[The clinical picture and diagnosis of manganese-induced parkinsonism].

As a result of 5-year-long electromyographic observation of 144 persons engaged in ferroalloy production, the parkinsonism syndrome was diagnosed in 4 persons. The disease development was slow, gradual, with the muscular tension growth against the asthenovegetative symptoms. This particularity did not correspond to the traditional view of the three-stage development of chronic manganese intoxication prior to the acute phase of manganese parkinsonism. The contributors hold that the stretch reflex proved to be the most early-stage oriented, prognostically and diagnostically reliable among the other electromyographic techniques.