Objective: To investigate the feasibility of multimodal elastography for quantifying rigidity in PD and to screen for diagnostically valuable muscle indicators to construct a non-invasive clinical tool.
Background: Rigidity is a core motor symptom of Parkinson’s disease (PD), yet clinical assessment remains subjective. Objective, quantitative tools are needed to improve diagnosis and monitoring.
Method: From December 2024 to April 2025, 22 PD patients and 10 healthy volunteers were enrolled. Shear modulus (G, kPa) of the biceps brachii, brachioradialis, wrist flexors, and medial gastrocnemius was measured using a multimodal imaging-based soft tissue mechanical detector. Reliability was assessed. Multivariate logistic regression analyzed correlations between muscle stiffness and PD, and ROC curves evaluated diagnostic performance of individual and combined muscle indices.
Results: G-values were significantly higher in the PD group (all P<0.05). Significant differences were found in bilateral biceps brachii (e.g., left: 16.53±6.02 vs. 9.98±2.47 kPa), bilateral medial gastrocnemius (e.g., left: 16.55 vs. 5.23 kPa), and right wrist flexors (11.20 vs. 7.02 kPa). Combined bilateral analysis showed elevated total biceps brachii (36.34 vs. 20.05 kPa, P=0.006), total wrist flexors (23.05±7.94 vs. 15.42±4.27 kPa, P=0.008), and total gastrocnemius (28.09 vs. 10.20 kPa, P<0.001). Multivariable regression identified total biceps brachii (OR=1.20), total wrist flexors (OR=1.27), and total gastrocnemius (OR=1.42) as independently associated with PD. ROC analysis indicated total gastrocnemius alone had excellent diagnostic efficacy (AUC=0.95, sensitivity 0.90, specificity 0.95, cut-off 13.7 kPa). The combination of total biceps brachii + total gastrocnemius showed the highest performance (AUC=0.99, sensitivity 0.95, specificity 1.00).
Conclusion: Multimodal elastography provides an objective, quantitative, and reproducible method for assessing rigidity in PD. Gastrocnemius stiffness is a sensitive diagnostic indicator, and combining it with upper limb metrics further enhances efficacy. This non-invasive technique holds promise as a clinical auxiliary tool for the quantitative assessment of PD-related rigidity.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
J. Zhao, S. Ma, Z. Wan, C. Shi. Multimodal Elastography-Assisted Quantitative Evaluation Tool for Diagnosing Rigidity in Parkinson’s Disease [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2026; 41 (suppl 1). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/multimodal-elastography-assisted-quantitative-evaluation-tool-for-diagnosing-rigidity-in-parkinsons-disease/. Accessed October 1, 2026.« Back to 2026 International Congress
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/multimodal-elastography-assisted-quantitative-evaluation-tool-for-diagnosing-rigidity-in-parkinsons-disease/