Disturbances in water metabolism in parkinsonism

ABSTRACT

Sixteen patients suffering from parkinsonism due to paralysis agitans and post-encephalitis were studied. Eleven patients showed a defective elimination of water after a water load. In the two patients who showed the most marked diminution in water elimination, hypertonic saline failed to inhibit the urinary output after a water load, and produced an osmotic diuresis. The osmoreceptor hypothalamic pituitary mechanism is sluggish, both to the stimulus of hyper as well as hypoosmolarity, and the fault is most probably in the hypothalamic pituitary apparatus. 1] 16 patients suffering from parkin-sonism due to paralysis agitans and post-encephalitis were studied, 2] Eleven patients showed a defective elimination of water after a water load. 3] In the two patients who showed the most marked diminution in water elimination, hypertonic saline failed to inhibit the urinary output after a water load, and produced an osmotic diuresis. 4] The osmoreceptor hypothalamic pituitary mechanism is sluggish, both to the stimulus of hyper-, as well as hypo-osmolarity, and the fault is most probably in the hypothalamic pituitary apparatus