Which features compose the core motor findings of Parkinson disease?

• A. Bradykinesia with resting tremor and rigidity; postural instability
• B. Chorea and hyperreflexia
• C. Ataxia with broad-based gait
• D. Seizures and coma

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that Parkinson disease motor signs center on slowness of movement with resting tremor and muscle rigidity, with balance problems developing as the disease progresses. Bradykinesia is the defining feature, reflecting difficulty initiating and continuing voluntary movements. Resting tremor—often described as a pill-rolling tremor when the hands are at rest—accompanies this, and rigidity adds a constant resistance to passive movement, sometimes with a ratchety (cogwheel) feel. Postural instability, while not always present early, becomes an important feature as impairment of balance and gait emerges later in the disease course.

This combination—slowness of movement plus resting tremor and rigidity, with postural instability as a subsequent issue—best captures the motor syndrome of Parkinson disease. The other options point to different neurologic disorders: chorea and hyperreflexia suggest Huntington disease; ataxia with a broad-based gait implies cerebellar dysfunction; seizures and coma are not characteristic of Parkinson’s motor findings.