[Bone changes in Parkinson's disease].

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a movement disorder and tends to occur in elderly people, who sometimes develop age-related osteoporosis. Pathological bone changes seem to affect the outcome and prognosis of PD. We studied the relationship between bone changes and PD. Bone examination was conducted by multiple scanning X-ray photodensitometry in 70 patients with PD and 46 age-matched controls. We then compared the results with the clinical characteristics of PD. Of the 70 patients, 44 were women and 26 were men; the mean ages were 65.5 +/- 7.9 (mean +/- SD) and 63.4 +/- 9.9 years, respectively. Of the 46 controls, 25 were women and 21 were men, with mean ages of 61.4 +/- 10.2 and 60.3 +/- 9.3 years, respectively. Osteopenia was detected in 26 (59%) of the 44 female, and 5 (19%) of the 26 male patients, and in 6 (24%) of the 25 female and 2 (9%) of the 21 male controls. The frequency of osteopenia was significantly greater in the female patients than in the male patients or the female controls. The mean Hoehn & Yahr stage of female patients with osteopenia was more severe than that of those without osteopenia, with a significant difference between the two groups. Osteopenia in men was related to the duration of PD, but this was not so in the women. The female patients without osteopenia tended to have earlier onset of PD and longer duration of the disease and treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)