The key difference between bradykinesia and hypokinesia is that bradykinesia is a motor disease that slows the speed of movement, while hypokinesia is a motor disease that reduces the amplitude of movement.
Bradykinesia and Hypokinesia are two motor diseases associated with Parkinson’s disease. Sometimes, hypokinesia is considered a part of bradykinesia. Parkinson’s disease is a brain disorder that causes unintended or uncontrollable movements such as shaking, stiffness, and difficulty with balance and coordination. Moreover, Parkinson’s disease is a progressive disorder that affects the nervous system and the parts of the body controlled by nerves. Parkinson’s disease cannot be cured. However, medications can control the symptoms.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Bradykinesia
3. What is Hypokinesia
4. Similarities – Bradykinesia and Hypokinesia
5. Bradykinesia vs Hypokinesia in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Bradykinesia vs Hypokinesia
What is Bradykinesia?
Bradykinesia is defined as the impairment of voluntary motor control and slow movements or freezing. It is a motor disease that causes slowed speed of movement. It is most commonly associated with Parkinson’s disease. This is because it is present as a symptom of Parkinson’s disease. Sometimes, it can be present alone due to the side effects of some medications. It is caused due to the reduced levels of dopamine in the brain. The symptoms of bradykinesia may include shuffling when walking, dragging one or both feet when walking, having little or no facial expression, freezing (muscles become immobile for a period of time), difficulty with tasks that are repetitive in nature (tapping fingers or clapping hands) and difficulty getting ready each day (buttoning clothes, brushing teeth, and styling hair).
Bradykinesia is normally diagnosed through the BRAIN test (bradykinesia and akinesia incoordination test). Furthermore, treatment options for bradykinesia may include medications like carbidopa-levodopa, dopamine agonists, and MAO-B inhibitors that increase the level of dopamine in the human body. Surgical procedures like deep brain stimulation and lifestyle and home remedies (eating a nutrient-rich diet, eating a diet high in fiber, doing physical therapy, walking, and swimming) may also be helpful in getting rid of bradykinesia.
What is Hypokinesia?
Hypokinesia is a motor disease that causes a reduced amplitude of movement. It is caused due to loss of dopamine in the human body. It can be present as a symptom of diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, dementia with Lewy bodies, multiple system atrophy, progressive supranuclear palsy, stroke, and cortical basal ganglionic degeneration. Hypokinesia has both motor and non-motor symptoms.
Motor symptoms include a non-expressive look on the face, decreased blinking, blank stare in the eyes, soft speech, slow shoulder shrug, tremor, small, slow handwriting, poor dexterity for shaving, brushing teeth, slow, small movement when stomping feet, flexed forward posture, slow shuffling gait, freezing during the movement, difficulty rising from a chair or getting out of the car. Non-motor symptoms may include loss of ability to concentrate, slowness of thought, the onset of dementia, depression, anxiety, psychosis, sleep disturbances, fatigue, low blood pressure, constipation, unexplained pain, loss of smell, erectile dysfunction, and feeling of pins and needles.
Hypokinesia can be diagnosed through physical examination, ECG, EEG, CT scan, MRI, and electromyography. The treatments for hypokinesia are medications (levodopa, dopamine agonists, MAO-B inhibitors, catechol- o-methyltransferase inhibitors, anticholinergic drugs, and amantadine), exercises, deep brain stimulation, occupational therapy, healthy diets, and avoiding falls.
What are the Similarities Between Bradykinesia and Hypokinesia?
- Bradykinesia and hypokinesia are two motor diseases that are associated with Parkinson’s disease.
- Sometimes, hypokinesia is considered a part of bradykinesia.
- Both are progressive conditions.
- They are caused due to the fall of dopamine in the brain.
- Both conditions can cause similar symptoms, such as freezing of muscles.
- They are treated through medications like levodopa, dopamine agonists, MAO-B inhibitors, and surgical procedures like deep brain stimulation.
What is the Difference Between Bradykinesia and Hypokinesia?
Bradykinesia is a motor disease that causes slowed speed of movement, while hypokinesia is a motor disease that causes a reduced amplitude of movement. Thus, this is the key difference between bradykinesia and hypokinesia. Furthermore, bradykinesia can be present as symptoms of Parkinson’s disease or as a side effect of certain medications. On the other hand, hypokinesia can be present as a symptom of diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, dementia with Lewy bodies, multiple system atrophy, progressive supranuclear palsy, stroke, and cortical basal ganglionic degeneration.
The below infographic presents the differences between bradykinesia and hypokinesia in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.
Summary – Bradykinesia vs Hypokinesia
Bradykinesia and hypokinesia are two motor diseases that are associated with Parkinson’s disease. This is because they are present as symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Sometimes, hypokinesia is considered a part of bradykinesia. Bradykinesia causes slowed speed of movement, while hypokinesia causes reduced amplitude of movement. So, this is the key difference between bradykinesia and hypokinesia.
Reference:
1. “Bradykinesia (Slowness of Movement).” Parkinson’s Foundation.
2. “What Causes Hypokinesia? Symptoms of Movement Disorders and More.” WebMD.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Parkinson’s impairments” By Boakm – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Parkinson’s disease clickstream (Dec 2017)” By DarTar – Own work (CC0) via Commons Wikimedia