Sex differences in tracking performance in patients with Parkinson's disease

Objective: To examine whether Parkinson's disease affects men and women differently, relative to a.-e-matched controls, in manual tracking. Design: Cross-sectional exploratory study. Setting: Ambulatory activity center. Participants: Ten men and 10 women with Parkinson's disease; 10 men and 10 women age-matched controls. Interventions: Patients tracked a sinewave target on a computer monitor in stimulus-response compatible (finger extension/flexion in vertical) or incompatible (horizontal) conditions. Main Outcome Measure: Accuracy Index (AI) score on finger movement tracking tests. Results: With data collapsed across sexes, AI scores were significantly higher for control subjects compared with subjects with Parkinson's disease in compatible (P<.001) and incompatible (P<.001) positions. With data partitioned out across sexes, control men tracked significantly higher than men with Parkinson's disease in compatible (P=.004) and incompatible (P<.001) positions, but control women did not track significantly different from women with Parkinson's disease in either position. Control men tracked significantly higher than control women in compatible (P=.003) and incompatible (P=.001) positions, but men with Parkinson's disease did not track significantly different from women with Parkinson's disease in either position. Conclusion: Parkinson's disease affects men and women disproportionately in manual tracking. Comparisons between subjects with Parkinson's disease and controls in spatial skill should include sex as a factor. More research is needed to confirm these findings.