Could "finger snapping" issues be one of the early Parkinson's disease signs?

Do you know how hard it actually is to finger snap?

The snap of a finger is a form of communication.
What are the dynamics of the finger snap? Researchers at Georgia tech explored this question.
Finger snaps are actually “one of the fastest recorded angular accelerations the human body produces (exceeding professional baseball pitches).”
Skin friction is the key to the snap.
Researchers found that the “frictional latch of the finger pads likely operates in a regime optimally tuned for both friction and compression.”

What about the finger snap in Parkinson’s?

The bottom line is we don’t know.
However, I have for many years asked folks in my clinic and on the operating room table with Parkinson’s to snap.
My observations have revealed it is a difficult task for all individuals with Parkinson’s and harder on the more affected side.
It can rarely improve with medications or with deep brain stimulation.

This study and these observations raise the provocative question, could difficulties finger snapping be an early Parkinson’s disease sign?

Reference:

The ultrafast snap of a finger is mediated by skin friction https://doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2021.0672

To read more on Indu Subramanian M.D. she does live interviews of experts in Parkinson’s for the PMD Alliance. She is one of the few doctors in the world trained in both Parkinson’s disease neurology and in integrative medicine.