Which condition is typically associated with resting tremors and a shuffling gait?

• A. Parkinson's
• B. Alzheimer's
• C. MS
• D. COPD

Answer: (A)

Resting tremor and a shuffling gait are hallmark motor signs of Parkinson's disease. The tremor tends to appear when the muscles are at rest and often lessens with voluntary movement, sometimes described as a pill-rolling motion of the fingers. The gait becomes shuffling or festinating due to bradykinesia (slowness of movement) and rigidity, leading to small, quick steps and difficulty starting or stopping movement. Together, these features strongly point to a dopaminergic problem in the basal ganglia, which is the core of Parkinson's.

Alzheimer's disease mainly presents with cognitive changes such as memory loss and confusion, not the classic resting tremor or shuffling gait. Multiple sclerosis can cause walking difficulties and various tremors, but the tremor is often intentional (appearing with movement) rather than resting, and gait problems come from demyelination effects on balance and coordination. COPD is a lung condition and does not produce resting tremors or a characteristic shuffling gait.

So the combination of resting tremor and a shuffling gait most directly aligns with Parkinson's disease.