Social interaction and symptom sequences: a case study of orofacial bradykinesia exacerbation in Parkinson's disease during negative marital interaction.

Evidence is rapidly accumulating that disease symptoms are influenced by psychological factors, and most potently, by familial relationships. This case study demonstrated the detrimental influence of negative marital interaction on orofacial bradykinesia and speech productivity in a 74 year old male Parkinson's disease patient. An increase in bradykinesia symptoms followed a series of specific negative comments by the wife during a conversation; these symptoms showed partial reversal during a subsequent conversation with a lab assistant. The analytic method and data summary strategies used to determine this relationship are discussed relative to their possible utility for other disorders.