Which statement defines bradykinesia and akinesia?

• A. Bradykinesia is the slowness of movement, while akinesia is the inability to initiate movement.
• B. Bradykinesia is rapid movement; akinesia is full movement.
• C. Bradykinesia is muscle weakness; akinesia is fatigue.
• D. Bradykinesia is tremor; akinesia is rigidity.

Answer: (A)

The key idea here is that these terms describe two different motor problems: speed of movement versus starting movement.

Bradykinesia means movement is slowed down and usually fluidity and amplitude are reduced. Tasks that once happened quickly now take longer and feel sluggish, such as slow finger tapping or taking more time to button a shirt.

Akinesia means difficulty starting a movement or an inability to initiate movement, which can show up as hesitation, prolonged blank starts, or freezing, especially when trying to move from a stationary position.

So the best description combines both: bradykinesia as slowness of movement and akinesia as the trouble with initiating movement. The other options mix in ideas like rapid movement, full movement, muscle weakness, fatigue, tremor, or rigidity, which are not the definitions of these terms.