[Microelement metabolism in patients with hereditary extrapyramidal diseases].

The author studied 40 patients with hereditary extrapyramidal diseases, including 8 cases with Hallerworden-Spatz disease, 13--with Hutchingtons chorea and 23 with torsion dystonia. For control purposes 20 normals were studied as well. The studies were aimed at determining the iron, manganese and zinc content in the blood plasma in the diurnal urine by means of an atom-absorbtional spectrophotometry on the apparatus "Perkin--Elmer-503" with the use of black lead flasks. These parameters were correlated with the clinical syndrome, severity of the condition and its duration. In order to detect the possible intercorrelations between the trace elements the method of a correlational level with determination of Spearman's coefficient was used.