parkinsonism said they could not. > > Researchers wrote a letter published in the Lancet that said that the question > of whether a patient could ride a bike or not could prove a "red flag" for > clinicians. > > "This skilled task is probably sensitive to subtle problems with balance or > coordination, caused by the more extensive extranigral pathology in atypical > parkinsonism," said the letter. > > Meanwhile, researchers from the University of Texas Health Science Center have > found that a drug used in the treatment of leukaemia could be used to slow the > progression of Parkinson's disease. > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn