Specific brainstem and cortico-spinal reflex abnormalities in coexisting essential tremor and Parkinson's disease (ET-PD).

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Yavuz, D; Gündüz, A; Ertan, S; Apaydın, H; Şifoğlu, A; Kiziltan, G; Kiziltan, M E

2015-05-01

We aimed to analyze functional changes at brainstem and spinal levels in essential tremor (ET), Parkinson's disease (PD) and coexisting essential tremor and Parkinson's disease (ET-PD). Age- and gender-matched patients with tremor (15 ET, 7 ET with resting tremor, 25 ET-PD and 10 PD) and 12 healthy subjects were enrolled in the study. Diagnosis was established according to standardized clinical criteria. Electrophysiological studies included blink reflex (BR), auditory startle reaction (ASR) and long latency reflex (LLR). Blink reflex was normal and similar in all groups. Probability of ASR was significantly lower in ET-PD group whereas it was similar to healthy subjects in ET and PD (PET, PD and ET-PD groups. LLR III was far more common in the PD group (n=3, 13.6% in ET; n=4, 16.0% in ET-PD and n=7, 46.7% in PD; p=0.037). Despite the integrity of BR pathways, ASR and LLR show distinctive abnormalities in ET-PD. In our opinion, our electrophysiological findings support the hypothesis that ET-PD is a distinct entity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Caffeine as symptomatic treatment for Parkinson disease (Café-PD): A randomized trial.

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Postuma, Ronald B; Anang, Julius; Pelletier, Amelie; Joseph, Lawrence; Moscovich, Mariana; Grimes, David; Furtado, Sarah; Munhoz, Renato P; Appel-Cresswell, Silke; Moro, Adriana; Borys, Andrew; Hobson, Douglas; Lang, Anthony E

2017-10-24

To assess effects of caffeine on Parkinson disease (PD). In this multicenter parallel-group controlled trial, patients with PD with 1-8 years disease duration, Hoehn & Yahr stages I-III, on stable symptomatic therapy were randomized to caffeine 200 mg BID vs matching placebo capsules for 6-18 months. The primary research question was whether objective motor scores would differ at 6 months (Movement Disorder Society-sponsored Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale [MDS-UPDRS]-III, Class I evidence). Secondary outcomes included safety and tolerability, motor symptoms (MDS-UPDRS-II), motor fluctuations, sleep, nonmotor symptoms (MDS-UPDRS-I), cognition (Montreal Cognitive Assessment), and quality of life. Sixty patients received caffeine and 61 placebo. Caffeine was well-tolerated with similar prevalence of side effects as placebo. There was no improvement in motor parkinsonism (the primary outcome) with caffeine treatment compared to placebo (difference between groups -0.48 [95% confidence interval -3.21 to 2.25] points on MDS-UPDRS-III). Similarly, on secondary outcomes, there was no change in motor signs or motor symptoms (MDS-UPDRS-II) at any time point, and no difference on quality of life. There was a slight improvement in somnolence over the first 6 months, which attenuated over time. There was a slight increase in dyskinesia with caffeine (MDS-UPDRS-4.1+4.2 = 0.25 points higher), and caffeine was associated with worse cognitive testing scores (average Montreal Cognitive Assessment = 0.66 [0.01, 1.32] worse than placebo). Caffeine did not provide clinically important improvement of motor manifestations of PD (Class I evidence). Epidemiologic links between caffeine and lower PD risk do not appear to be explained by symptomatic effects. NCT01738178. This study provides Class I evidence that for patients with PD, caffeine does not significantly improve motor manifestations. © 2017 American Academy of Neurology.

Prevalence and clinical correlation of dysphagia in Parkinson disease: a study on Chinese patients.

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Ding, X; Gao, J; Xie, C; Xiong, B; Wu, S; Cen, Z; Lou, Y; Lou, D; Xie, F; Luo, W

2018-01-01

Dysphagia is relatively common in patients with Parkinson disease (PD) and can have a negative impact on their quality of life; therefore, it is imperative that its prevalence in PD patients is studied. The aim of this study was to explore the prevalence and clinical correlation of dysphagia in Chinese PD patients. We recruited 116 Chinese PD patients. A videofluoroscopic study of swallowing (VFSS) was used to identify dysphagia. Assessments, including water drinking test, relative motor symptoms, non-motor symptoms (NMS) and quality of life, were performed to analyze the risks of dysphagia. The prevalence of dysphagia was 87.1%. The comparison of demographic and clinical features between patients with and without dysphagia included sex, education level, disease course, Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE), Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA), Question 6, 7 of the Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS Part II), Hoehn-Yahr stage (H&Y), water drinking test, 39-item Parkinson Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39) and Non-Motor Symptoms Quest (NMSQ). We found significant correlations between dysphagia and age. Using age, disease course, and H&Y stage as the independent variable in our regression analysis for assessing the risk factors of dysphagia in PD patients, age and H&Y stage displayed a strong correlation as the risk factors. The risk of dysphagia in elderly PD patients is 1.078 times greater than that of younger PD patients. Also, the risk of dysphagia in PD patients of a greater H&Y staging is 3.260 times greater than that of lower staging PD patients. Our results suggest that dysphagia is common in Chinese PD patients. Older patients or those in higher H&Y stages are more likely to experience dysphagia. There is no correlation between dysphagia and PD duration.

Gut microbiota in patients with Parkinson's disease in southern China.

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Lin, Aiqun; Zheng, Wenxia; He, Yan; Tang, Wenli; Wei, Xiaobo; He, Rongni; Huang, Wei; Su, Yuying; Huang, Yaowei; Zhou, Hongwei; Xie, Huifang

2018-05-16

Accumulating evidence has revealed alterations in the communication between the gut and brain in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), and previous studies have confirmed that alterations in the gut microbiome play an important role in the pathogenesis of numerous diseases, including PD. The aim of this study was to determine whether the faecal microbiome of PD patients in southern China differs from that of control subjects and whether the gut microbiome composition alters among different PD motor phenotypes. We compared the gut microbiota composition of 75 patients with PD and 45 age-matched controls using 16S rRNA next-generation-sequencing. We observed significant increases in the abundance of four bacterial families and significant decreases in the abundance of seventeen bacterial families in patients with PD compared to those of the controls. In particular, the abundance of Lachnospiraceae was reduced by 42.9% in patients with PD, whereas Bifidobacteriaceae was enriched in patients with PD. We did not identify a significant difference in the overall microbial composition among different PD motor phenotypes, but we identified the association between specific taxas and different PD motor phenotypes. PD is accompanied by alterations in the abundance of specific gut microbes. The abundance of certain gut microbes was altered depending on clinical motor phenotypes. Based on our findings, the gut microbiome may be a potential PD biomarker. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Intestinal APCs of the endogenous nanomineral pathway fail to express PD-L1 in Crohn's disease.

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Robertson, Jack; Haas, Carolin T; Pele, Laetitia C; Monie, Tom P; Charalambos, Charles; Parkes, Miles; Hewitt, Rachel E; Powell, Jonathan J

2016-05-26

Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory condition most commonly affecting the ileum and colon. The aetiology of Crohn's disease is complex and may include defects in peptidoglycan recognition, and/or failures in the establishment of intestinal tolerance. We have recently described a novel constitutive endogenous delivery system for the translocation of nanomineral-antigen-peptidoglycan (NAP) conjugates to antigen presenting cells (APCs) in intestinal lymphoid patches. In mice NAP conjugate delivery to APCs results in high surface expression of the immuno-modulatory molecule programmed death receptor ligand 1 (PD-L1). Here we report that NAP conjugate positive APCs in human ileal tissues from individuals with ulcerative colitis and intestinal carcinomas, also have high expression of PD-L1. However, NAP-conjugate positive APCs in intestinal tissue from patients with Crohn's disease show selective failure in PD-L1 expression. Therefore, in Crohn's disease intestinal antigen taken up by lymphoid patch APCs will be presented without PD-L1 induced tolerogenic signalling, perhaps initiating disease.

Basal cell carcinoma: PD-L1/PD-1 checkpoint expression and tumor regression after PD-1 blockade.

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Lipson, Evan J; Lilo, Mohammed T; Ogurtsova, Aleksandra; Esandrio, Jessica; Xu, Haiying; Brothers, Patricia; Schollenberger, Megan; Sharfman, William H; Taube, Janis M

2017-01-01

Monoclonal antibodies that block immune regulatory proteins such as programmed death-1 (PD-1) have demonstrated remarkable efficacy in controlling the growth of multiple tumor types. Unresectable or metastatic basal cell carcinoma, however, has largely gone untested. Because PD-Ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression in other tumor types has been associated with response to anti-PD-1, we investigated the expression of PD-L1 and its association with PD-1 expression in the basal cell carcinoma tumor microenvironment. Among 40 basal cell carcinoma specimens, 9/40 (22%) demonstrated PD-L1 expression on tumor cells, and 33/40 (82%) demonstrated PD-L1 expression on tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and associated macrophages. PD-L1 was observed in close geographic association to PD-1+ tumor infiltrating lymphocytes. Additionally, we present, here, the first report of an objective anti-tumor response to pembrolizumab (anti-PD-1) in a patient with metastatic PD-L1 (+) basal cell carcinoma, whose disease had previously progressed through hedgehog pathway-directed therapy. The patient remains in a partial response 14 months after initiation of therapy. Taken together, our findings provide a rationale for testing anti-PD-1 therapy in patients with advanced basal cell carcinoma, either as initial treatment or after acquired resistance to hedgehog pathway inhibition.

Altered neural responses to heat pain in drug-naive patients with Parkinson disease.

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Forkmann, Katarina; Grashorn, Wiebke; Schmidt, Katharina; Fründt, Odette; Buhmann, Carsten; Bingel, Ulrike

2017-08-01

Pain is a frequent but still neglected nonmotor symptom of Parkinson disease (PD). However, neural mechanisms underlying pain in PD are poorly understood. Here, we explored whether the high prevalence of pain in PD might be related to dysfunctional descending pain control. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging we explored neural responses during the anticipation and processing of heat pain in 21 PD patients (Hoehn and Yahr I-III) and 23 healthy controls (HC). Parkinson disease patients were naive to dopaminergic medication to avoid confounding drug effects. Fifteen heat pain stimuli were applied to the participants' forearm. Intensity and unpleasantness ratings were provided for each stimulus. Subjective pain perception was comparable for PD patients and HC. Neural processing, however, differed between groups: PD patients showed lower activity in several descending pain modulation regions (dorsal anterior cingulate cortex [dACC], subgenual anterior cingulate cortex, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex [DLPFC]) and lower functional connectivity between dACC and DLPFC during pain anticipation. Parkinson disease symptom severity was negatively correlated with dACC-DLPFC connectivity indicating impaired functional coupling of pain modulatory regions with disease progression. During pain perception PD patients showed higher midcingulate cortex activity compared with HC, which also scaled with PD severity. Interestingly, dACC-DLPFC connectivity during pain anticipation was negatively associated with midcingulate cortex activity during the receipt of pain in PD patients. This study indicates altered neural processing during the anticipation and receipt of experimental pain in drug-naive PD patients. It provides first evidence for a progressive decline in descending pain modulation in PD, which might be related to the high prevalence of pain in later stages of PD.

Potential of Diffusion Tensor Imaging and Relaxometry for the Detection of Specific Pathological Alterations in Parkinson's Disease (PD.

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Regina Esterhammer

Full Text Available The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the potential of multimodal MR imaging including mean diffusivity (MD, fractional anisotropy (FA, relaxation rates R2 and R2* to detect disease specific alterations in Parkinson's Disease (PD. We enrolled 82 PD patients (PD-all with varying disease durations (≤5 years: PD≤5, n = 43; >5 years: PD>5, n = 39 and 38 matched healthy controls (HC, receiving diffusion tensor imaging as well as R2 and R2* relaxometry calculated from multi-echo T2*-weighted and dual-echo TSE imaging, respectively. ROIs were drawn to delineate caudate nucleus (CN, putamen (PU, globus pallidus (GP and substantia nigra (SN on the co-registered maps. The SN was divided in 3 descending levels (SL 1-3. The most significant parameters were used for a flexible discrimination analysis (FDA in a training collective consisting of 25 randomized subjects from each group in order to predict the classification of remaining subjects. PD-all showed significant increases in MD, R2 and R2* within SN and its subregions as well as in MD and R2* within different basal ganglia regions. Compared to the HC group, the PD≤5 and the PD>5 group showed significant MD increases within the SN and its lower two subregions, while the PD≤5 group exhibited significant increases in R2 and R2* within SN and its subregions, and tended to elevation within the basal ganglia. The PD>5 group had significantly increased MD in PU and GP, whereas the PD≤5 group presented normal MD within the basal ganglia. FDA achieved right classification in 84% of study participants. Micro-structural damage affects primarily the SN of PD patients and in later disease stages the basal ganglia. Iron contents of PU, GP and SN are increased at early disease stages of PD.

The impact of Parkinson disease on patients' sexuality and relationship.

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Buhmann, C; Dogac, S; Vettorazzi, E; Hidding, U; Gerloff, C; Jürgens, T P

2017-08-01

This study aimed at examining the impact of Parkinson disease (PD) on patients' sexuality and relationship and to evaluate gender-specific differences. Using a standardized questionnaire on sexual functioning in chronic diseases (SFCE), the impact of PD diagnosis on 38 domains of sexuality before and since PD diagnosis was evaluated retrospectively in 53 consecutive patients in a relationship. Changes in self-assessed ratings on a four-point Likert scale were determined for all patients. In addition, gender-specific differences and the influence of age, depression (BDI-II), medication, disease severity and disease duration on domains of the SFCE were calculated. The importance of non-sexual relational aspects, such as talking about feelings or tenderness increased for both genders after PD diagnosis, especially in women. Sexual function, such as frequency of intercourse, sexual arousal, subjective abnormal sexual fantasies or sexual satisfaction deteriorated in both genders, especially in men. Some sexual aspects improved in women but worsened in men after PD diagnosis. This includes frequency of orgasm dysfunction, fear not to fulfill sexual expectations of the partner, avoidance of sexual acts, withdrawal from relationship, increase of thoughts about divorce, or increase of dissatisfaction with sexuality and relationship. With age, thoughts about divorce declined. With disease duration, frequency of tenderness with the partner increased. Depression unexpectedly correlated with higher frequency of intercourse. Dopaminergic dosage influenced stability of the relationship negatively. PD influences patients' sexuality negatively, independently of age, disease duration or disease severity and men show greater sexual dysfunction and impairment of their sexual relationship than women.

Safety and Activity of Anti–PD-L1 Antibody in Patients with Advanced Cancer

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Brahmer, Julie R.; Tykodi, Scott S.; Chow, Laura Q.M.; Hwu, Wen-Jen; Topalian, Suzanne L.; Hwu, Patrick; Drake, Charles G.; Camacho, Luis H.; Kauh, John; Odunsi, Kunle; Pitot, Henry C.; Hamid, Omid; Bhatia, Shailender; Martins, Renato; Eaton, Keith; Chen, Shuming; Salay, Theresa M.; Alaparthy, Suresh; Grosso, Joseph F.; Korman, Alan J.; Parker, Susan M.; Agrawal, Shruti; Goldberg, Stacie M.; Pardoll, Drew M.; Gupta, Ashok; Wigginton, Jon M.

2013-01-01

BACKGROUND Programmed death 1 (PD-1) protein, a T-cell coinhibitory receptor, and one of its ligands, PD-L1, play a pivotal role in the ability of tumor cells to evade the host’s immune system. Blockade of interactions between PD-1 and PD-L1 enhances immune function in vitro and mediates antitumor activity in preclinical models. METHODS In this multicenter phase 1 trial, we administered intravenous anti–PD-L1 antibody (at escalating doses ranging from 0.3 to 10 mg per kilogram of body weight) to patients with selected advanced cancers. Anti–PD-L1 antibody was administered every 14 days in 6-week cycles for up to 16 cycles or until the patient had a complete response or confirmed disease progression. RESULTS As of February 24, 2012, a total of 207 patients — 75 with non–small-cell lung cancer, 55 with melanoma, 18 with colorectal cancer, 17 with renal-cell cancer, 17 with ovarian cancer, 14 with pancreatic cancer, 7 with gastric cancer, and 4 with breast cancer — had received anti–PD-L1 antibody. The median duration of therapy was 12 weeks (range, 2 to 111). Grade 3 or 4 toxic effects that investigators considered to be related to treatment occurred in 9% of patients. Among patients with a response that could be evaluated, an objective response (a complete or partial response) was observed in 9 of 52 patients with melanoma, 2 of 17 with renal-cell cancer, 5 of 49 with non–small-cell lung cancer, and 1 of 17 with ovarian cancer. Responses lasted for 1 year or more in 8 of 16 patients with at least 1 year of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS Antibody-mediated blockade of PD-L1 induced durable tumor regression (objective response rate of 6 to 17%) and prolonged stabilization of disease (rates of 12 to 41% at 24 weeks) in patients with advanced cancers, including non–small-cell lung cancer, melanoma, and renal-cell cancer. (Funded by Bristol-Myers Squibb and others; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00729664.) PMID:22658128

Patients and Their Caregivers’ Burdens for Parkinson’s Disease in Korea

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Jong Sam Baik

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Objective Many patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD suffer from motor and non-motor symptoms. According to these variable symptoms of PD, patients or caregivers have a poorer quality of life than patients with other neurodegenerative diseases. Since the difficulties are varied for all patients, prioritizing their difficulties differs among all cases. The goal of this study was to investigate the burdens of PD among the caregivers as well as patients and to identify areas requiring aid from the government. Methods We surveyed the awareness and perceptions of PD in patients and caregivers of PD by a face-to-face questionnaire. The questionnaire was divided into three sections: symptoms of PD (part A, desire for policies (part B, and difficulties faced by their caregivers (part C. Part A comprised 8 questions, Part B had 2 questions, and Part C had 3 questions. Results In total, 853 subjects (702 patients and 151 caregivers were enrolled in this study. The major difficulties experienced by PD patients were physical (67%, psychiatric (60% and socio-economic (52%. Assessing the physical difficulties, more than half the patients experienced severe difficulties (29% very severe, 39% severe. Psychiatric difficulties were assessed as severe (35% and very severe (21% among the patients. Severe difficulties were also experienced socio-economically, at 52% in patients and 49% in caregivers, especially among patients in their fifties (58% and those with their spouse (65% as caregivers. The topmost need was the introduction of new technology for treatment of PD (62%, followed by relief of costs for treatment (38% and a family support system (31%. The majority (91% of the patients were diagnosed with PD within two years after onset of symptoms. Conclusion We know that the difficulties of PD and the needs for government assistance are different between patients and caregivers. These results emphasize that perceiving the difficulties and needs of patients and

Boxing training for patients with Parkinson disease: a case series.

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Combs, Stephanie A; Diehl, M Dyer; Staples, William H; Conn, Lindsay; Davis, Kendra; Lewis, Nicole; Schaneman, Katie

2011-01-01

A nontraditional form of exercise recently applied for patients with Parkinson disease (PD) is boxing training. The primary purpose of this case series is to describe the effects of disease severity and duration of boxing training (short term and long term) on changes in balance, mobility, and quality of life for patients with mild or moderate to severe PD. The feasibility and safety of the boxing training program also were assessed. Six patients with idiopathic PD attended 24 to 36 boxing training sessions for 12 weeks, with the option of continuing the training for an additional 24 weeks (a seventh patient attended sessions for only 4 weeks). The 90-minute sessions included boxing drills and traditional stretching, strengthening, and endurance exercises. Outcomes were tested at the baseline and after 12, 24, and 36 weeks of boxing sessions (12-, 24-, and 36-week tests). The outcome measures were the Functional Reach Test, Berg Balance Scale, Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale, Timed "Up & Go" Test, Six-Minute Walk Test, gait speed, cadence, stride length, step width, activities of daily living and motor examination subscales of the Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale, and Parkinson Disease Quality of Life Scale. Six patients completed all phases of the case series, showed improvements on at least 5 of the 12 outcome measures over the baseline at the 12-week test, and showed continued improvements at the 24- and 36-week tests. Patients with mild PD typically showed improvements earlier than those with moderate to severe PD. Despite the progressive nature of PD, the patients in this case series showed short-term and long-term improvements in balance, gait, activities of daily living, and quality of life after the boxing training program. A longer duration of training was necessary for patients with moderate to severe PD to show maximal training outcomes. The boxing training program was feasible and safe for these patients with PD.

Fatigue in Patients with Parkinson’s Disease

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Kazuo Abe

2000-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose: Fatigue is a complaint frequently encountered among patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD, however, the pathophysiological mechanism remains unclear. Methods: We evaluated fatigue in 26 patients clinically diagnosed to have PD (16 men, 10 women and age- and sex- matched 26 controls (16 men, 10 women without neurological deficits by using a fatigue scale. In addition to neurological and neuropsychological examinations, all patients underwent MRI and SPECT using 99mTc-HMPAO. Results: Patients with PD had normal cognitive function as judged by the MMSE, but showed significantly high scores with the fatigue and depression scales in comparison to controls (p. There was no significant correlation between the depression scale and the fatigue scale, or between the degree of disability and the fatigue scale in patients with PD, although a significant correlation existed between the depression scale and the fatigue scale in controls. With SPECT, a significant correlation was found between the fatigue scale and the reduction of perfusion in the frontal lobe (p in patients with PD. Conclusions: The present study suggested that sense of fatigue in patients with PD might be associated with frontal lobe dysfunction.

Effects of a multimodal exercise program on the functional capacity of Parkinson's disease patients considering disease severity and gender

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Diego Orcioli-Silva

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a multimodal exercise program (MEP on the functional capacity of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD according to disease severity and gender. Fourteen patients with PD participated in the study and were distributed into groups according to 1 stage of disease and 2 gender. Functional capacity was evaluated before and after 6 months of intervention. The overall PD patient group improved their coordination and strength. Men and women improved in strength performance after exercise. Men also improved on coordination. For severity of disease, the unilateral group improved in strength, while the bilateral group improved in strength, balance, coordination and the UPDRS-functional score. In conclusion, a MEP is efficient in improving components of functional capacity in patients with PD, especially in strength. Gender may be considered in the exercise program. Individuals in the bilateral disease group appeared to benefit more from exercise.

Retrospective Molecular Epidemiology Study of PD-L1 Expression in Patients with EGFR-Mutant Non-small Cell Lung Cancer.

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Cho, Jong Ho; Zhou, Wei; Choi, Yoon-La; Sun, Jong-Mu; Choi, Hyejoo; Kim, Tae-Eun; Dolled-Filhart, Marisa; Emancipator, Kenneth; Rutkowski, Mary Anne; Kim, Jhingook

2018-01-01

Data are limited on programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression in epidermal growth factor receptor ( EGFR )-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We retrospectively evaluated the relationship between PD-L1 expression and recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival in 319 patients with EGFR -mutant NSCLC who were treated at Samsung Medical Center from 2006 to 2014. Membranous PD-L1 expression on tumor cells was measured using the PD-L1 IHC 22C3 pharmDx antibody and reported as tumor proportion score (TPS). Kaplan-Meier methods, log-rank test, and Cox proportional hazards models were used for survival analysis. All patients had ≥1 EGFR mutation-54% in exon 19 and 39% in exon 21. Overall, 51% of patients had PD-L1-positive tumors. The prevalence of PD-L1 positivity was higher among patients with stages II-IV versus stage I disease (64% vs. 44%) and among patients with other EGFR mutations (75%) than with L858R mutation (39%) or exon 19 deletion (52%). PD-L1 positivity was associated with shorter RFS, with an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.52 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.81 to 2.84; median, 18 months) for the PD-L1 TPS ≥ 50% group, 1.51 (95% CI, 1.02 to 2.21; median, 31 months) for the PD-L1 TPS 1%-49% group, and 1.51 (95% CI, 1.05 to 2.18) for the combined PD-L1-positive groups (TPS ≥ 1%) compared with the PD-L1-negative group (median, 35 months). PD-L1 expression is associated with disease stage and type of EGFR mutation. PD-L1 positivity might be associated with worse RFS among patients with surgically treated EGFR -mutant NSCLC.

Olfactory dysfunction in persian patients suffering from parkinson's disease.

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Soltanzadeh, Akbar; Shams, Mehdi; Noorolahi, Hamid; Ghorbani, Askar; Fatehi, Farzad

2011-01-01

Looking in literature reveals that aging is accompanied by olfactory dysfunction and hyposmia/anosmia is a common manifestation in some neurodegenerative disorders. Olfactory dysfunction is regarded as non-motor manifestations of Parkinson disease (PD). The main goal of this study was to examine the extent of olfactory dysfunction in Persian PD patients. We used seven types of odors including rosewater, mint, lemon, garlic which were produced by Barij Essence Company in Iran. Additionally, coffee and vinegar were used. Subjects had to distinguish and name between seven previously named odors, stimuli were administered to each nostril separately. Totally, 92 patients and 40 controls were recruited. The mean (standard deviation) (SD) age patients was 64.88 (11.30) versus 61.05 (7.93) in controls. The male: female ratio in patients was 50:42 versus 22:18 in control group. Also, mean UPDRS score (SD) in patients was 24.42 (5.08) and the disease duration (SD) was 3.72 (3.53). Regarding the number of truly detected odors, there were a significant higher number of correct identified odors in control group in comparison with the PD patients. Furthermore, there was a significant negative correlation between number of correct diagnosed smells and UPDRS (Pearson Correlation= -0.27, P = 0.009); conversely, no significant correlation between the duration of Parkinson disease and number of correct diagnosed smells (P > 0.05). Smelling dysfunction is a major problem in Persian PD patients and it requires vigilant investigation for the cause of olfactory dysfunction exclusively in elder group and looking for possible PD disease.

Aberrant functional connectivity within the basal ganglia of patients with Parkinson's disease.

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Rolinski, Michal; Griffanti, Ludovica; Szewczyk-Krolikowski, Konrad; Menke, Ricarda A L; Wilcock, Gordon K; Filippini, Nicola; Zamboni, Giovanna; Hu, Michele T M; Mackay, Clare E

2015-01-01

Resting state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) has been previously shown to be a promising tool for the assessment of early Parkinson's disease (PD). In order to assess whether changes within the basal ganglia network (BGN) are disease specific or relate to neurodegeneration generally, BGN connectivity was assessed in 32 patients with early PD, 19 healthy controls and 31 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Voxel-wise comparisons demonstrated decreased connectivity within the basal ganglia of patients with PD, when compared to patients with AD and healthy controls. No significant changes within the BGN were seen in AD, when compared to healthy controls. Moreover, measures of functional connectivity extracted from regions within the basal ganglia were significantly lower in the PD group. Consistent with previous radiotracer studies, the greatest change when compared to the healthy control group was seen in the posterior putamen of PD subjects. When combined into a single component score, this method differentiated PD from AD and healthy control subjects, with a diagnostic accuracy of 81%. Rs-fMRI can be used to demonstrate the aberrant functional connectivity within the basal ganglia of patients with early PD. These changes are likely to be representative of patho-physiological basal ganglia dysfunction and are not associated with generalised neurodegeneration seen in AD. Further studies are necessary to ascertain whether this method is sensitive enough to detect basal ganglia dysfunction in prodromal PD, and its utility as a potential diagnostic biomarker for premotor and early motoric disease.

Nonmotor symptoms in patients with Parkinson disease

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Zhang, Tie-mei; Yu, Shu-yang; Guo, Peng; Du, Yang; Hu, Yang; Piao, Ying-shan; Zuo, Li-jun; Lian, Teng-hong; Wang, Rui-dan; Yu, Qiu-jin; Jin, Zhao; Zhang, Wei

2016-01-01

Abstract Parkinson disease (PD) is usually accompanied by numerous nonmotor symptoms (NMS), such as neuropsychiatric symptoms, sleep disorders, autonomic dysfunctions, and sensory disturbances. However, it is not clear that the factors influencing the occurrence of NMS and its sequence with motor symptoms (MS). We conducted comprehensive assessments of NMS by using 13 scales in 1119 PD patients. A total of 70.8% PD patients present NMS. Olfactory dysfunction tends to occur in PD patients with older age, more severe depression, sleep problems, and autonomic dysfunctions. Older patients are more likely to have olfactory dysfunction before MS than younger patients. Rapid eye movement behavior disorder is more prone to happen in patients with older age, older onset age, more severe depression, sleep problems, and autonomic dysfunctions. Patients with rapid eye movement behavior disorder before MS are older in onset age than after group. Olfactory dysfunction, constipation, rapid eye movement behavior disorder, and depression, as early warning NMSs of PD, connected to each other. There is a clinical heterogeneity that older patients are more likely to have NMS before MS, while younger patients are opposite. PMID:27977578

Pain management in patients with Parkinson's disease: challenges and solutions.

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Skogar, Orjan; Lokk, Johan

2016-01-01

This review focuses on the diagnosis and management of Parkinson-related pain which is one of the more frequently reported nonmotor symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD), which is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's disease. Pain is ranked high by patients as a troublesome symptom in all stages of the disease. In early-stage PD, pain is rated as the most bothersome symptom. Knowledge of the correct diagnosis of pain origin and possible methods of treatments for pain relief in PD is of great importance. The symptoms have a great negative impact on health-related quality of life. Separating PD-related pain from pain of other origins is an important challenge and can be characterized as "many syndromes under the same umbrella". Among the different forms of PD-related pain, musculoskeletal pain is the most common form, accounting for 40%-90% of reported pain in PD patients. Augmentation by pathophysiological pathways other than those secondary to rigidity, tremor, or any of the other motor manifestations of the disease seems most probable. In PD, the basal ganglia process somatosensory information differently, and increased subjective pain sensitivity with lower electrical and heat-pain thresholds has been reported in PD patients. The mechanism is assumed to be diminished activity of the descending inhibitory control system of the basal ganglia. PD pain, like many of the nonmotor symptoms, remains underdiagnosed and, thus, poorly managed. A systematic collection of patient descriptions of type, quality, and duration of pain is, therefore, of utmost importance. Recent studies have validated new and more specific and dedicated pain scales for PD-related symptoms. Symptomatic treatments based on clinical pain classification include not only pharmacological but also nonpharmacological methods and, to some degree, invasive approaches. In the clinic, pharmacological and nonpharmacological interventions can be effective to varying degrees - as

Motor Sequence Learning Performance in Parkinson's Disease Patients Depends on the Stage of Disease

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Stephan, Marianne A.; Meier, Beat; Zaugg, Sabine Weber; Kaelin-Lang, Alain

2011-01-01

It is still unclear, whether patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) are impaired in the incidental learning of different motor sequences in short succession, although such a deficit might greatly impact their daily life. The aim of this study was thus to clarify the relation between disease parameters of PD and incidental motor learning of two…

Facial Emotion Recognition Impairment in Patients with Parkinson's Disease and Isolated Apathy

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Mercè Martínez-Corral

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Apathy is a frequent feature of Parkinson's disease (PD, usually related with executive dysfunction. However, in a subgroup of PD patients apathy may represent the only or predominant neuropsychiatric feature. To understand the mechanisms underlying apathy in PD, we investigated emotional processing in PD patients with and without apathy and in healthy controls (HC, assessed by a facial emotion recognition task (FERT. We excluded PD patients with cognitive impairment, depression, other affective disturbances and previous surgery for PD. PD patients with apathy scored significantly worse in the FERT, performing worse in fear, anger, and sadness recognition. No differences, however, were found between nonapathetic PD patients and HC. These findings suggest the existence of a disruption of emotional-affective processing in cognitive preserved PD patients with apathy. To identify specific dysfunction of limbic structures in PD, patients with isolated apathy may have therapeutic and prognostic implications.

Chronic Kidney Disease-Mineral Bone Disorder in the Elderly Peritoneal Dialysis Patient

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Heaf, James Goya

2015-01-01

PURPOSE: The purpose of this paper was to review the literature concerning the treatment of chronic kidney disease-mineral bone disorder (CKD-MBD) in the elderly peritoneal dialysis (PD) patient. ♦ RESULTS: Chronic kidney disease-mineral bone disorder is a major problem in the elderly PD patient......, with its associated increased fracture risk, vascular calcification, and accelerated mortality fracture risk. Peritoneal dialysis, however, bears a lower risk than hemodialysis (HD). The approach to CKD-MBD prophylaxis and treatment in the elderly PD patient is similar to other CKD patients, with some...

Vitamin D Receptor Gene Variants in Parkinson's Disease Patients

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Rokhsareh Meamar

2016-09-22

Sep 22, 2016 ... c Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran ... polymorphisms, no significant difference in genotype or allele distribution was found between PD patients ... Parkinson's Disease Brain Bank criteria [16]. Then ... PD patients and 53 age-sex matched controls were chosen.

Aberrant functional connectivity within the basal ganglia of patients with Parkinson's disease

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Michal Rolinski

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Resting state functional MRI (rs-fMRI has been previously shown to be a promising tool for the assessment of early Parkinson's disease (PD. In order to assess whether changes within the basal ganglia network (BGN are disease specific or relate to neurodegeneration generally, BGN connectivity was assessed in 32 patients with early PD, 19 healthy controls and 31 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD. Voxel-wise comparisons demonstrated decreased connectivity within the basal ganglia of patients with PD, when compared to patients with AD and healthy controls. No significant changes within the BGN were seen in AD, when compared to healthy controls. Moreover, measures of functional connectivity extracted from regions within the basal ganglia were significantly lower in the PD group. Consistent with previous radiotracer studies, the greatest change when compared to the healthy control group was seen in the posterior putamen of PD subjects. When combined into a single component score, this method differentiated PD from AD and healthy control subjects, with a diagnostic accuracy of 81%. Rs-fMRI can be used to demonstrate the aberrant functional connectivity within the basal ganglia of patients with early PD. These changes are likely to be representative of patho-physiological basal ganglia dysfunction and are not associated with generalised neurodegeneration seen in AD. Further studies are necessary to ascertain whether this method is sensitive enough to detect basal ganglia dysfunction in prodromal PD, and its utility as a potential diagnostic biomarker for premotor and early motoric disease.

The Clinical Findings Useful for Driving Safety Advice for Parkinson's Disease Patients.

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Ando, Rina; Iwaki, Hirotaka; Tsujii, Tomoaki; Nagai, Masahiro; Nishikawa, Noriko; Yabe, Hayato; Aiba, Ikuko; Hasegawa, Kazuko; Tsuboi, Yoshio; Aoki, Masashi; Nakashima, Kenji; Nomoto, Masahiro

2018-02-28

Objective We conducted a study to obtain information that could be used to provide Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with appropriate advice on safe driving. Methods Consecutive PD patients who visited our office were studied. Among these patients, those who had experienced driving after being diagnosed with PD were interviewed by neurologists and a trained nurse to investigate their previous car accidents, motor function, cognitive function, sleepiness, levodopa equivalent dose (LED), and emotional dysregulation. The rates of major car accidents before and after the onset of PD were compared. Results Fifteen patients had experienced a major car accident resulting in human injury or serious property damage since the onset of PD. When the rates of major car accidents before and after the onset of PD were compared, the ratio was 4.3 (95% CI 1.9-9.7). The incidence of accidents after the onset of PD was correlated with age, disease duration, LED, the cognitive function (MMSE, MoCA-J), but not the motor symptom score (UPDRS part III at the time of the study). The Questionnaire for Impulsive-Compulsive Disorders in Parkinson's Disease (QUIP) score was also higher in patients with major car accidents. Conclusion The severity of symptoms (Hoehn-Yahr classification), cognitive function, and disease duration were expected to be risk factors for car accidents. However, the motor symptom score (UPDRS part III) was not associated with the incidence of major car accidents. In addition to a low cognitive function and the severity of symptoms, the QUIP score might be an independent factor that can be referenced when advising PD patients to refrain from driving.

Motor and non-motor symptoms in old-age onset Parkinson's disease patients.

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Mendonça, Marcelo D; Lampreia, Tania; Miguel, Rita; Caetano, André; Barbosa, Raquel; Bugalho, Paulo

2017-07-01

Advancing age is a well-known risk factor for Parkinson's disease (PD). With population ageing it is expected that the total number of patients with PD onset at oldage increases. Information on the motor but particularly on non-motor phenotype of this late-onset population is lacking. We recruited 24 patients with PD onset at or over 75 years. Each patient was matched with 1 control patient with PD onset between the ages of 40 and 65 and matched for disease duration. Both groups were assessed with the UPDRS, the Non-motor symptoms scale (NMSS) and other scales to assess non-motor symptoms. Groups were compared with conditional logistic regression analysis. Old-age onset PD was, on average, 80 years at the time of PD onset while middle-age onset were 59. Disease duration was approximately 5 years in both groups. While no difference was observed in the total UPDRS-III scores, old-age onset PD was associated with higher axial symptoms (7.42 vs. 4.63, p = 0.011) and a higher frequency of dementia (7/24 vs. 0/24, p = 0.009). While no difference in the total number of non-motor symptoms was observed (6.79 vs. 6.22, p = 0.310), old-age onset patients had a higher prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms (20/24 vs. 12/24, p = 0.037). For the same disease duration, older age onset is associated with worse axial motor dysfunction and dementia in PD patients. Beside gastrointestinal symptoms, non-motor symptoms are not associated with age.

Intestinal APCs of the endogenous nanomineral pathway fail to express PD-L1 in Crohn’s disease

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Robertson, Jack; Haas, Carolin T.; Pele, Laetitia C.; Monie, Tom P.; Charalambos, Charles; Parkes, Miles; Hewitt, Rachel E.; Powell, Jonathan J.

2016-01-01

Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory condition most commonly affecting the ileum and colon. The aetiology of Crohn’s disease is complex and may include defects in peptidoglycan recognition, and/or failures in the establishment of intestinal tolerance. We have recently described a novel constitutive endogenous delivery system for the translocation of nanomineral-antigen-peptidoglycan (NAP) conjugates to antigen presenting cells (APCs) in intestinal lymphoid patches. In mice NAP conjugate delivery to APCs results in high surface expression of the immuno-modulatory molecule programmed death receptor ligand 1 (PD-L1). Here we report that NAP conjugate positive APCs in human ileal tissues from individuals with ulcerative colitis and intestinal carcinomas, also have high expression of PD-L1. However, NAP-conjugate positive APCs in intestinal tissue from patients with Crohn’s disease show selective failure in PD-L1 expression. Therefore, in Crohn’s disease intestinal antigen taken up by lymphoid patch APCs will be presented without PD-L1 induced tolerogenic signalling, perhaps initiating disease. PMID:27226337

Role of habenula and amygdala dysfunction in Parkinson disease patients with punding.

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Markovic, Vladana; Agosta, Federica; Canu, Elisa; Inuggi, Alberto; Petrovic, Igor; Stankovic, Iva; Imperiale, Francesca; Stojkovic, Tanja; Kostic, Vladimir S; Filippi, Massimo

2017-06-06

To assess whether a functional dysregulation of the habenula and amygdala, as modulators of the reward brain circuit, contributes to Parkinson disease (PD) punding. Structural and resting-state functional MRI were obtained from 22 patients with PD punding, 30 patients with PD without any impulsive-compulsive behavior (ICB) matched for disease stage and duration, motor impairment, and cognitive status, and 30 healthy controls. Resting-state functional connectivity of the habenula and amygdala bilaterally was assessed using a seed-based approach. Habenula and amygdala volumes and cortical thickness measures were obtained. Compared to both healthy controls and PD cases without any ICB (PD-no ICB), PD-punding patients showed higher functional connectivity of habenula and amygdala with thalamus and striatum bilaterally, and lower connectivity between bilateral habenula and left frontal and precentral cortices. In PD-punding relative to PD-no ICB patients, a lower functional connectivity between right amygdala and hippocampus was also observed. Habenula and amygdala volumes were not different among groups. PD-punding patients showed a cortical thinning of the left superior frontal and precentral gyri and right middle temporal gyrus and isthmus cingulate compared to healthy controls, and of the right inferior frontal gyrus compared to both controls and PD-no ICB patients. A breakdown of the connectivity among the crucial nodes of the reward circuit (i.e., habenula, amygdala, basal ganglia, frontal cortex) might be a contributory factor to punding in PD. This study provides potential instruments to detect and monitor punding in patients with PD. © 2017 American Academy of Neurology.

Iowa Gambling Task Performance in Parkinson Disease Patients with Impulse Control Disorders.

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Biars, Julia W; Johnson, Nicole L; Nespeca, Michelle; Busch, Robyn M; Kubu, Cynthia S; Floden, Darlene P

2018-04-27

A subgroup of patients with Parkinson disease (PD) develops impulse control disorders (ICD) associated with their dopamine replacement therapy. Patients and their families may be reluctant to report ICD symptoms or unaware these symptoms are related to PD medication, which can make detecting an ICD difficult for clinicians. Ideally, a behavioral measure that is sensitive to ICD could be employed to ensure that patients with these behaviors are identified and treated. The Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), a standardized decision-making task, has proven sensitive in other populations with impulse control problems. We hypothesized that the IGT would differentiate between PD patients with and without ICD. We compared IGT performance and disease variables in 24 PD patients with ICD and 24 PD patients without ICD. Patient groups were matched in terms of age, sex, and duration of PD. There were no significant differences in IGT scores between PD groups. IGT performance declined with increasing age, but the majority of patients performed within normal limits based on published age- and education-corrected normative data. The IGT did not distinguish between PD patients with and without ICD. Increasing age negatively impacted performance in both groups. Other studies have found that IGT performance may decline in normal aging. Our results suggest that the IGT lacks the sensitivity and specificity needed to differentiate between age-related deficits and disruption in frontal-subcortical circuits underlying ICD associated with PD medications. Therefore, the IGT is not an appropriate behavioral measure for ICD in PD patients.

The role of social support in anxiety and depression among Parkinson's disease patients.

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Ghorbani Saeedian, Radka; Nagyova, Iveta; Krokavcova, Martina; Skorvanek, Matej; Rosenberger, Jaroslav; Gdovinova, Zuzana; Groothoff, Johan W; van Dijk, Jitse P

2014-01-01

To explore how social support is associated with anxiety and depression in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients controlling for gender, disease duration and disease severity. The sample consisted of 124 patients (52.4% male; mean age 68.1 ± 8.4 years; mean disease duration 6.3 ± 5.5 years). Anxiety and depression were measured with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, social support with the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support and disease severity with the Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale. Data were analyzed using linear regression. Gender, disease duration, disease severity and social support explained 31% of the total variance in anxiety in younger PD patients but did not significantly contribute to the explanation of depression. In the older group, this model explained 41% of the variance in depression but did not significantly contribute to the explanation of anxiety. PD patients experience the positive influence of social support differently according to age. In the younger group, disease duration plays the primary role regarding anxiety. In the older group, poor social support especially from friends is associated with more depression after controlling for the relevant variables. Implications of Rehabilitation PD is a disease of older age with a neurodegenerative character and treatment should focus on increasing quality of life. Anxiety and depression are common co-morbidities in PD patients. The support network should also be screened regularly and involved in enhancing the quality of life.

Peripheral sympathetic dysfunction in patients with Parkinson's disease without autonomic failure is heart selective and disease specific

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taki, Junichi; Nakajima, Kenichi; Hwang, Eui-Hyo; Matsunari, Ichiro; Tonami, Norihisa; Komai, Kiyonobu; Yoshita, Mitsuhiro; Sakajiri, Kenichi

2000-01-01

The study was undertaken to investigate by means of iodine-123-labelled metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) scintigraphy the peripheral sympathetic function in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) without autonomic failure and in patients with related neurodegenerative diseases with parkinsonism. Seventy patients (33 men and 37 women, mean age 63±9.7 years) with parkinsonism and ten control subjects underwent MIBG scintigraphy. Of these 70 patients, 41 were diagnosed as having idiopathic PD, 9 multiple system atrophy (MSA), 6 progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and 2 corticobasal degeneration (CBD); the remaining 12 were diagnosed as having neurodegenerative disease with parkinsonism (P-nism) that did not meet the diagnostic criteria of any specific disease. Cardiac planar and tomographic imaging studies and subsequent whole-body imaging were performed 20 min and 3 h after the injection of 111 MBq MIBG. The early MIBG heart to mediastinum (H/M) ratio in PD (1.61±0.29) was significantly lower than that in the control group (2.24±0.14, P<0.01), P-nism (2.15±0.31, P<0.01), MSA (2.08±0.31, P<0.05) and PSP (2.30±0.24, P<0.01). The delayed H/M ratio in PD (1.47±0.34) was also significantly lower than that in the control group (2.37±0.14, P<0.01), P-nism (2.13±0.38, P<0.01), PSP (2.36±0.36, P<0.01) and MSA (2.17±0.36, P<0.01). In patients with PD, early and delayed H/M ratios were significantly decreased in disease stages I, II and III (established using the Hoehn and Yahr criteria) as compared with control subjects, and there were no significant differences among the stages. Only PD showed a significantly higher washout rate (WR) than that in the control subjects (27%±8.0% vs 11%±4.2%, P<0.01). Early and delayed uptake ratios of the lung, parotid gland, thyroid gland, liver and femoral muscles in each of the patient groups were not significantly different from those in control subjects. Only the early and delayed uptake ratios of the lower leg muscles in MSA

Suicidal behavior among Turkish patients with Parkinson’s disease

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Ozdilek B

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Betul Ozdilek,1 Bulent Kadri Gultekin21Department of Neurology, 2Department of Psychiatry, Erenkoy Mental Health and Neurology Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, TurkeyObjective: To investigate the predictors of suicidal ideation and attempts among Turkish Parkinson’s disease (PD patients.Materials and methods: The study comprised 120 patients with PD. Clinical findings were obtained by using the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale. Disease severity was measured by the Hoehn and Yahr staging scale, and the Schwab and England Activities of Daily Living scale was used for patient disability. Psychiatric evaluation was performed by the same psychiatrist using the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV Axis I Disorders. Severity of depression was measured with the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Suicidal ideation and attempts were considered positive if experienced during the patient’s lifetime. The Suicide Probability Scale was used to assess the risk of suicide. Data were analyzed by logistic regression models to identify variables associated with suicidal ideation and attempts.Results: Based on logistic regression analysis, education level, age of disease onset, disease duration, depression, and history of impulse-control disorder (ICD behaviors were significant predictors of suicidal ideation. The risk rate in the presence of depression and history of ICD behaviors was increased by 5.92 and 4.97, respectively. Additionally, lifetime prevalence of suicidal ideation was found in 11.6% (14 of 120 of PD patients, although no patient had ever attempted suicide.Conclusion: Turkish patients with PD who exhibit a high risk for suicidal ideation also experience disease starting at an earlier age, longer disease duration, presence of depression, and ICD behaviors, and should be monitored carefully.Keywords: Parkinson’s disease, suicidal behavior, risk factors

Olfactory training in patients with Parkinson's disease.

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Antje Haehner

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: Decrease of olfactory function in Parkinson's disease (PD is a well-investigated fact. Studies indicate that pharmacological treatment of PD fails to restore olfactory function in PD patients. The aim of this investigation was whether patients with PD would benefit from "training" with odors in terms of an improvement of their general olfactory function. It has been hypothesized that olfactory training should produce both an improved sensitivity towards the odors used in the training process and an overall increase of olfactory function. METHODS: We recruited 70 subjects with PD and olfactory loss into this single-center, prospective, controlled non-blinded study. Thirty-five patients were assigned to the olfactory training group and 35 subjects to the control group (no training. Olfactory training was performed over a period of 12 weeks while patients exposed themselves twice daily to four odors (phenyl ethyl alcohol: rose, eucalyptol: eucalyptus, citronellal: lemon, and eugenol: cloves. Olfactory testing was performed before and after training using the "Sniffin' Sticks" (thresholds for phenyl ethyl alcohol, tests for odor discrimination, and odor identification in addition to threshold tests for the odors used in the training process. RESULTS: Compared to baseline, trained PD patients experienced a significant increase in their olfactory function, which was observed for the Sniffin' Sticks test score and for thresholds for the odors used in the training process. Olfactory function was unchanged in PD patients who did not perform olfactory training. CONCLUSION: The present results indicate that olfactory training may increase olfactory sensitivity in PD patients.

Clinical characteristics of impulse control and related disorders in Chinese Parkinson's disease patients.

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Zhang, Yu; He, An Qi; Li, Lin; Chen, Wei; Liu, Zhen Guo

2017-05-18

Impulse control and related disorders (ICRDs) are clinically complications in Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the clinical characteristics of ICRDs in Chinese PD patients were rarely reported. We aimed to explore the prevalence and the clinical profile of ICRDs in Chinese patients with PD. 142 Chinese PD patients were consecutively enrolled. The symptoms of ICRDs were assessed with the Questionnaire for Impulsive-Compulsive Disorders. The clinical characteristics of patients with ICRDs and without ICRDs were compared. ICRDs were present in 31% of our patients. The most common ICRDs were compulsive medication use (11.3%) and punding (9.2%); the least frequent were walkabout (1.4%). Variables independently associated with ICRDs were earlier onset of the disease (≤55 years), severe cognitive impairment (MMSE 10-20), the dose of dopamine agonist (>1 mg/d) and dyskinesia. ICRDs was commonly found in Chinese PD patients. Earlier onset of the disease, the dose of dopamine agonist, severe cognitive impairment and dyskinesia are independent factors associated with ICRDs. Our results will be benefit for clinicians to assess the risk of developing ICRDs before delivering dopaminergic medication.

Sleep stability and transitions in patients with idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder and patients with Parkinson's disease.

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Christensen, Julie Anja Engelhard; Jennum, Poul; Koch, Henriette; Frandsen, Rune; Zoetmulder, Marielle; Arvastson, Lars; Christensen, Søren Rahn; Sorensen, Helge Bjarrup Dissing

2016-01-01

Patients with idiopathic rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) are at high risk of developing Parkinson's disease (PD). As wake/sleep-regulation is thought to involve neurons located in the brainstem and hypothalamic areas, we hypothesize that the neurodegeneration in iRBD/PD is likely to affect wake/sleep and REM/non-REM (NREM) sleep transitions. We determined the frequency of wake/sleep and REM/NREM sleep transitions and the stability of wake (W), REM and NREM sleep as measured by polysomnography (PSG) in 27 patients with PD, 23 patients with iRBD, 25 patients with periodic leg movement disorder (PLMD) and 23 controls. Measures were computed based on manual scorings and data-driven labeled sleep staging. Patients with PD showed significantly lower REM stability than controls and patients with PLMD. Patients with iRBD had significantly lower REM stability compared with controls. Patients with PD and RBD showed significantly lower NREM stability and significantly more REM/NREM transitions than controls. We conclude that W, NREM and REM stability and transitions are progressively affected in iRBD and PD, probably reflecting the successive involvement of brain stem areas from early on in the disease. Sleep stability and transitions determined by a data-driven approach could support the evaluation of iRBD and PD patients. Copyright © 2015 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Longitudinal CSF biomarkers in patients with early Parkinson disease and healthy controls.

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Mollenhauer, Brit; Caspell-Garcia, Chelsea J; Coffey, Christopher S; Taylor, Peggy; Shaw, Leslie M; Trojanowski, John Q; Singleton, Andy; Frasier, Mark; Marek, Kenneth; Galasko, Douglas

2017-11-07

To analyze longitudinal levels of CSF biomarkers in drug-naive patients with Parkinson disease (PD) and healthy controls (HC), examine the extent to which these biomarker changes relate to clinical measures of PD, and identify what may influence them. CSF α-synuclein (α-syn), total and phosphorylated tau (t- and p-tau), and β-amyloid 1-42 (Aβ42) were measured at baseline and 6 and 12 months in 173 patients with PD and 112 matched HC in the international multicenter Parkinson's Progression Marker Initiative. Baseline clinical and demographic variables, PD medications, neuroimaging, and genetic variables were evaluated as potential predictors of CSF biomarker changes. CSF biomarkers were stable over 6 and 12 months, and there was a small but significant increase in CSF Aβ42 in both patients with patients with PD and HC from baseline to 12 months. The t-tau remained stable. The p-tau increased marginally more in patients with PD than in HC. α-syn remained relatively stable in patients with PD and HC. Ratios of p-tau/t-tau increased, while t-tau/Aβ42 decreased over 12 months in patients with PD. CSF biomarker changes did not correlate with changes in Movement Disorder Society-sponsored revision of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale motor scores or dopamine imaging. CSF α-syn levels at 12 months were lower in patients with PD treated with dopamine replacement therapy, especially dopamine agonists. These core CSF biomarkers remained stable over 6 and 12 months in patients with early PD and HC. PD medication use may influence CSF α-syn. Novel biomarkers are needed to better profile progressive neurodegeneration in PD. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the American Academy of Neurology.

Actigraphy monitoring of symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease.

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Pan, Weidong; Kwak, Shin; Li, Fuzhong; Wu, Chunlan; Chen, Yiyun; Yamamoto, Yoshiharu; Cai, Dingfang

2013-07-02

Although the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) is the "gold-standard" tool in assessing the severity of symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), not all activity-related disease symptoms can be accurately captured by the well-established clinical rating scale. Using an alternative approach, this study examined the level of physical activity measured by actigraphy over time and whether change in physical activity was associated with disease severity assessed by UPDRS. We used a longitudinal design in which physical activity and disease severity were assessed repeatedly during a 4-month interval, over a 3-year observational period, in a sample of 61 patients with idiopathic PD and a control group of 32 neurologically intact individuals. Physical activity data during awake-time were analyzed using the power-law exponent (PLE) method. Correlational relationships between changes in maxima values of PLE and scores of total UPDRS, UPDRS-part II (Activities of Daily Living), and UPDRS-part III (Motor Examination) in patients with PD were examined. Results show an increase in maxima values of PLE and the UPDRS total score in PD patients and that there is a positive association between changes in maxima values and total UPDRS score (r=0.746, p=0.032), UPDRS-part II score (r=0.687, p=0.027), and UPDRS-part III score (r=0.893, p=0.018). There was no significant change in the level of physical activity over time for the controls. Findings from this study indicate that change in physical activity, as captured by actigraphy, is associated with increased severity in patients' clinical symptoms of PD over time. Thus, these data suggest that, when used in conjunction with the conventional UPDRS measure, an actigraphic measure of physical activity may provide clinicians an adjunct measurement approach to monitor patients' activity-based disease progression or responses to treatment in outpatient clinic settings. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by

Prevalence and pharmacological factors associated with impulse-control disorder symptoms in patients with Parkinson disease.

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Perez-Lloret, Santiago; Rey, María Verónica; Fabre, Nelly; Ory, Fabienne; Spampinato, Umberto; Brefel-Courbon, Christine; Montastruc, Jean-Louis; Rascol, Olivier

2012-01-01

Impulse-control disorders (ICDs) occur in patients with Parkinson disease (PD), especially in younger patients on dopamine therapies. To assess the prevalence of ICD symptoms and its pharmacological correlations in a sample of French patients with PD and without PD (poststroke). Outpatients with PD and without PD (poststroke) were screened for compulsive behaviors related to hypersexuality, compulsive shopping, pathological gambling, or compulsive eating by means of the Questionnaire for Impulse-Control Disorders--short version. Full medical history and Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale scores were also recorded. Dose of dopamine agonists were converted to defined daily doses (DDDs), according to the World Health Organization Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical classification system classification system. Two hundred three patients with PD and 52 patients without PD were recruited (mean ± SD age, 67 ± 1 vs 69 ± 2, P= 0.4; males: 62% vs 55% P= 0.2). Symptoms of ICDs were reported by 0% of poststroke patients and 25% of the patients with PD (P Impulse-control disorder symptoms were more frequent in the patients with PD than in the poststroke patients with PD. Impulse-control disorder symptoms were related to younger age and exposure to monoaminooxidase-B inhibitors, and showed a nonlinear dose-response relationship with dopamine agonists.

Inter-rater variability in motor function assessment in Parkinson's disease between experts in movement disorders and nurses specialising in PD management.

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de Deus Fonticoba, T; Santos García, D; Macías Arribí, M

2017-05-23

In clinical practice, assessing patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) is a complex, time-consuming task. Our purpose is to provide a rigorous and objective evaluation of how motor function in PD patients is assessed by neurologists specialising in movement disorders, on the one hand, and by nurses specialising in PD management, on the other. We conducted an observational, cross-sectional, single-centre study of 50 patients with PD (52% men; mean age: 64.7 ± 8.7 years) who were assessed between 5 January 2016 and 20 July 2016. A neurologist and a nurse evaluated motor function in the early morning hours using the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) parts III and IV and Hoehn & Yahr (H&Y) scale. Tests were administered in the same PD periods (in 48 patients during the 'off' time and in 2 patients during the 'on' time). Inter-rater variability was estimated with the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Forty-nine patients (98%) were classified in the same H&Y stage by both raters. Assessment times were similar for both raters. ICC for UPDRS-IV and UPDRS-III total scores were 0.955 (Pde Neurología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Programmed Death Ligand 1 (PD-L1 Tumor Expression Is Associated with a Better Prognosis and Diabetic Disease in Triple Negative Breast Cancer Patients

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Gerardo Botti

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Triple Negative Breast Cancers (TNBC subtype is an aggressive disease with poor clinical outcome. The only treatment available is surgery followed by chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1 is a trans-membrane protein expressed on a wide variety of cells including immune cells, epithelial and vascular endothelial cells. Recently, PD-1/PD-L1 pathway signaling was described as an adaptive immune resistance mechanism enacted by the tumor cells to evade the immune response. Its presence on tumor cell membranes, acquired for this reason, through time, is an important prognostic value. However, data available in the literature about PD-L1 immunohistochemical expression in breast cancer are often discordant and not uniform, probably for the use of different antibodies clones and the high molecular heterogeneity of the different tumor types. The absence of target therapies, in particular for TNBC, has shifted the clinical attention mainly on the role of PD-L1 in this subtype of breast cancer. In this study, we evaluated tumor and TIL (tumor infiltrating lymphocytes PDL-1 expression in a series of TNBC, included in Tissue Micro Arrays (TMAs, to define its real prognostic value, optimizing immunohistochemistry method with an “approved for diagnostic assay” antibody. PD-L1 expression directly correlated with proliferation index (Ki-67, glycemia, the presence of diabetes and indirectly with menopausal status, presence of lymph node metastasis and relapse. The analysis of Kaplan–Meier showed that an increased PD-L1 expression was strongly associated with better disease-free survival (DFS but not correlated with overall survival (OS. Our data confirmed that PD-L1 could be an important marker for prognostic stratification and for planning immune checkpoint inhibitors therapies in patients with TNBC.

Optimising medication for Parkinson's disease patients with dysphagia.

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Patel, Krupa

2015-07-01

In addition to movement disorders, Parkinson's disease (PD) is associated with several nonmotor symptoms, including dysphagia (swallowing difficulties). Dysphagia can make the consumption of solid medicines difficult, which potentially contributes to the poor adherence that is common among people with PD. However, patients may be reluctant to admit that they experience dysphagia. Community nurses should actively enquire into swallowing difficulties among all patients, not only those with PD, and should work with pharmacists and other members of the multidisciplinary team to help optimise medication management to help improve adherence.

Pain management in patients with Parkinson's disease: challenges and solutions

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Skogar O

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Orjan Skogar,1,2 Johan Lokk2 1Academy for Health and Care (FUTURUM, Region Jönköping County, Jönköping, 2Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden Abstract: This review focuses on the diagnosis and management of Parkinson-related pain which is one of the more frequently reported nonmotor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease (PD, which is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s disease. Pain is ranked high by patients as a troublesome symptom in all stages of the disease. In early-stage PD, pain is rated as the most bothersome symptom. Knowledge of the correct diagnosis of pain origin and possible methods of treatments for pain relief in PD is of great importance. The symptoms have a great negative impact on health-related quality of life. Separating PD-related pain from pain of other origins is an important challenge and can be characterized as “many syndromes under the same umbrella”. Among the different forms of PD-related pain, musculoskeletal pain is the most common form, accounting for 40%–90% of reported pain in PD patients. Augmentation by pathophysiological pathways other than those secondary to rigidity, tremor, or any of the other motor manifestations of the disease seems most probable. In PD, the basal ganglia process somatosensory information differently, and increased subjective pain sensitivity with lower electrical and heat-pain thresholds has been reported in PD patients. The mechanism is assumed to be diminished activity of the descending inhibitory control system of the basal ganglia. PD pain, like many of the nonmotor symptoms, remains underdiagnosed and, thus, poorly managed. A systematic collection of patient descriptions of type, quality, and duration of pain is, therefore, of utmost importance. Recent studies have validated new and more specific and dedicated pain scales for PD-related symptoms. Symptomatic treatments based

White matter microstructure damage in tremor-dominant Parkinson's disease patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luo, ChunYan; Song, Wei; Chen, Qin; Yang, Jing; Shang, Hui-Fang; Gong, QiYong

2017-01-01

Resting tremor is one of the cardinal motor features of Parkinson's disease (PD). Several lines of evidence suggest resting tremor may have different underlying pathophysiological processes from those of bradykinesia and rigidity. The current study aims to identify white matter microstructural abnormalities associated with resting tremor in PD. We recruited 60 patients with PD (30 with tremor-dominant PD and 30 with nontremor-dominant PD) and 26 normal controls. All participants underwent clinical assessment and diffusion tensor MRI. We used tract-based spatial statistics to investigate white matter integrity across the entire white matter tract skeleton. Compared with both healthy controls and the nontremor-dominant PD patients, the tremor-dominant PD patients were characterized by increased mean diffusivity (MD) and axial diffusivity (AD) along multiple white matter tracts, mainly involving the cerebello-thalamo-cortical (CTC) pathway. The mean AD value in clusters with significant difference was correlated with resting tremor score in the tremor-dominant PD patients. There was no significant difference between the nontremor-dominant PD patients and controls. Our results support the notion that resting tremor in PD is a distinct condition in which significant microstructural white matter changes exist and provide evidence for the involvement of the CTC in tremor genesis of PD. (orig.)

Freezing of gait is associated with cognitive impairment in patients with Parkinson disease.

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Yao, Zhiwen; Shao, Yuan; Han, Xiang

2017-08-24

To explore whether the cognitive impairment is correlated with freezing of gait (FOG) in patients with Parkinson disease (PD). A total of 186 patients with Parkinson disease (104 patients with FOG and 82 patients with no clinical history of freezing behavior) and 125 healthy individuals were selected for this study. Neuropsychological assessments, including the scales for outcomes in Parkinson disease cognition, unified Parkinson's disease rating scale, and Hamilton depression/anxiety rating scale etc., were applied to evaluate the patients'cognitive functioning. We found that the scores of Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) were significantly higher among PD patients with FOG, compared with non-FOG group. We also showed that Mini-Mental State Examination score (MMSE) was lower among subjects with FOG than in patients without FOG. Patients with FOG displayed lower Scales for OUTCOMES: in Parkinson's Disease Cognition (SCOPA-COG) score than non-FOG patients. In addition, significant higher Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMD) scores were found in patients with FOG than patients without FOG. Moreover, disease duration, stage of the disease, the severity of motor symptom, increased depressive and anxiety complaints measured by FOG questionnaire were significantly associated with severity of FOG. Meanwhile, we also found that the score of Freezing of Gait Questionnaire (FOGQ) score was negatively correlated with MMSE. Our results demonstrated that FOG is related to impaired cognitive functions in PD patients with FOG. The understanding of impaired cognitive functions in PD patients with FOG can provide evidences for possible therapeutic interventions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Pathological Gambling in Parkinson's disease patients: Dopaminergic medication or personality traits fault?

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Brusa, L; Pavino, V; Massimetti, M C; Ceravolo, R; Stefani, S; Stanzione, P

2016-07-15

Impulse control disorders (ICDs) are clinically relevant in Parkinson disease (PD) patients, with an established association with PD medication. Aim of our study was to study whether the increased frequency of pathological gambling (PG), reported in subgroups of PD patients, is related to specific personality tracts additional to dopaminergic medications. Thirty-seven PD patients with a personal history of PG where enrolled. Twenty one PD patients, matched for disease and dopaminergic therapy, never experiencing PG, were enrolled as controls. All subjects were tested with the Minnesota Multiphasic Inventory Personality scales (MMPI-2). Our data showed that PD group with PG exhibited significantly higher mean values of the three validity scales in comparison to the non-PG-PD group, demonstrating an higher tendency to lie. Content scales showed a significant increase of cynicism and bizarre ideation scales score in the PG-PD group, not exhibiting pathological values at the validity scales, (p: 0.02) in comparison to non-PG PD patients. According to our results, PG seems to be associated with precise personality tracts. Personality profiles of cluster A personality disturbances - Axys 2 according with DSM-5 TR (paranoid type) at MMPI-2 might be a warning index helpful in selecting dopaminergic treatment, to avoid subsequent ICDs appearance. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Duodopa pump treatment in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease

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Karlsborg, Merete; Korbo, Lise; Regeur, Lisbeth

2010-01-01

Patients with advanced Parkinson's disease (PD) often develop motor complications including fluctuations and involuntary movements (dyskinesias). In Denmark, treatment has comprised Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) since the late 1990s, and as from 2002 use of a subcutaneous apomorphine pump. Monothe......Patients with advanced Parkinson's disease (PD) often develop motor complications including fluctuations and involuntary movements (dyskinesias). In Denmark, treatment has comprised Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) since the late 1990s, and as from 2002 use of a subcutaneous apomorphine pump...

Determining the efficacy of rasagiline in reducing bradykinesia among Parkinson's disease patients: a review.

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Silver, Dee E; Buck, Philip O

2011-09-01

Bradykinesia has a significant impact on the lives of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. Consequently, treating this symptom is of particular concern for patients and clinicians. A number of studies have documented the efficacy of rasagiline in reducing the severity of PD symptoms. To summarize studies that specifically examined the impact of rasagiline on bradykinesia symptoms in PD patients across disease severity. The EMBASE database was searched for relevant articles published between 2000 and November 2010. Three studies were identified that explicitly examined the effect of rasagiline on the bradykinesia subscale of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) motor examination. In each, 1 mg/day rasagiline significantly reduced bradykinesia scores in patients. As a monotherapy or an adjunctive therapy, rasagiline is an effective drug for reducing the severity of bradykinesia in PD patients. Copyright © 2011 Informa Healthcare USA, Inc.

A deformation-based morphometry study of patients with early-stage Parkinson's disease

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Borghammer, P; Østergaard, Karen; Cumming, P

2010-01-01

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Previous volumetric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies of Parkinson's disease (PD) utilized primarily voxel-based morphometry (VBM), and investigated mostly patients with moderate- to late-stage disease. We now use deformation-based morphometry (DBM), a method...... purported to be more sensitive than VBM, to test for atrophy in patients with early-stage PD. METHODS: T1-weighted MRI images from 24 early-stage PD patients and 26 age-matched normal control subjects were compared using DBM. Two separate studies were conducted, where two minimally-biased nonlinear...... intensity-average were created; one for all subjects and another for just the PD patients. The DBM technique creates an average population-based MRI-average in an iterative hierarchical fashion. The nonlinear transformations estimated to match each subject to the MRI-average were then analysed. RESULTS...

Mental slowness in patients with Parkinson's disease: Associations with cognitive functions?

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Vlagsma, Thialda T; Koerts, Janneke; Tucha, Oliver; Dijkstra, Hilde T; Duits, Annelien A; van Laar, Teus; Spikman, Jacoba M

2016-10-01

Motor slowness (bradykinesia) is a core feature of Parkinson's disease (PD). It is often assumed that patients show mental slowness (bradyphrenia) as well; however, evidence for this is debated. The aims of this study were to determine whether PD patients show mental slowness apart from motor slowness and, if this is the case, to what extent this affects their performance on neuropsychological tests of attention, memory, and executive functions (EF). Fifty-five nondemented PD patients and 65 healthy controls were assessed with a simple information-processing task in which reaction and motor times could be separated. In addition, all patients and a second control group (N = 138) were assessed with neuropsychological tests of attention, memory, and EF. While PD patients showed significantly longer reaction times than healthy controls, their motor times were not significantly longer. Reaction and motor times were only moderately correlated and were not related to clinical measures of disease severity. PD patients performed significantly worse on tests of attention and EF, and for the majority of neuropsychological tests 11-51% of the patients showed a clinically impaired performance. Reaction times did not, however, predict patients' test performance, while motor times were found to have a significant negative influence on tests of attention. PD patients show mental slowness, which can be separated from motor slowness. Neuropsychological test performance is not influenced by mental slowness; however, motor slowness can have a negative impact. When interpreting neuropsychological test performance of PD patients in clinical practice, motor slowness needs to be taken into account.

Perimetric and retinal nerve fiber layer findings in patients with Parkinson’s disease

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Tsironi Evangelia E

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Visual dysfunction is common in Parkinson’s disease (PD. It remains, however, unknown whether it is related to structural alterations of the retina. The aim of this study is to compare visual field (VF findings and circumpapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL thickness in a series of PD patients and normal controls, in order to assess possible retinal anatomical changes and/or functional damage associated with PD. Methods PD patients and controls were recruited and underwent VF testing with static automated perimetry and RNFL examination with optical coherence tomography (OCT. Cognitive performance using Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE, PD staging using modified Hoehn and Yahr (H-Y scale and duration of the disease was recorded in PD patients. Results One randomly selected eye from each of 24 patients and 24 age-matched controls was included. OCT RNFL thickness analysis revealed no difference in the inferior, superior, nasal or temporal sectors between the groups. The average peripapillary RNFL was also similar in the two groups. However, perimetric indices of generalized sensitivity loss (mean deviation and localized scotomas (pattern standard deviation were worse in patients with PD compared to controls (p  Conclusion PD patients may demonstrate glaucomatous-like perimetric defects even in the absence of decreased RNFL thickness.

PD-1 Blockade in Advanced Melanoma in Patients with Hepatitis C and/or HIV

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Diwakar Davar

2015-01-01

Full Text Available On the basis of remarkable antitumor activity, programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1 inhibitors pembrolizumab and nivolumab were approved for the treatment of advanced melanoma in the second-line setting following progression on either CTLA-4 inhibitor ipilimumab or BRAF/MEK inhibitors (for BRAF mutated melanoma. Given hypothesized risk of triggering exacerbations of autoimmune diseases and/or chronic viral infections, clinical trials (including regulatory studies evaluating checkpoint blocking antibodies PD-1 and CTLA-4 have excluded patients with autoimmune diseases, chronic hepatitis B/C virus (HBV/HCV, and/or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV infections. Herein, we describe two patients with advanced melanoma and concomitant HCV/HIV infections treated with PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab. Patient 2 with HIV/HCV coinfection progressed after 2 doses of pembrolizumab. Patient 1 who had HCV alone was treated with pembrolizumab with initial partial response. HCV viral load remained stable after 9 cycles of pembrolizumab following which 12-week course of HCV-directed therapy was commenced, resulting in prompt reduction of HCV viral load below detectable levels. Response is ongoing and HCV viral load remains undetectable. In both patients, no significant toxicities were observed when pembrolizumab was initiated. We argue for the further investigation of checkpoint inhibition in cancer patients with underlying chronic viral infections in the context of carefully designed clinical trials.

Orthostatic Hypotension in Drug-Naïve Patients with Parkinson’s Disease

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Hyo-Jin Bae

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Background and Purpose Orthostatic hypotension (OH is known to be present even in patients with early Parkinson’s disease (PD. To affirm the presence of OH and find correlation between OH and other dysautonomic symptoms in PD, this study has done in newly-diagnosed PD patients. Methods Forty-five non-demented patients with no prior history of treatment for PD were recruited (17 men, 63.8 ± 10.1 years of age. All the patients were evaluated for OH before starting medications. Autonomic symptoms were evaluated with structured questionnaires. Clinical characteristics of PD were evaluated (median Hoehn and Yahr stage 2.0 (1–3, 1.3 ± 1.1 years of disease duration, and comorbid medical conditions that could affect blood pressure were also recorded. Results OH was prevalent, and eighteen patients (40% showed orthostatic hypotension, and twenty-seven (60% did not (normotensive group. There was no significant difference in demographic and clinical characteristics between groups. The presence or severity of symptoms of autonomic dysfunction in the OH group also not differed from those of the normotensive group. Conclusions OH was prevalent even in the early stage of PD, and was not related to presence or severity of any other symptoms of autonomic dysfunction. Our findings suggest that clinicians should pay attention to OH from the early stage of disease.

Response monitoring in de novo patients with Parkinson's disease.

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Rita Willemssen

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Parkinson's disease (PD is accompanied by dysfunctions in a variety of cognitive processes. One of these is error processing, which depends upon phasic decreases of medial prefrontal dopaminergic activity. Until now, there is no study evaluating these processes in newly diagnosed, untreated patients with PD ("de novo PD". METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here we report large changes in performance monitoring processes using event-related potentials (ERPs in de novo PD-patients. The results suggest that increases in medial frontal dopaminergic activity after an error (Ne are decreased, relative to age-matched controls. In contrast, neurophysiological processes reflecting general motor response monitoring (Nc are enhanced in de novo patients. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: It may be hypothesized that the Nc-increase is at costs of dopaminergic activity after an error; on a functional level errors may not always be detected and correct responses sometimes be misinterpreted as errors. This pattern differs from studies examining patients with a longer history of PD and may reflect compensatory processes, frequently occurring in pre-manifest stages of PD. From a clinical point of view the clearly attenuated Ne in the de novo PD patients may prove a useful additional tool for the early diagnosis of basal ganglia dysfunction in PD.

Swallowing in patients with Parkinson's disease: a surface electromyography study.

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Ws Coriolano, Maria das Graças; R Belo, Luciana; Carneiro, Danielle; G Asano, Amdore; Al Oliveira, Paulo José; da Silva, Douglas Monteiro; G Lins, Otávio

2012-12-01

Our goal was to study deglutition of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and normal controls (NC) using surface electromyography (sEMG). The study included 15 patients with idiopathic PD and 15 age-matched normal controls. Surface electromyography was collected over the suprahyoid muscle group. Conditions were the following: swallow at once 10 and 20 ml of water and 5 and 10 ml of yogurt of firm consistency, and freely drink 100 ml of water. During swallowing, durations of sEMG were significantly longer in PD patients than in normal controls but no significant differences of amplitudes were found. Eighty percent of the PD patients and 20 % of the NC needed more than one swallow to consume 20 ml of water, while 70 % of the PD patients and none of the NC needed more than one swallow to consume 5 ml of yogurt. PD patients took significantly more time and needed significantly more swallows to drink 100 ml of water than normal controls. We conclude that sEMG might be a simple and useful tool to study and monitor deglutition in PD patients.

Discordance Between Physician Assessment and Patient-Reported Depressive Symptoms in Parkinson Disease.

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Lachner, Christian; Armstrong, Melissa J; Gruber-Baldini, Ann L; Rezvani, Zahra; Reich, Stephen G; Fishman, Paul S; Salazar, Richard; Shulman, Lisa M

2017-07-01

To assess concordance between physician assessment and patient-reported symptoms when screening for depression in Parkinson disease (dPD). Depression in Parkinson disease is highly prevalent (∼40%) and has a significant impact on quality of life and disability, yet physician recognition and treatment remain inadequate. One thousand seventy-six patients with PD completed the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI-18), a screening questionnaire for psychiatric symptoms, which was compared to item #3 (depression) on the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). The mean BSI-18 depression score was 51.4 (9.7). Of the 170 (16%) patients screening positive for dPD on the BSI-18, 104 (61%) were not recognized as depressed by neurologists on the UPDRS. Factors associated with lower neurologist recognition included male gender, better mental health quality of life, and lack of antidepressant use. More than 60% of patients screening positive for depression on self-report were not recognized by neurologists on the UPDRS. A patient-reported screening tool for depression may improve recognition and management of dPD.

Mental slowness in patients with Parkinson's disease : Associations with cognitive functions?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vlagsma, Thialda T.; Koerts, Janneke; Tucha, Oliver; Dijkstra, Hilde T.; Duits, Annelien A.; Laar, van Teus; Spikman, Jacoba M.

2016-01-01

Introduction: Motor slowness (bradykinesia) is a core feature of Parkinson's disease (PD). It is often assumed that patients show mental slowness (bradyphrenia) as well; however, evidence for this is debated. The aims of this study were to determine whether PD patients show mental slowness apart

Peripheral sympathetic dysfunction in patients with Parkinson's disease without autonomic failure is heart selective and disease specific

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Taki, Junichi; Nakajima, Kenichi; Hwang, Eui-Hyo; Matsunari, Ichiro; Tonami, Norihisa [Department of Nuclear Medicine, Kanazawa University School of Medicine, Kanazawa (Japan); Komai, Kiyonobu; Yoshita, Mitsuhiro; Sakajiri, Kenichi [Department of the Neurology, Kanazawa University School of Medicine, Kanazawa (Japan)

2000-05-01

The study was undertaken to investigate by means of iodine-123-labelled metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) scintigraphy the peripheral sympathetic function in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) without autonomic failure and in patients with related neurodegenerative diseases with parkinsonism. Seventy patients (33 men and 37 women, mean age 63{+-}9.7 years) with parkinsonism and ten control subjects underwent MIBG scintigraphy. Of these 70 patients, 41 were diagnosed as having idiopathic PD, 9 multiple system atrophy (MSA), 6 progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and 2 corticobasal degeneration (CBD); the remaining 12 were diagnosed as having neurodegenerative disease with parkinsonism (P-nism) that did not meet the diagnostic criteria of any specific disease. Cardiac planar and tomographic imaging studies and subsequent whole-body imaging were performed 20 min and 3 h after the injection of 111 MBq MIBG. The early MIBG heart to mediastinum (H/M) ratio in PD (1.61{+-}0.29) was significantly lower than that in the control group (2.24{+-}0.14, P<0.01), P-nism (2.15{+-}0.31, P<0.01), MSA (2.08{+-}0.31, P<0.05) and PSP (2.30{+-}0.24, P<0.01). The delayed H/M ratio in PD (1.47{+-}0.34) was also significantly lower than that in the control group (2.37{+-}0.14, P<0.01), P-nism (2.13{+-}0.38, P<0.01), PSP (2.36{+-}0.36, P<0.01) and MSA (2.17{+-}0.36, P<0.01). In patients with PD, early and delayed H/M ratios were significantly decreased in disease stages I, II and III (established using the Hoehn and Yahr criteria) as compared with control subjects, and there were no significant differences among the stages. Only PD showed a significantly higher washout rate (WR) than that in the control subjects (27%{+-}8.0% vs 11%{+-}4.2%, P<0.01). Early and delayed uptake ratios of the lung, parotid gland, thyroid gland, liver and femoral muscles in each of the patient groups were not significantly different from those in control subjects. Only the early and delayed uptake ratios of

Fine Motor Function Skills in Patients with Parkinson Disease with and without Mild Cognitive Impairment.

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Dahdal, Philippe; Meyer, Antonia; Chaturvedi, Menorca; Nowak, Karolina; Roesch, Anne D; Fuhr, Peter; Gschwandtner, Ute

2016-01-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the relation between impaired fine motor skills in Parkinson disease (PD) patients and their cognitive status, and to determine whether fine motor skills are more impaired in PD patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) than in non-MCI patients. Twenty PD MCI and 31 PD non-MCI patients (mean age 66.7 years, range 50-84, 36 males/15 females), all right-handed, took part in a motor performance test battery. Steadiness, precision, dexterity, velocity of arm-hand movements, and velocity of wrist-finger movements were measured and compared across groups and analyzed for confounders (age, sex, education, severity of motor symptoms, and disease duration). Statistical analysis included t tests corrected for multiple testing, and a linear regression with stepwise elimination procedure was used to select significant predictors for fine motor function. PD MCI patients performed significantly worse in precision (p motor function skills were confounded by age. Fine motor skills in PD MCI patients are impaired compared to PD non-MCI patients. Investigating the relation between the fine motor performance and MCI in PD might be a relevant subject for future research. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Expression of PD-1 and PD-L1 in poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas of the digestive system: a potential target for anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy.

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Roberts, Jordan A; Gonzalez, Raul S; Das, Satya; Berlin, Jordan; Shi, Chanjuan

2017-12-01

Poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma of the digestive system has a dismal prognosis with limited treatment options. This study aimed to investigate expression of the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway in these tumors. Thirty-seven patients with a poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma of the digestive system were identified. Their electronic medical records, pathology reports, and pathology slides were reviewed for demographics, clinical history, and pathologic features. Tumor sections were immunohistochemically labeled for PD-1 and PD-L1, and expression of PD-1 and PD-L1 on tumor and tumor-associated immune cells was analyzed and compared between small cell and large cell neuroendocrine carcinomas. The mean age of patients was 61 years old with 18 men and 19 women. The colorectum (n=20) was the most common primary site; other primary sites included the pancreaticobiliary system, esophagus, stomach, duodenum, and ampulla. Expression of PD-1 was detected on tumor cells (n=6, 16%) as well as on tumor-associated immune cells (n=23, 63%). The 6 cases with PD-1 expression on tumor cells also had the expression on immune cells. Expression of PD-L1 was visualized on tumor cells in 5 cases (14%) and on tumor-associated immune cells in 10 cases (27%). There was no difference in PD-1 and PD-L1 expression between small cell and large cell neuroendocrine carcinomas. In conclusion, PD-1/PD-L1 expression is a frequent occurrence in poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas of the digestive system. Checkpoint blockade targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway may have a potential role in treating patients with this disease. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparing the Incidence of Falls/Fractures in Parkinson's Disease Patients in the US Population.

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Linda Kalilani

Full Text Available Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD may experience falls and/or fractures as a result of disease symptoms. There are limited data available from long-term studies estimating the incidence of falls/fractures in patients with PD. The objective was to compare the incidence rate of falls/fractures in PD patients with non-PD patients in a US population. This was a retrospective study using a US-based claims database (Truven Health MarketScan® that compared the incidence rate of falls/fractures in PD subjects with non-PD subjects. The study period included the 12 months prior to index date (defined as earliest PD diagnosis [International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification code 332.0] and a postindex period to the end of data availability. Fractures were defined by inpatient/outpatient claims as a principal or secondary diagnosis and accompanying procedure codes during the postindex period. Incidence rates and 95% CIs for falls/fractures were calculated as the number of events per 10,000 person-years of follow-up using negative binomial or Poisson regression models. Twenty-eight thousand two hundred and eighty PD subjects were matched to non-PD subjects for the analysis (mean [SD] age, 71.4 [11.8] years; 53% male. A higher incidence rate (adjusted for comorbidities and medications of all fall/fracture cases and by fall and fracture types was observed for PD subjects versus non-PD subjects; the overall adjusted incidence rate ratio comparing PD to non-PD subjects was 2.05; 95% CI, 1.88-2.24. The incidence rate of falls/fractures was significantly higher in subjects with PD compared with non-PD subjects in a US population.

A clinical study in elderly patients with Parkinson's disease using MRI and SPECT; Parkinson's disease and the lacunar state

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Umahara, Takahiko; Iwamoto, Toshihiko; Takasaki, Masaru; Katsunuma, Hideyo [Tokyo Medical Coll. (Japan)

1991-11-01

Parkinson's disease (PD) is often associated with dementia in elderly patients, and sometimes PD coexists with senile dementia of the Alzheimer type (SDAT) or cerebrovascular disease (CVD) in the elderly. However, since there are few previous clinical studies on the coincidence of, or relationship between PD and CVD, the authors evaluated these aspects in 34 elderly patients with PD using MRI and SPECT. All the patients were over 70 years old. The diagnosis of PD was based on the presence of three symptons (resting tremor, cogwheel rigidity and bradikinesia) which are characteristic of PD, and the effectiveness of L-DOPA therapy. We therefore believe that patients with vascular Parkinsonism were excluded from our study. In 34 cases, 24 (71%) had MRI evidence of CVD (mainly the lacunar state). In the 10 cases who had no CVD, 2 (20%) had severe dementia and the decrease of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in the temporal and parietal lobes bilaterally correlated with the SPECT findings commonly found in SDAT. A comparison of the rCBF and the results of Hasegawa's dementia score (HDS) (verbal intelligence score) was made between the patients with PD associated with CVD and the patients with PD who had no CVD and no SPECT findings which correlated with SDAT. The rCBF in the frontal lobes and the results of the HDS of the former group were significantly lower than those of the latter. As mentioned above, elderly patients with PD often had CVD, leading to dementia. We also pointed out the difficulty in making a differential diagnosis between PD with CVD and vascular Parkinsonism, and the necessity of whether or not the concept of 'mixed type Parkinsonism' should be considered. (author).

Rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder in treatment-naïve Parkinson disease patients.

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Plomhause, Lucie; Dujardin, Kathy; Duhamel, Alain; Delliaux, Marie; Derambure, Philippe; Defebvre, Luc; Monaca Charley, Christelle

2013-10-01

Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is a risk factor for dementia in Parkinson disease (PD) patients. The objectives of our study were to prospectively evaluate the frequency of RBD in a sample of treatment-naïve, newly diagnosed PD patients and compare sleep characteristics and cognition in RBD and non-RBD groups. Fifty-seven newly diagnosed PD patients were consecutively recruited in a university medical center. All patients underwent two overnight polysomnography (PSG) sessions and were diagnosed with RBD according to the International Classification of Sleep Disorders, Second Revision criteria. Daytime sleepiness was measured in a multiple sleep latency test (MSLT). Cognition was assessed in a standard neuropsychologic examination. Seventeen PD patients (30%) met the criteria for RBD. The RBD patients and non-RBD patients did not significantly differ in mean age, gender ratio, disease duration, motor symptom subtype and severity, total sleep time, percentage of REM sleep, apnea-hypopnea index, mean oxygen saturation, and importantly cognitive performance. However, non-RBD patients had a significantly shorter mean daytime sleep latency than RBD patients (15 vs. 18 min, respectively; P=.014). A high frequency of RBD was found in our sample of 57 newly diagnosed PD patients. At this stage in the disease, RBD was not found to be associated with other sleep disorders or cognitive decline. Follow-up is needed to assess the risk for developing dementia in early-stage PD patients with RBD. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

When do the symptoms of autonomic nervous system malfunction appear in patients with Parkinson's disease?

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De Luka, Silvio R; Svetel, Marina; Pekmezović, Tatjana; Milovanović, Branislav; Kostić, Vladimir S

2014-04-01

Dysautonomia appears in almost all patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) in a certain stage of their condition. The aim of our study was to detect the development and type of autonomic disorders, find out the factors affecting their manifestation by analyzing the potential association with demographic variables related to clinical presentation, as well as the symptoms of the disease in a PD patient cohort. The patients with PD treated at the Clinic of Neurology in Belgrade during a 2-year period, divided into 3 groups were studied: 25 de novo patients, 25 patients already treated and had no long-term levodopa therapy-related complications and 22 patients treated with levodopa who manifested levodopa-induced motor complications. Simultaneously, 35 healthy control subjects, matched by age and sex, were also analyzed. Autonomic nervous system malfunction was defined by Ewing diagnostic criteria. The tests, indicators of sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, were significantly different in the PD patients as compared with the controls, suggesting the failure of both systems. However, it was shown, in the selected groups of patients, that the malfunction of both systems was present in two treated groups of PD patients, while de novo group manifested only sympathetic dysfunction. For this reason, the complete autonomic neuropathy was diagnosed only in the treated PD patients, while de novo patients were defined as those with the isolated sympathetic dysfunction. The patients with the complete autonomic neuropathy differed from the subjects without such neuropathy in higher cumulative and motor unified Parkinson's disease rating score (UPDRS) (p nervous system disturbances among PD patients from the near onset of disease, with a predominant sympathetic nervous system involvement. The patients who developed complete autonomic neuropathy (both sympathetic and parasympathetic) were individuals with considerable level of functional failure, more severe clinical

Type D, anxiety and depression in association with quality of life in patients with Parkinson's disease and patients with multiple sclerosis

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Dubayova, Tatiana; Krokavcova, Martina; Nagyova, Iveta; Rosenberger, Jaroslav; Gdovinova, Zuzana; Middel, Berrie; Groothoff, Johan W.; van Dijk, Jitse P.

The present study examines the role of Type D personality, anxiety and depression in quality of life (QoL) in patients with two chronic neurological diseases-Parkinson's disease (PD) and multiple sclerosis (MS). This cross-sectional study included 142 PD patients (73 % males; mean age 67.6 +/- A 9.2

Voice Handicap Index (VHI in Persian Speaking Parkinson\\'s Disease Patients

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Fatemeh Madjdinasab

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Objectives: “Voice” is affected more and sooner than other speech subsystems in Parkinson's Disease (PD. Voice Handicap Index (VHI is the most applicable subjective self-rating questionnaire in VD patients. The aim of this study was the investigation of Voice handicap in Iranian PD patients. Methods & Materials: This cross-sectional, analytical and non-interventional study was done on 50 (35 males, 15 females patients who reported a VD related to their PD. They were selected from thepatients referring to movement disorders’ clinic in Rasool Akram Hospital affiliated withTehran University of medical sciences, through easy sampling. VHI total score (VHIT and its domains (functional-VHIF, Emotional VHIE, Physical VHIP was assessed in all of participants and by gender segregation. Results: 83% of patients reported voice handicap. There wasn't any difference between VHIT and its mentioned 3 domains in both sexes. There is positive correlation between VHIT, VHIE and VHIF with age. VHIT and VHIF had a positive relationship with disease duration (DD. The males VHIT and the mentioned domains had positive correlations with DD. Conclusion: Most of Iranian PD patients feel handicap due to voice disorder caused by PD and their quality of life was affected by voice impairment. Increase in age and disease duration caused more voice disorder and reduced quality of life especially patients feel more handicaps in functional domain (VHIF. In addition, the males feel more handicap than females when DD develops.

Anatomical correlates of cognitive functions in early Parkinson's disease patients.

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Roberta Biundo

Full Text Available Cognitive deficits may occur early in Parkinson's disease (PD but the extent of cortical involvement associated with cognitive dysfunction needs additional investigations. The aim of our study is to identify the anatomical pattern of cortical thickness alterations in patients with early stage PD and its relationship with cognitive disability.We recruited 29 PD patients and 21 healthy controls. All PD patients performed an extensive neuropsychological examination and 14 were diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI. Surface-based cortical thickness analysis was applied to investigate the topographical distribution of cortical and subcortical alterations in early PD compared with controls and to assess the relationship between cognition and regional cortical changes in PD-MCI.Overall PD patients showed focal cortical (occipital-parietal areas, orbito-frontal and olfactory areas and subcortical thinning when compared with controls. PD-MCI showed a wide spectrum of cognitive deficits and related significant regional thickening in the right parietal-frontal as well as in the left temporal-occipital areas.Our results confirm the presence of changes in grey matter thickness at relatively early PD stage and support previous studies showing thinning and atrophy in the neocortex and subcortical regions. Relative cortical thickening in PD-MCI may instead express compensatory neuroplasticity. Brain reserve mechanisms might first modulate cognitive decline during the initial stages of PD.

In patient's with Parkinson disease, autonomic symptoms are frequent and associated with other non-motor symptoms.

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Arnao, Valentina; Cinturino, Antonio; Valentino, Francesca; Perini, Valentina; Mastrilli, Sergio; Bellavia, Gabriele; Savettieri, Giovanni; Realmuto, Sabrina; D'Amelio, Marco

2015-10-01

Autonomic symptoms and sleep disorders are common non-motor symptoms of Parkinson disease (PD), which are correlated with poor quality of life for patients. To assess the frequency of autonomic symptoms in a consecutive series of PD patients and to correlate them with other motor and non-motor symptoms. All consecutive non-demented PD patients who underwent an extensive evaluation including Hoehn and Yahr staging, Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, Beck's Depression Inventory, Neuropsychiatric Inventory, PDQ-39 Scale, the Parkinson's diseases Sleep Scale, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale and SCOPA-AUT scale were enrolled. Comorbidity has been also considered. Supine to standing position blood pressure and cardiac frequency changes were also measured. 135 PD patients were included (mean age at interview 67.7; mean disease duration: 5.3 years). Patients were stratified according to mean SCOPA-AUT scale score (13.1). Those with higher SCOPA-AUT scale score were significantly older, had longer disease duration, worse disease stage, worse quality of sleep, were more severely affected, and were also taking a higher dosage of levodopa. At multivariate analysis, older age, longer disease duration, and worse quality of sleep were independently associated with higher SCOPA-AUT scale scores. Our results remark the role of autonomic symptoms in PD. In our patient population, characterized by mild to moderate disease severity, most of the patients complained of autonomic nervous system involvement (84%). A significant association between autonomic symptoms and sleep disorders was also observed.

A double closed loop to enhance the quality of life of Parkinson's Disease patients: REMPARK system.

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Samà, Albert; Pérez-López, Carlos; Rodríguez-Martín, Daniel; Moreno-Aróstegui, J Manuel; Rovira, Jordi; Ahlrichs, Claas; Castro, Rui; Cevada, João; Graça, Ricardo; Guimarães, Vânia; Pina, Bernardo; Counihan, Timothy; Lewy, Hadas; Annicchiarico, Roberta; Bayés, Angels; Rodríguez-Molinero, Alejandro; Cabestany, Joan

2014-01-01

This paper presents REMPARK system, a novel approach to deal with Parkinson's Disease (PD). REMPARK system comprises two closed loops of actuation onto PD. The first loop consists in a wearable system that, based on a belt-worn movement sensor, detects movement alterations that activate an auditory cueing system controlled by a smartphone in order to improve patient's gait. The belt-worn sensor analyzes patient's movement through real-time learning algorithms that were developed on the basis of a database previously collected from 93 PD patients. The second loop consists in disease management based on the data collected during long periods and that enables neurologists to tailor medication of their PD patients and follow the disease evolution. REMPARK system is going to be tested in 40 PD patients in Spain, Ireland, Italy and Israel. This paper describes the approach followed to obtain this system, its components, functionalities and trials in which the system will be validated.

Depression among Patients with Parkinson's Disease in a Nigerian ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background There is increasing evidence that Parkinson's disease (PD) can cause depression. This dimension has not been sufficiently studied particularly among Nigerian Africans. Our aim was to determine the frequency and severity of depression among patients with PD and to compare this with their healthy ...

Sleep spindle alterations in patients with Parkinson's disease

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Christensen, Julie Anja Engelhard; Nikolic, Miki; Warby, Simon C.

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to identify changes of sleep spindles (SS) in the EEG of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Five sleep experts manually identified SS at a central scalp location (C3-A2) in 15 PD and 15 age- and sex-matched control subjects. Each SS was given a confidence score...

Assessment of Nonverbal and Verbal Apraxia in Patients with Parkinson’s Disease

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Monia Presotto

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Objective. To assess the presence of nonverbal and verbal apraxia in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD and analyze the correlation between these conditions and patient age, education, duration of disease, and PD stage, as well as evaluate the correlation between the two types of apraxia and the frequency and types of verbal apraxic errors made by patients in the sample. Method. This was an observational prevalence study. The sample comprised 45 patients with PD seen at the Movement Disorders Clinic of the Clinical Hospital of Porto Alegre, Brazil. Patients were evaluated using the Speech Apraxia Assessment Protocol and PD stages were classified according to the Hoehn and Yahr scale. Results. The rate of nonverbal apraxia and verbal apraxia in the present sample was 24.4%. Verbal apraxia was significantly correlated with education (p≤0.05. The most frequent types of verbal apraxic errors were omissions (70.8%. The analysis of manner and place of articulation showed that most errors occurred during the production of trill (57.7% and dentoalveolar (92% phonemes, consecutively. Conclusion. Patients with PD presented nonverbal and verbal apraxia and made several verbal apraxic errors. Verbal apraxia was correlated with education levels.

Characteristics of Brain Perfusion in Patients of Parkinson's Disease

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Jeong, Young Jin; Park, Min Jung; Kim, Jae Woo; Kang, Young Kang

2008-01-01

It was well known that cerebral blood perfusion is normal or diffusely decreased in the majority of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Actually we interpreted brain perfusion SPECT images of PD patients in the clinical situation, we observed various cerebral perfusion patterns in patients with PD. So we performed brain perfusion SPECT to know the brain perfusion patterns of PD patients and the difference of perfusion patterns according to the sex and the age. Also we classified PD patients into small groups based on the brain perfusion pattern. Two hundred nineteen patients (M: 70, F: 149, mean age: 62.9±6.9 y/o) who were diagnosed as PD without dementia clinically and 55 patients (M: 15, F: 40, mean age: 61.4±9.2 y/o) as normal controls who had no past illness history were performed 99m Tc-HMPAO brain perfusion SPECT and neuropsychological test. At first, we compared all patients with PD and normal controls. Brain perfusion in left inferior frontal gyrus, left insula, left transverse temporal gyrus, left inferior parietal lobule, left superior parietal lobule, right precuneus, right caudate tail were lower in patients with PD than normal controls. Secondly, we compared male and female patients with PD and normal controls, respectively. Brain perfusion SPECT showed more decreased cerebral perfusion in left hemisphere than right side in both male and female patients compared to normal controls. And there was larger hypoperfusion area in female patients compared with male. Thirdly, we classified patients with PD and normal controls into 4 groups according to the age and compared brain perfusion respectively. In patient below fifties, brain perfusion in both occipitoparietal and left temporal lobe were lower in PD group. As the patients with PD grew older, hypoperfusion area were shown in both frontal, temporal and limbic lobes. Fourthly, We were able to divide patients into small groups based on cerebral perfusion pattern. There was normal cerebral blood

Comparison of the Psychological Symptoms and Disease-Specific Quality of Life between Early- and Typical-Onset Parkinson’s Disease Patients

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Seyed-Mohammad Fereshtehnejad

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The impact of Parkinson’s disease (PD on psychological status and quality of life (QoL may vary depending on age of disease onset. The aim of this study was to compare psychological symptoms and disease-specific QoL between early onset versus the rest of the PD patients. A total number of 140 PD patients with the mean current age of 61.3 (SD=10.4 yr were recruited in this study. PD patients with the onset age of ≤50 yr were defined as “early-onset” (EOPD group (n=45, while the ones with >50 yr at the time of diagnosis were categorized as the “typical-onset” (TOPD patients (n=95. Different questionnaires and scales were used for between-group comparisons including PDQ39, HADS (hospital anxiety and depression scale, FSS (fatigue severity scale, MNA (mininutritional assessment, and the UPDRS. Depression score was significantly higher in EOPD group (6.3 (SD=4.5 versus 4.5 (SD=4.2, P=0.02. Among different domains of QoL, emotion score was also significantly higher in the EOPD group (32.3 (SD=21.6 versus 24.4 (SD=22.7, P=0.05. Our findings showed more severe depression and more impaired emotional domain of QoL in early-onset PD patients. Depression and anxiety play an important role to worsen QoL among both EOPD and TOPD patients, while no interaction was observed in the efficacy of these two psychiatric symptoms and the onset age of PD patients.

Assessment and clinical aspects of health-related quality of life in dialysis patients and patients with chronic kidney disease

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Molsted, Stig; Prescott, Lotte; Heaf, James

2007-01-01

with hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) and to investigate the prediction of dialysis quality control parameters (blood hemoglobin, plasma albumin, and Kt/V) and tobacco smoking in disease-specific HRQOL. METHODS: Seventy-one HD, 59 PD, and 63 CKD patients participated in the study. Dialysis quality...... control parameters were measured and the patients completed the questionnaire Kidney Disease Quality Of Life. RESULTS: PD patients rated Dialysis Staff Encouragement and Patient Satisfaction better than HD patients (p... on a number of HRQOL scales. CONCLUSION: Based on the results, it is suggested to include elements of HRQOL as a supplement to standard quality control parameters. It is also suggested routinely to include information of the beneficial effects of physical activity already in the predialysis program...

Reliability and validity of the Beck depression inventory in patients with Parkinson's disease

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Visser, Martine; Leentjens, Albert F. G.; Marinus, Johan; Stiggelbout, Anne M.; van Hilten, Jacobus J.

2006-01-01

We evaluated the validity, reliability, and potential responsiveness of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). In part 1 of the study, 92 patients with PD underwent a structured clinical interview for DSM major depression and based on this patients were

Monoamine transporter availability in Parkinson's disease patients with or without depression

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Hesse, Swen; Meyer, Philipp M.; Barthel, Henryk; Sabri, Osama; Strecker, Karl; Wegner, Florian; Isaias, Ioannis Ugo; Schwarz, Johannes; Oehlwein, Christian

2009-01-01

Depression is a common symptom in patients suffering from Parkinson's disease (PD) and markedly reduces their quality of life. As post-mortem studies have shown, its presence may reflect extensive cell loss in the midbrain and brainstem with imbalances in monoaminergic neurotransmitters. However, in vivo evidence of specific monoaminergic deficits in depressed PD patients is still sparse. Therefore, we studied PD patients with depression (PD+D) and without depression (PD-D) using high-resolution single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and the monoamine transporter marker [ 123 I]FP-CIT. A magnetic resonance imaging-based region-of-interest analysis was applied to quantify the specific-to-nondisplaceable [ 123 I]FP-CIT binding coefficient V 3 '' in the striatum, thalamus and midbrain/brainstem regions. PD+D patients had significantly lower V 3 '' compared with PD-D patients in the striatum (p 3 '' than controls (p 3 '' nor midbrain/brainstem V 3 '' differed from those in PD-D patients (p=0.168, p=0.201) or controls (p=0.384, p=0.318). Our data indicate that depression in PD is associated with a more pronounced loss of striatal dopamine transporter availability that is most likely secondary to increased dopaminergic degeneration. In addition, depressed PD patients have a lower availability of midbrain/brainstem monoamine transporters than nondepressed PD patients. These findings provide in vivo evidence in support of the known post-mortem data demonstrating more extensive nerve cell loss in PD with depression and indicate that SPECT imaging can help to identify pathophysiological changes underlying nonmotor symptoms in this common movement disorder. (orig.)

Decreased sleep spindle density in patients with idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder and patients with Parkinson’s disease

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Christensen, Julie Anja Engelhard; Kempfner, Jacob; Zoetmulder, Marielle

2014-01-01

ObjectiveTo determine whether sleep spindles (SS) are potentially a biomarker for Parkinson’s disease (PD). MethodsFifteen PD patients with REM sleep behavior disorder (PD+RBD), 15 PD patients without RBD (PD−RBD), 15 idiopathic RBD (iRBD) patients and 15 age-matched controls underwent...... polysomnography (PSG). SS were scored in an extract of data from control subjects. An automatic SS detector using a Matching Pursuit (MP) algorithm and a Support Vector Machine (SVM) was developed and applied to the PSG recordings. The SS densities in N1, N2, N3, all NREM combined and REM sleep were obtained...

Empowering Patients: PD in Healthcare

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Kensing, Finn; Strand, Dixi Louise; Bansler, Jørgen P.

2004-01-01

In this paper, we discuss PD issues and concerns in the context of a national initiative the purpose of which is to provide IT support for the communication and collaboration within a heterogeneous network of patients/citizens and health care professionals. We present the notion of patient empowe...

Quantifying daily physical activity and determinants in sedentary patients with Parkinson's disease

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Dontje, M. L.; de Greef, M. H. G.; Speelman, A. D.; van Nimwegen, M.; Krijnen, W. P.; Stolk, R. P.; Kamsma, Y. P. T.; Munneke, M.; van der Schans, C. P.; Bloem, Bastiaan R.

2013-01-01

Background: Although physical activity is beneficial for Parkinson's disease (PD) patients, many do not meet the recommended levels. The range of physical activity among sedentary PD patients is unknown, as are factors that determine this variability. Hence, we aimed to (1) assess daily physical

Economic Burden Analysis of Parkinson’s Disease Patients in China

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Jun-Xiu Yang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background and Objective. Parkinson’s Disease (PD is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, which is prevalent in people over 65 years old. PD reduces patients’ quality of life and exerts a heavy economic burden on patients and their families. The purpose of this research is to identify the costs of PD and to evaluate the economic distribution of medical care for PD patients in China. Methods. A professional survey was administered to 116 patients with PD. Records of medical cost were reviewed. Direct and indirect costs were analyzed. The main cost-driving factors of PD were identified using multivariate regression analysis. Results. The average annual cost per PD patient in China is $3,225.94, with direct and indirect costs accounting for $2,503.46 and $722.48, respectively. Direct costs consist of $556.27 for surgery, $44.67 for appointment fees, $605.67 for prescription medication, $460.29 for hospitalization, $71.03 for auxiliary examination, $35.64 for transportation, $10.39 for special equipment, and $719.50 for formal care. The total cost is closely related to surgical treatment, dopamine agonist, and levodopa costs. Conclusion. The cost of PD patients in China is considerable and exceeds average economic capacity, especially antiparkinson medication and caring costs. This study may provide a reference for PD healthcare optimization in the future.

Delusional Jealousy (Othello Syndrome) in 67 Patients with Parkinson’s Disease

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Kataoka, Hiroshi; Sugie, Kazuma

2018-01-01

Othello syndrome (OS) is a type of paranoid delusional jealousy, characterized by the false absolute certainty of the infidelity of a partner. Because OS has infrequently occurred in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD), the characteristics of OS in PD remain unclear. We reviewed the clinical characteristics of this syndrome in PD. We reviewed 67 patients who had PD with OS. OS was more common in men (45 patients) than in women (22 patients), and it frequently occurred in middle-aged patients. Until the onset of OS, the duration of PD (range, 2–19.8 years) and the duration of treatment with PD medications (range, 2 months to 18.5 years) varied. At the onset of OS, cognition was preserved in most patients. 42 of 47 patients had other psychiatric disorders in addition to OS, and 5 patients had isolated OS. Persecutory or other paranoid delusions developed in 34 patients with OS. OS was associated with PD medication in 25 of 26 patients, especially in patients, used the dopamine agonists. The dose of the PD medication associated with OS was decreased or these drugs were withdrawn to facilitate the treatment of OS. In most patients, OS disappeared or the severity of OS was reduced. OS is infrequent in patients with PD, but is likely to be easily detected because OS is commonly accompanied by persistent paranoid and sexual delusions. When clinicians encounter such patients, the withdrawal or reduction of dopamine agonists should be attempted, and if necessary, additional treatment with clozapine is recommended. PMID:29563893

Delusional Jealousy (Othello Syndrome in 67 Patients with Parkinson’s Disease

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Hiroshi Kataoka

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Othello syndrome (OS is a type of paranoid delusional jealousy, characterized by the false absolute certainty of the infidelity of a partner. Because OS has infrequently occurred in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD, the characteristics of OS in PD remain unclear. We reviewed the clinical characteristics of this syndrome in PD. We reviewed 67 patients who had PD with OS. OS was more common in men (45 patients than in women (22 patients, and it frequently occurred in middle-aged patients. Until the onset of OS, the duration of PD (range, 2–19.8 years and the duration of treatment with PD medications (range, 2 months to 18.5 years varied. At the onset of OS, cognition was preserved in most patients. 42 of 47 patients had other psychiatric disorders in addition to OS, and 5 patients had isolated OS. Persecutory or other paranoid delusions developed in 34 patients with OS. OS was associated with PD medication in 25 of 26 patients, especially in patients, used the dopamine agonists. The dose of the PD medication associated with OS was decreased or these drugs were withdrawn to facilitate the treatment of OS. In most patients, OS disappeared or the severity of OS was reduced. OS is infrequent in patients with PD, but is likely to be easily detected because OS is commonly accompanied by persistent paranoid and sexual delusions. When clinicians encounter such patients, the withdrawal or reduction of dopamine agonists should be attempted, and if necessary, additional treatment with clozapine is recommended.

Post-cueing deficits with maintained cueing benefits in patients with Parkinson's disease dementia

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Susanne eGräber

2014-11-01

Full Text Available In Parkinson’s disease (PD internal cueing mechanisms are impaired leading to symptoms such as like hypokinesia. However external cues can improve movement execution by using cortical resources. These cortical processes can be affected by cognitive decline in dementia.It is still unclear how dementia in PD influences external cueing. We investigated a group of 25 PD patients with dementia (PDD and 25 non-demented PD patients (PDnD matched by age, sex and disease duration in a simple reaction time (SRT task using an additional acoustic cue. PDD patients benefited from the additional cue in similar magnitude as did PDnD patients. However, withdrawal of the cue led to a significantly increased reaction time in the PDD group compared to the PDnD patients. Our results indicate that even PDD patients can benefit from strategies using external cue presentation but the process of cognitive worsening can reduce the effect when cues are withdrawn.

[11C]d-threo-methylphenidate PET in patients with Parkinson's disease and essential tremor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Breit, S.; Reimold, M.; Reischl, G.; Klockgether, T.; Wuellner, U.

2006-01-01

Twenty Parkinson's disease (PD) patients, 6 patients with essential tremor and 10 healthy controls were studied with the dopamine transporter ligand [ 11 C]d-threo-methylphenidate ([ 11 C]dMP) and positron emission tomography (PET) to assess dopamine terminal loss in relation to disease duration and motor disability. Dopamine transporter availability was expressed as [11C]dMP binding potential (BP dMP ) in percentage of the mean of healthy controls. In PD patients (age at onset 57.7 ± 8.9 ys; disease duration 5.2 ± 3.3 ys; UPDRS motor score 24.2 ± 9.8; Hoehn and Yahr 2.1 ± 0.8; mean ± SD) BP dMP was reduced to 30 % (range: 11 - 55 %) in the putamen and 52 % (range: 14 - 96 %) in the caudate nucleus. BPdMP in the putamen closely correlated with the UPDRS motor score (r = -0.79, p dMP . Interestingly, when plotted over disease duration, PD patients with severe asymmetry of symptoms showed significantly lower BP dMP in the contralateral putamen (exponential fit: 34 % at onset) than the other PD patients (41 % at onset), indicating a different symptomatic threshold of these subgroups and an even closer correlation with the hypothetical 'true' disease duration. The exponential fit across all patients indicated a mean symptomatic threshold of 37 % contra- and 62 % ipsilateral, corresponding with an observed mean BP dMP of 51 % (average contra- and ipsilateral) in those patients with disease duration less than one year. No differences in BP dMP were observed between patients with essential tremor and healthy controls. [ 11 C]dMP appears to be a useful and sensitive marker of dopaminergic dysfunction in PD and can be used to assess and monitor disease severity. (author)

Do Patients With Parkinson’s Disease Exhibit Reduced Cheating Behavior? A Neuropsychological Study

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Nobuhito Abe

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Parkinson’s disease (PD is a common neurodegenerative disorder characterized by loss of dopamine neurons. Since a seminal report was published in the early twentieth century, a growing body of literature has suggested that patients with PD display characteristic personality traits, such as cautiousness and inflexibility. Notably, PD patients have also been described as “honest,” indicating that they have a remarkable tendency to avoid behaving dishonestly. In this study, we predicted that PD patients show reduced cheating behavior in opportunities for dishonest gain due to dysfunction of the dopaminergic reward system. Thirty-two PD patients without dementia and 20 healthy controls (HC completed an incentivized prediction task where participants were rewarded based on their self-reported accuracy, affording them the opportunity to behave dishonestly. Compared with HC, PD patients showed significantly lower accuracy in the prediction task. Furthermore, the mean accuracy of PD patients was virtually equivalent to the chance level. These results indicate that PD patients exhibit reduced cheating behavior when confronted with opportunities for dishonest gain.

Effect of Duration of Disease on Gait Parameters in Parkinson’s Patients

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Aygün Özşahin

2007-04-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: Posture and gait disturbances are major components which cause functional disability in Parkinson’s disease (PD. Three dimensional gait and motion analysis systems provide quantitative data of gait. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to correlate between duration of disease and gait parameters of Parkinson patients during the on-phase. METHODS: We investigated temporospatial and kinematics variables of gait in 23 subjects with PD as measured in the on-phase of their medication cycle using motion analysis. We evaluated the correlation between all gait parameters and Gait and Balance Scale (GABS, unified Parkinson’s disease rating scale (UPDRS total-motor scores, Hoehn&Yahr (H&Y stages and duration of the disease. RESULTS: We found positive correlation between cadance and duration of disease. Patients had negative correlation between stride time and duration of disease. And also there was positive correlation between UPDRS total score and duration of disease. CONCLUSION: Increasing of cadance and decreasing of stride time exhibited by PD subjects is a compensatory mechanism for the difficulty in regulating stride lenght. It was reported that stride lenght control mediate by basal ganglia. Scaling of lower limb amplitude during locomotion can be controlled by higher levels of the Central Nervous System. Patients tend to increase pelvic rotation to keep their center of mass stabilised because of shortness of stride lenght. We thought that reduction pelvic and hip ROMs in coronal plane are impaired muscles of leg in the swing phase. These findings possibly indicate that shortness of stride lenght with the progression of disease is related to cortical centers. Three dimentional analysis systems provide detailed gait examination in PD patients to assess of progression and efficacy for therapies. Also, this method will guide us to explain physiopathologic mechanisms of PD

Bone mineral density in patients with Parkinson's disease measured by dual photon absorptiometry

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Kao, C H; Chen, C C; Wang, S J; Chia, L G; Yeh, S H [Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan (China)

1994-03-01

Bone mineral density (BMD) in 22 patients (three females, 19 males, aged 58-76 years) with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) was measured by dual photon absorptiometry (DPA) using a M and SE OsteoTech 300 scanner. The BMDs of the 2nd to 4th lumbar vertebrae were measured and the mean density was presented as g cm[sup -2]. The BMD of the PD patients was compared with normal BMD values within the same age groups, and the patients were interpreted as normal, suffering mild osteoporosis or severe osteoporosis. The patients were divided into two groups according to (a) the Hoehn and Yahr (H-Y) scale as high or low, or based on (b) the duration of the disease as long or short. The results show that the BMD of all the PD patients was lower than those of the normal controls. The PD patients with a high H-Y scale had a higher prevalence of severe osteoporosis. However, the difference between any two groups, separated by the two criteria, is not significant by Fisher's test. We find that PD patients have a higher incidence of severe osteoporosis. (author).

Analysis of oropharyngeal dysphagia through fibroendoscopy evaluation of swallowing in patients with Parkinson's disease.

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Correa-Flores, Melissa; Arch-Tirado, Emilio; Villeda-Miranda, Alicia; Rocha-Cacho, Karina Elizabeth; Verduzco-Mendoza, Antonio; Hernández-López, Xochiquetzal

2012-01-01

Parkinson's disease (PD) has a high incidence in Mexico and is estimated at approximately 500,000 patients. One of the main clinical manifestations of PD is dysphagia, which is the difficult passage of food from the mouth to the stomach. The aim of this study was to assess oropharyngeal dysphagia through fibroendoscopy evaluation of swallowing in patients with PD. We conducted a census sample of patients with PD: 17 males and 10 females, aged >49 years. Clinical history, physical examination and neurological evaluation of swallowing fibroendoscopy were carried out. Of the symptomatic patients, 16 patients (59.25%) reported dysphagia. Fibroendoscopic evaluation demonstrated swallowing disorders in 25 patients (92.59%). The main findings were poor bolus control in 19 patients (70.37%), deficits in bolus propulsion in 25 patients (92.59%), impaired swallowing in 14 patients (51.85%), fractional swallowing in 11 patients (40.74%), reduced epiglottic tilting in 11 patients (48.14%), food residue in vallecula in 24 patients (88.88%) and piriform sinus in 19 patients (70.37%). There was no correlation between duration of PD and degree of involvement of oropharyngeal dysphagia. Oropharyngeal dysphagia in patients with PD is a common symptom and can range from the oral cavity to the upper esophageal sphincter. Early onset of severe dysphagia is exceptional in this disease and should alert the clinician to the diagnostic possibility of parkinsonism.

PD-1 expression on peripheral CD8+ TEM/TEMRA subsets closely correlated with HCV viral load in chronic hepatitis C patients

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Zhang Weidong

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Tight correlation between host circulating CD8+ T cell-mediated immune response and control of viral replication is classical characteristic of long-term HCV infection. CD8+ T cell maturation/activation markers are expected to be associated with viral replication and disease progression in chronic HCV infection. The aim of the present study was to explore novel markers on CD8+ T cells with ability to evaluate HCV viral replication and disease progression. Methods PBMCs were isolated from 37 chronic HCV-infected patients and 17 healthy controls. Distributed pattern of CD8+ T cells subsets and expression of PD-1, CD38, HLA-DR and CD127 were analyzed by flow cytometry. The correlation between expression of surface markers and HCV viral load or ALT was studied. Results Declined naïve and increased TEMRA CD8+ T subsets were found in HCV-infected individuals compared with healthy controls. Percentage and MFI of PD-1, CD38 and HLA-DR on all CD8+ T cell subsets were higher in HCV-infected patients than healthy controls. In contrast, CD127 expression on CD8+ TCM showed an opposite trend as PD-1, CD38 and HLA-DR did. In chronic HCV infection, MFI of PD-1 on CD8+ TEM (p Conclusion PD-1 level on peripheral CD8+ TEM/TEMRA was highly correlated with HCV viral load in chronic HCV-infected patients, which made PD-1 a novel indicator to evaluate HCV replication and disease progression in chronic hepatitis C patients.

Personality characteristics of depressed and non-depressed patients with Parkinson's Disease

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Damholdt, Malene Flensborg; Callesen, Mette Buhl; Møller, Arne

2014-01-01

traits as risk factors for depression. The personality profiles of 290 non-depressed and 119 depressed patients with PD were compared. The depressed patients were characterized by elevated neuroticism, reduced extroversion, and reduced conscientiousness and less convincing findings of reduced openness......Depression and a specific personality profile are often outlined as premorbid characteristics of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, few studies have explored possible relations between personality and depression in PD despite research in non-parkinsonian samples identifying specific personality...

Prevalence and overlap of Disease Management Program diseases in older hospitalized patients

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Juul-Larsen, Helle Gybel; Petersen, Janne; Sivertsen, Ditte Maria

2017-01-01

Many countries, like Denmark, have tailored Disease Management Programs (DMPs) based on patients having single chronic diseases [defined institutionally as "program diseases" (PDs)], which can complicate treatment for those with multiple chronic diseases. The aims of this study were (a) to assess...... the prevalence and overlap among acutely hospitalized older medical patients of PDs defined by the DMPs, and (b) to examine transitions between different departments during hospitalization and mortality and readmission within two time intervals among patients with the different PDs. We conducted a registry study...... of 4649 acutely hospitalized medical patients ≥65 years admitted to Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark, in 2012, and divided patients into six PD groups (type 2 diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal disease, dementia and cancer), each...

Homovanillic acid in CSF of mild stage Parkinson's disease patients correlates with motor impairment.

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Stefani, Alessandro; Pierantozzi, Mariangela; Olivola, Enrica; Galati, Salvatore; Cerroni, Rocco; D'Angelo, Vincenza; Hainsworth, Atticus H; Saviozzi, Valentina; Fedele, Ernesto; Liguori, Claudio

2017-05-01

In Parkinson's disease (PD), several efforts have been spent in order to find biochemical parameters able to identify the progression of the pathological processes at the basis of the disease. It is already known that advanced PD patients manifesting dyskinesia are featured by the high homovanillic acid (HVA)/dopamine (DA) ratio, suggesting the increased turnover of DA in these patients. Less clear is whether similar changes affect mild and moderate stages of the disease (between 1 and 2.5 of Hoehn & Yahr -H&Y- stage). Hence, here we tested whether cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations of DA and its major metabolites, either 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) or HVA, correlate with motor performance in mild and moderate PD patients. CSF samples were collected after 2 days of anti-PD drugs washout, via lumbar puncture (LP) performed 130 min following administration of oral levodopa (LD) dose (200 mg). LP timing was determined in light of our previous tests clarifying that 2 h after oral LD administration CSF DA concentration reaches a plateau, which was un-respective of PD stage or duration. DA, DOPAC and HVA were assayed by high performance liquid chromatography in a group of 19 patients, distributed in two groups on the basis of the H&Y stage with a cut-off of 1.5. In these PD patients, HVA was correlated with DOPAC (R = 0,56, p motor impairment. More importantly, HVA correlated with motor impairment measured by the Unified Parkinson's Disease Score -III (UPDRS) (R = 0.61; p motor impairment. Therefore, we suggest the potential use of measuring the CSF HVA level as a possible biomarker of PD stage changes in order to monitor the effectiveness of PD-modifying pharmacological therapies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

White matter microstructure damage in tremor-dominant Parkinson's disease patients

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Luo, ChunYan; Song, Wei; Chen, Qin; Yang, Jing; Shang, Hui-Fang [Sichuan University, Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan (China); Gong, QiYong [Sichuan University, Huaxi MR Research Center, Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan (China)

2017-07-15

Resting tremor is one of the cardinal motor features of Parkinson's disease (PD). Several lines of evidence suggest resting tremor may have different underlying pathophysiological processes from those of bradykinesia and rigidity. The current study aims to identify white matter microstructural abnormalities associated with resting tremor in PD. We recruited 60 patients with PD (30 with tremor-dominant PD and 30 with nontremor-dominant PD) and 26 normal controls. All participants underwent clinical assessment and diffusion tensor MRI. We used tract-based spatial statistics to investigate white matter integrity across the entire white matter tract skeleton. Compared with both healthy controls and the nontremor-dominant PD patients, the tremor-dominant PD patients were characterized by increased mean diffusivity (MD) and axial diffusivity (AD) along multiple white matter tracts, mainly involving the cerebello-thalamo-cortical (CTC) pathway. The mean AD value in clusters with significant difference was correlated with resting tremor score in the tremor-dominant PD patients. There was no significant difference between the nontremor-dominant PD patients and controls. Our results support the notion that resting tremor in PD is a distinct condition in which significant microstructural white matter changes exist and provide evidence for the involvement of the CTC in tremor genesis of PD. (orig.)

Differential Effects of Tango Versus Dance for PD in Parkinson Disease

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McNeely, Marie E.; Mai, Marina M.; Duncan, Ryan P.; Earhart, Gammon M.

2015-01-01

Over half of the general population does not achieve recommended daily levels of physical activity, and activity levels in people with Parkinson disease (PD) are lower than in healthy older adults. Dance can serve as an adjunct to traditional treatments to improve gait, balance, and quality of life in people with PD. This study directly compares a tango dance intervention and a dance intervention based on the Dance for PD model, which integrates multiple dance styles. Eleven people with PD participated in a community-based mixed styles dance intervention called Dance for Parkinson’s (D4PD). Participants in the D4PD group were matched to participants in an ongoing community-based exercise study who participated in tango dance. The groups received 12 weeks of intervention, attending 1-h group classes twice a week. Participants were evaluated off anti-PD medication before and after intervention. Measures of balance, repeated sit-to-stand performance and endurance (mini-balance evaluation systems test, four square step test, five times sit to stand, 6-min walk time) improved from pre to post similarly in both groups. Motor sign severity (movement disorders society unified Parkinson disease rating scale motor subsection) and functional mobility (timed up and go) improved in the tango group and worsened in the D4PD group. Gait velocity was not affected by either intervention. Direct comparisons of different interventions are ­critical for developing optimal exercise interventions designed to specifically target motor impairments in PD. Tango dance interventions may preferentially improve mobility and motor signs in people with PD, compared to D4PD. PMID:26733865

Comparison of personality characteristics in Parkinson disease patients with and without impulse control disorders and in healthy volunteers.

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Farnikova, Katerina; Obereigneru, Radko; Kanovsky, Petr; Prasko, Jan

2012-03-01

We aimed to assess personality characteristics in patients with Parkinson disease (PD) with and without impulse control disorders (ICD). We tested patients and controls with the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) scales that have expected high sensitivity to apparent addictive behavior. We recorded mean disease duration and mean levodopa dose in the PD groups. Of the 46 PD patients, 13 had ICD: hypersexuality, binge eating, or dopamine dysregulation. The PD patients with ICD had a longer duration of disease (11 vs. 5 y) and were taking higher doses of levodopa (900 vs. 500 mg/d). They scored above the pathologic threshold in 4 domains of the MMPI-2 Clinical Scales and in 8 Clinical Subscales and Content Scales. The most significant abnormality was Alienation-Self and Others. ICDs in the general population have similarities to disorders of substance addiction. In PD patients, some personality profiles could play a role in development of ICDs or dopamine dysregulation syndrome. The MMPI-2 may be a useful test for PD patients in general, and for detecting ICD in particular.

A Comparison of Treatment-Seeking Behavioral Addiction Patients with and without Parkinson’s Disease

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Sauvaget, Anne; Jiménez-Murcia, Susana; Fernández-Aranda, Fernando; Granero, Roser; Grall-Bronnec, Marie; Victorri-Vigneau, Caroline; Bulteau, Samuel; Derkinderen, Pascal; Vanelle, Jean M.; Hakansson, Anders; Mestre-Bach, Gemma; Steward, Trevor; Menchón, José M.

2017-01-01

The administration of dopaminergic medication to treat the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD) is associated with addictive behaviors and impulse control disorders. Little is known, however, on how PD patients differ from other patients seeking treatments for behavioral addictions. The aim of this study was to compare the characteristics of behavioral addiction patients with and without PD. N = 2,460 treatment-seeking men diagnosed with a behavioral addiction were recruited from a university hospital. Sociodemographic, impulsivity [Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11)], and personality [Temperament and Character Inventory-Revised (TCI-R)] measures were taken upon admission to outpatient treatment. Patients in the PD group were older and had a higher prevalence of mood disorders than patients without PD. In terms of personality characteristics and impulsivity traits, PD patients appeared to present a more functional profile than PD-free patients with a behavioral addiction. Our results suggest that PD patients with a behavioral addiction could be more difficult to detect than their PD-free counterparts in behavioral addiction clinical setting due to their reduced levels of impulsivity and more standard personality traits. As a whole, this suggests that PD patients with a behavioral addiction may have different needs from PD-free behavioral addiction patients and that they could potentially benefit from targeted interventions. PMID:29163234

Periodontal disease and inflammatory blood cytokines in patients with stable coronary artery disease

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Cassio KAMPITS

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Periodontal disease has been associated with elevations of blood cytokines involved in atherosclerosis in systemically healthy individuals, but little is known about this association in stable cardiovascular patients. The aim of this study was to assess the association between periodontal disease (exposure and blood cytokine levels (outcomes in a target population of patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD. Material and Methods This cross-sectional study included 91 patients with stable CAD who had been under optimized cardiovascular care. Blood levels of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IFN-γ, and TNF-α were measured by Luminex technology. A full-mouth periodontal examination was conducted to record probing depth (PD and clinical attachment (CA loss. Multiple linear regression models, adjusting for gender, body mass index, oral hypoglycemic drugs, smoking, and occurre:nce of acute myocardial infarction were applied. Results CAD patients that experienced major events had higher concentrations of IFN-γ (median: 5.05 pg/mL vs. 3.01 pg/mL; p=0.01, IL-10 (median: 2.33 pg/mL vs. 1.01 pg/mL; p=0.03, and TNF-α (median: 9.17 pg/mL vs. 7.47 pg/mL; p=0.02. Higher numbers of teeth with at least 6 mm of CA loss (R2=0.07 and PD (R2=0.06 were significantly associated with higher IFN-γ log concentrations. Mean CA loss (R2=0.05 and PD (R2=0.06 were significantly related to IL-10 concentrations. Elevated concentrations of TNF-α were associated with higher mean CA loss (R2=0.07. Conclusion Periodontal disease is associated with increased systemic inflammation in stable cardiovascular patients. These findings provide additional evidence supporting the idea that periodontal disease can be a prognostic factor in cardiovascular patients.

A clinical study in elderly patients with Parkinson's disease using MRI and SPECT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Umahara, Takahiko; Iwamoto, Toshihiko; Takasaki, Masaru; Katsunuma, Hideyo

1991-01-01

Parkinson's disease (PD) is often associated with dementia in elderly patients, and sometimes PD coexists with senile dementia of the Alzheimer type (SDAT) or cerebrovascular disease (CVD) in the elderly. However, since there are few previous clinical studies on the coincidence of, or relationship between PD and CVD, the authors evaluated these aspects in 34 elderly patients with PD using MRI and SPECT. All the patients were over 70 years old. The diagnosis of PD was based on the presence of three symptons (resting tremor, cogwheel rigidity and bradikinesia) which are characteristic of PD, and the effectiveness of L-DOPA therapy. We therefore believe that patients with vascular Parkinsonism were excluded from our study. In 34 cases, 24 (71%) had MRI evidence of CVD (mainly the lacunar state). In the 10 cases who had no CVD, 2 (20%) had severe dementia and the decrease of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in the temporal and parietal lobes bilaterally correlated with the SPECT findings commonly found in SDAT. A comparison of the rCBF and the results of Hasegawa's dementia score (HDS) (verbal intelligence score) was made between the patients with PD associated with CVD and the patients with PD who had no CVD and no SPECT findings which correlated with SDAT. The rCBF in the frontal lobes and the results of the HDS of the former group were significantly lower than those of the latter. As mentioned above, elderly patients with PD often had CVD, leading to dementia. We also pointed out the difficulty in making a differential diagnosis between PD with CVD and vascular Parkinsonism, and the necessity of whether or not the concept of 'mixed type Parkinsonism' should be considered. (author)

Non-genetic factors associated with the risk of Parkinson's disease in Iranian patients.

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Hosseini Tabatabaei, N; Babakhani, B; Hosseini Tabatabaei, A; Vahabi, Z; Soltanzadeh, A

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate some of nongenetic factors associated with Parkinson's disease (PD) in a sample of Iranian patients. This case-control study included 75 patients with idiopathic PD and 75 control patients. The patients in the control group were found to have drunk more glasses of tea per day than the case group before the onset of their problem (p=0.019). Every extra glass of tea per day decreased the risk of PD by 0.8 times (OR=0.8, 95%CI=0.73-0.97, p=0.02). Each cup of coffee per week decreased the chance of developing PD by 0.5 times (OR=0.5, 95%CI=0.28-0.9, p=0.021). A previous history of evening work increased PD risk by 4.6 times (OR=4.6, 95%CI=1.29-16.86, p=0.019) while major stressful events increased it by 13.5 times (OR=13.5, 95%CI=4.7-38.1, p=0.0001). In conclusion, coffee and tea consumption may exert a protective effect against PD, while evening work and stress may be risk factors for the development of the disease.

Appreciation of humor is decreased among patients with Parkinson's disease.

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Thaler, Avner; Posen, Jennie; Giladi, Nir; Manor, Yael; Mayanz, Connie; Mirelman, Anat; Gurevich, Tanya

2012-02-01

To test whether appreciation of humor might be a non-motor function affected by Parkinson's disease (PD). Thirty-nine PD patients and 38 healthy controls participated in this study. Appreciation of humor and effect of the presentation method utilized were assessed. Sense of humor was evaluated by the sense of humor questionnaire (SHQ-6). Humor appreciation was tested using three methods of presentation: videos, audio sketches and pictorial cartoons, each portraying both obvious and non-obvious humor content. Depression, anxiety, cognition, disease severity and quality of life were measured by standardized questionnaires and correlated with humor outcomes. Patients with PD rated humor content lower than controls on every method of presentation as well as on the SHQ-6 (p = 0.004). The greatest between-group difference was noted when the material was presented visually via pictorial cartoons (p < 0.0001). In addition, obvious humor content was rated higher than non-obvious content by the PD group in all three presentation methods (p < 0.05). The degree of depression and anxiety did not influence these results. Patients with PD have a decreased sense of humor compared to healthy controls. Utilizing audio methods of presentation and humor in an obvious mode appears to be the preferred approach for eliciting responses to humor in a PD population. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cerebral glucose metabolism and cognition in newly diagnosed Parkinson's disease: ICICLE-PD study.

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Firbank, M J; Yarnall, A J; Lawson, R A; Duncan, G W; Khoo, T K; Petrides, G S; O'Brien, J T; Barker, R A; Maxwell, R J; Brooks, D J; Burn, D J

2017-04-01

To assess reductions of cerebral glucose metabolism in Parkinson's disease (PD) with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET), and their associations with cognitive decline. FDG-PET was performed on a cohort of 79 patients with newly diagnosed PD (mean disease duration 8 months) and 20 unrelated controls. PD participants were scanned while on their usual dopaminergic medication. Cognitive testing was performed at baseline, and after 18 months using the Cognitive Drug Research (CDR) and Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) computerised batteries, the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). We used statistical parametric mapping (SPM V.12) software to compare groups and investigate voxelwise correlations between FDG metabolism and cognitive score at baseline. Linear regression was used to evaluate how levels of cortical FDG metabolism were predictive of subsequent cognitive decline rated with the MMSE and MoCA. PD participants showed reduced glucose metabolism in the occipital and inferior parietal lobes relative to controls. Low performance on memory-based tasks was associated with reduced FDG metabolism in posterior parietal and temporal regions, while attentional performance was associated with more frontal deficits. Baseline parietal to cerebellum FDG metabolism ratios predicted MMSE (β=0.38, p=0.001) and MoCA (β=0.3, p=0.002) at 18 months controlling for baseline score. Reductions in cortical FDG metabolism were present in newly diagnosed PD, and correlated with performance on neuropsychological tests. A reduced baseline parietal metabolism is associated with risk of cognitive decline and may represent a potential biomarker for this state and the development of PD dementia. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Sexuality in patients with Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and other dementias.

Science.gov (United States)

Bronner, Gila; Aharon-Peretz, Judith; Hassin-Baer, Sharon

2015-01-01

Sexual dysfunction (SD) is common among patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), Alzheimer's disease (AD), and other dementias. Sexual functioning and well-being of patients with PD and their partners are affected by many factors, including motor disabilities, non-motor symptoms (e.g., autonomic dysfunction, sleep disturbances, mood disorders, cognitive abnormalities, pain, and sensory disorders), medication effects, and relationship issues. The common sexual problems are decreased desire, erectile dysfunction, difficulties in reaching orgasm, and sexual dissatisfaction. Hypersexuality is one of a broad range of impulse control disorders reported in PD, attributed to antiparkinsonian therapy, mainly dopamine agonists. Involvement of a multidisciplinary team may enable a significant management of hypersexuality. Data on SD in demented patients are scarce, mainly reporting reduced frequency of sex and erectile dysfunction. Treatment of SD is advised at an early stage. Behavioral problems, including inappropriate sexual behavior (ISB), are distressing for patients and their caregivers and may reflect the prevailing behavior accompanying dementia (disinhibition or apathy associated with hyposexuality). The neurobiologic basis of ISB is still only vaguely understood but assessment and intervention are recommended as soon as ISB is suspected. Management of ISB in dementia demands a thorough evaluation and understanding of the behavior, and can be treated by non-pharmacologic and pharmacologic interventions. © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The study on regional brain blood flow in the patients with Parkinson's disease using 99Tcm-ECD SPECT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun Da; Ye Xiaojuan; Zhan Hongwei; Xu Wei; Bao Chengkan

2010-01-01

Purpose The aim of this study is to evaluate the changes of brain blood floe in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and to investigate the clinical characteristics of the patients with PD correlate with rCBF. Methods: Regional cerebral perfusion was investigated using SPECT in 34 patients with PD . The mean ages of the patients were 56.61±11.04 Years old. The course of disease in most patients was from 1 to over 20 years. Results: 94.1 per cent of patients (32/3) had a significant decrease of rCBF in the basal ganglia, frontal lobes, temporal lobes and thalamus. Parietal and occipital cortex were involved in some patients. The decrease of rCBF in the basal ganglia is unilateral in most patients with PD. There were over 3 brain regions that Conclusion: According to our results, patients with PD had decreased rCBF in the basal ganglia, frontal and temporal cortices. These may reflect a fundamental feature of clinical neuropathophysiology in PD. 99 Tc m -ECD SPECT imaging is helpful to the diagnosis of PD and may help investigate the potential pathophysiology of PD. (authors)

Stigma Experienced by Parkinson’s Disease Patients: A Descriptive Review of Qualitative Studies

OpenAIRE

Maffoni, Marina; Giardini, Anna; Pierobon, Antonia; Ferrazzoli, Davide; Frazzitta, Giuseppe

2017-01-01

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by motor and nonmotor symptoms. Both of them imply a negative impact on Health-Related Quality of Life. A significant one is the stigma experienced by the parkinsonian patients and their caregivers. Moreover, stigma may affect everyday life and patient's subjective and relational perception and it may lead to frustration and isolation. Aim of the present work is to qualitatively describe the stigma of PD patients stemming f...

Chromosome and oxidative damage biomarkers in lymphocytes of Parkinson's disease patients.

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Migliore, L; Scarpato, R; Coppede, F; Petrozzi, L; Bonuccelli, U; Rodilla, V

2001-10-01

As cancer development usually results from exposure to several environmental risk factors in interaction with the genetic susceptibility of the host, it could be of interest to investigate if neurodegeneration, as occurs in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients can be attributed at least partially, to environmental risk factors. There is growing evidence that oxidative stress could play a significant role as a risk factor in the aetiology and pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases, emphasising the need for new individual and human-based approaches. The aim of our research is to explore the relation between chromosome instability and oxidative stress biomarkers in Parkinson's disease using a variety of strategies. We determined peripheral markers for oxidative damage in PD by testing for spontaneous and induced chromosomal damage, DNA strand breaks, oxidised pyrimidines and altered purines both in peripheral blood and cultured lymphocytes. We also measured glutathione S-transferase activity in the plasma of patients and controls. Compared to healthy controls, PD patients show higher frequencies of micronuclei (17.2 +/- 4.8 vs. 9.0 +/- 3.4, p < 0.001) and a significant increase in the levels of single strand breaks (SSB). Significant differences were also obtained in the distribution of oxidised purine bases between the two groups. Preliminary data obtained by fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis showed that the percentage of centromere negative micronuclei is higher than that of centromere positive micronuclei. Glutathione S-transferase activity in plasma from PD patients and controls was also measured and the enzymatic activity in PD patients was lower than in healthy controls.

Voxel-based analysis of diffusion tensor indices in the brain in patients with Parkinson's disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Kaiyuan; Yu Chunshui; Zhang Yujin; Wu Xiaoli; Zhu Chaozhe; Chan Piu; Li Kuncheng

2011-01-01

Purpose: To investigate the abnormal diffusion in cerebral white matter and its relationship with the olfactory dysfunction in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) through diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Materials and methods: Diffusion tensor imaging of the cerebrum was performed in 25 patients with Parkinson's disease and 25 control subjects matched for age and sex. Differences in fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) between these two groups were studied by voxel-based analysis of the DTI data. Correlations between diffusion indices and the olfactory function in PD patients were evaluated using the multiple regression model after controlling for the duration of the disease, Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Sale (UPDRS), and age. Results: The damaged white and gray matter showed decreased FA or increased MD, localized bilaterally in the cerebellar and orbitofrontal cortex. In addition, in PD patients there was a positive correlation between FA values in the white matter of the left cerebellum and the thresholds of olfactory identification (TOI) and a negative correlation between MD values in the white matter of right cerebellum and the TOI. Conclusion: In patients with PD, there was disruption in the cerebellar white matter which may play an important role in the olfactory dysfunction in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Sleep stability and transitions in patients with idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder and patients with Parkinson's disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Julie Anja Engelhard; Jennum, Poul; Koch, Henriette

2016-01-01

Objective: Patients with idiopathic rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) are at high risk of developing Parkinson's disease (PD). As wake/sleep-regulation is thought to involve neurons located in the brainstem and hypothalamic areas, we hypothesize that the neurodegeneration in i......RBD/PD is likely to affect wake/sleep and REM/non-REM (NREM) sleep transitions. Methods: We determined the frequency of wake/sleep and REM/NREM sleep transitions and the stability of wake (W), REM and NREM sleep as measured by polysomnography (PSG) in 27 patients with PD, 23 patients with iRBD, 25 patients...... with periodic leg movement disorder (PLMD) and 23 controls. Measures were computed based on manual scorings and data-driven labeled sleep staging. Results: Patients with PD showed significantly lower REM stability than controls and patients with PLMD. Patients with iRBD had significantly lower REM stability...

Young women with PD: a group work experience.

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Posen, J; Moore, O; Tassa, D S; Ginzburg, K; Drory, M; Giladi, N

2000-01-01

Parkinson's Disease (PD) prior to the age of 40 affects between 5-10% of the PD population. The psychosocial changes that patients with early PD encounter, may be more devastating and disabling than the actual motor disability. The paper describes a unique experience in groupwork with young female PD patients treated in the Movement Disorders Unit of the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center. The paper focuses on the special issues which characterized this group's experience: stigma, body and sexual image, and personality traits.

The Emerging Role of PD-1/PD-L1-Targeting Immunotherapy in the Treatment of Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Gwynn, Morgan E; DeRemer, David L

2018-01-01

To summarize and evaluate immunotherapy agents targeting programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) and programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) recently approved for the treatment of metastatic urothelial carcinomas (UC). A literature review was performed using PubMed (2012 to June 2017), the American Society of Clinical Oncology abstract databases (2012 to June 2017 Annual Meetings/symposia), and the America Association for Cancer Research symposia (2012 to June 2017). A search using clinicaltrials.gov was conducted to identify studies for atezolizumab, avelumab, durvalumab, nivolumab, and pembrolizumab. English language phase I to III studies assessing PD-1 and PD-L1 in UC were incorporated. Atezolizumab, avelumab, durvalumab, nivolumab, and pembrolizumab have demonstrated clinical efficacy with tolerable toxicities in patients with metastatic UC with disease progression following platinum-based chemotherapy. Anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapies may provide overall survival advantage; these are currently being evaluated in ongoing phase 3 studies. Greater objective response rates seem to be observed in PD-L1-positive patients versus PD-L1-negative patients, but methodologies in this assessment differ among clinical trials. The identification of biomarkers that provide greater insight into patients who positively respond to PD-1/PD-L1 therapies are needed. Treatment options for metastatic UC have expanded to include PD-1/PD-L1 therapies. These agents should be strongly considered as second-line therapy over single-agent chemotherapy for patients who fail or progress after platinum-based treatment.

Using gastrocnemius sEMG and plasma α-synuclein for the prediction of freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease patients.

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Xiao-Ying Wang

Full Text Available Freezing of gait (FOG is a complicated gait disturbance in Parkinson's disease (PD and a relevant subclinical predictor algorithm is lacking. The main purpose of this study is to explore the potential value of surface electromyograph (sEMG and plasma α-synuclein levels as predictors of the FOG seen in PD. 21 PD patients and 15 normal controls were recruited. Motor function was evaluated using the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS and Freezing of gait questionnaire (FOG-Q. Simultaneously, gait analysis was also performed using VICON capture system in PD patients and sEMG data was recorded as well. Total plasma α-synuclein was quantitatively assessed by Luminex assay in all participants. Recruited PD patients were classified into two groups: PD patients with FOG (PD+FOG and without FOG (PD-FOG, based on clinical manifestation, the results of the FOG-Q and VICON capture system. PD+FOG patients displayed higher FOG-Q scores, decreased walking speed, smaller step length, smaller stride length and prolonged double support time compared to the PD-FOG in the gait trial. sEMG data indicated that gastrocnemius activity in PD+FOG patients was significantly reduced compared to PD-FOG patients. In addition, plasma α-synuclein levels were significantly decreased in the PD+FOG group compared to control group; however, no significant difference was found between the PD+FOG and PD-FOG groups. Our study revealed that gastrocnemius sEMG could be used to evaluate freezing gait in PD patients, while plasma α-synuclein might discriminate freezing of gait in PD patients from normal control, though no difference was found between the PD+FOG and PD-FOG groups.

Cardiac 123I-MIBG scintigraphy in patients with Parkinson's disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Orimo, Satoshi

1997-01-01

We discuss the cardiac 123 I-MIBG ( 123 I-metaiodobenzylguanidine) scintigraphy in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) based on our results, and examine the clinical significance in lowering MIBG storage. Thirty-four patients with PD without diabetes millitus or heart failure, presenting normal cardiac thallium scintigraphy, were examined. They included 13 male and 21 female, aged from 52 to 83 (average age 70.1) and their morbid period was between 0.25 and 19 years (agerage 4.9 years). Ten patients with age-matched disease control were chosen. They contained 5 male and 5 female, aged from 59 to 77 (average age 70.7), suffering from headache, vertigo, cerebral infarction, etc. PD patients group and the age-matched control group were compared with the normal control group. In PD patients, MIBG storage was significantly lowered on the initial and the late images in comparison with the disease and neurological control groups, and the wash-out rate was enhanced. There was negative correlation or the expected tendency of correlation between MIBG storage and the clinical severity. MIBG storage was lowered with longer morbid period. Anti-Parkinson drugs had no apparent effects on MIBG storage. The detection rate of abnormality by cardiac MIBG scintigraphy was clearly higher than that by the sympathetic skin response, and some patients who had no sign on the sympathetic skin response showed the lowering of MIBG storage. The possibility of the failure of the norepinephrine transporter system was indicated as the main cause for the lowering of MIBG storage. (K.H.)

Relationship between dysphagia and depressive states in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Meng; Ohnishi, Hirofumi; Nonaka, Michio; Yamauchi, Rika; Hozuki, Takayoshi; Hayashi, Takashi; Saitoh, Masaki; Hisahara, Shin; Imai, Tomihiro; Shimohama, Shun; Mori, Mitsuru

2011-07-01

Aspiration pneumonia related to dysphagia is known to be the leading cause of death in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). We investigated the relationship between depressive states and dysphagia in patients with PD. A hundred and twenty-seven PD patients gave their informed consent and were enrolled in this study. We used the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) questionnaire to determine the participants' depressive states, and also used a questionnaire to assess participants' state of dysphagia. Participants were divided into four groups according to their BDI score. We compared the PD patients with Swallowing Disturbances Questionnaire (SDQ) scores of more than or equal to 11 with the SDQ scores of less than 11 regarding depressive categories. A logistic regression analysis was conducted to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) adjusting for age, sex, disease duration, wearing-off phenomenon and severity of movement disorder. OR (95%CI) of depressive categories, in which the trivial class was set as a reference group, were 3.28 (0.93-11.55), 13.44 (3.10-58.16), 30.35 (5.65-162.97) in the mild class, the moderate class and the severe class, respectively. This study suggests that there may be a strong relationship between depressive states and dysphagia in patients with PD. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Comparison of Treatment-Seeking Behavioral Addiction Patients with and without Parkinson’s Disease

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Anne Sauvaget

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The administration of dopaminergic medication to treat the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD is associated with addictive behaviors and impulse control disorders. Little is known, however, on how PD patients differ from other patients seeking treatments for behavioral addictions. The aim of this study was to compare the characteristics of behavioral addiction patients with and without PD. N = 2,460 treatment-seeking men diagnosed with a behavioral addiction were recruited from a university hospital. Sociodemographic, impulsivity [Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11], and personality [Temperament and Character Inventory-Revised (TCI-R] measures were taken upon admission to outpatient treatment. Patients in the PD group were older and had a higher prevalence of mood disorders than patients without PD. In terms of personality characteristics and impulsivity traits, PD patients appeared to present a more functional profile than PD-free patients with a behavioral addiction. Our results suggest that PD patients with a behavioral addiction could be more difficult to detect than their PD-free counterparts in behavioral addiction clinical setting due to their reduced levels of impulsivity and more standard personality traits. As a whole, this suggests that PD patients with a behavioral addiction may have different needs from PD-free behavioral addiction patients and that they could potentially benefit from targeted interventions.

Clinical characteristics with an impact on ADL functions of PD patients with cognitive impairment indicative of dementia.

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Inga Liepelt-Scarfone

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Dementia in Parkinson's disease (PD is defined as cognitive decline severe enough to affect activities of daily living function (ADL. The aim of our exploratory study was to compare two groups of PD patients. Both groups had cognitive deficits severe enough to justify diagnosis of dementia, but they differed according to caregivers' rating on ADL dysfunction. Parameters which differed between the two groups were interpreted to affect the caregivers' perception of ADL dysfunction in PD patients with cognitive impairment indicative of Parkinson's disease dementia. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Thirty of 131 Parkinson's disease patients fulfilled the Movement Disorders Society Task Force - recommended, cognitive Level-I-criteria for dementia. According to standardized caregiver ratings, volunteers were grouped into 18 patients with (ADL- and 12 without instrumental activities of daily living dysfunction (ADL+. Caregiver activities of daily living function ratings closely correlated with self-estimates of patients and those of physician (p<0.001. ADL- patients performed worse on tests assessing visual-construction (p<0.05 and attention (p=0.03 than ADL+ patients. Moreover, the postural instability and gait disorder subtype was more frequent in ADL- patients (p=0.009. ADL- patients tended to have more communication problems (p=0.05, more anxiety (p=0.05 and showed a tendency to be treated more often with neuroleptics (p=0.049 than ADL+. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Results indicate that worse attention, visual-construction abilities, the postural instability and gait disorder subtype, communication problems, medication and presence of anxiety are related to activities of daily living dysfunctions in Parkinson's disease patients with cognitive decline indicative of dementia. Our data suggests that not only cognitive factors but also non-cognitive factors seem to be linked to the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease dementia associated with

Differentiating Patients with Parkinson's Disease from Normal Controls Using Gray Matter in the Cerebellum.

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Zeng, Ling-Li; Xie, Liang; Shen, Hui; Luo, Zhiguo; Fang, Peng; Hou, Yanan; Tang, Beisha; Wu, Tao; Hu, Dewen

2017-02-01

Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative disorders in the world. Previous studies have focused on the basal ganglia and cerebral cortices. To date, the cerebellum has not been systematically investigated in patients with PD. In the current study, 45 probable PD patients and 40 age- and gender-matched healthy controls underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging, and we used support vector machines combining with voxel-based morphometry to explore the cerebellar structural changes in the probable PD patients relative to healthy controls. The results revealed that the gray matter alterations were primarily located within the cerebellar Crus I, implying a possible important role of this region in PD. Furthermore, the gray matter alterations in the cerebellum could differentiate the probable PD patients from healthy controls with accuracies of more than 95 % (p cerebellum in the clinical diagnosis of PD.

Drug therapy in patients with Parkinson’s disease

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Müller Thomas

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Parkinson`s disease (PD is a progressive, disabling neurodegenerative disorder with onset of motor and non-motor features. Both reduce quality of life of PD patients and cause caregiver burden. This review aims to provide a survey of possible therapeutic options for treatment of motor and non motor symptoms of PD and to discuss their relation to each other. MAO-B-Inhibitors, NMDA antagonists, dopamine agonists and levodopa with its various application modes mainly improve the dopamine associated motor symptoms in PD. This armentarium of PD drugs only partially influences the onset and occurrence of non motor symptoms. These PD features predominantly result from non dopaminergic neurodegeneration. Autonomic features, such as seborrhea, hyperhidrosis, orthostatic syndrome, salivation, bladder dysfunction, gastrointestinal disturbances, and neuropsychiatric symptoms, such as depression, sleep disorders, psychosis, cognitive dysfunction with impaired execution and impulse control may appear. Drug therapy of these non motor symptoms complicates long-term PD drug therapy due to possible occurrence of drug interactions, - side effects, and altered pharmacokinetic behaviour of applied compounds. Dopamine substituting compounds themselves may contribute to onset of these non motor symptoms. This complicates the differentiation from the disease process itself and influences therapeutic options, which are often limited because of additional morbidity with necessary concomitant drug therapy.

Concomitant development of hypersexuality and delusional jealousy in patients with Parkinson's disease: a case series.

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Poletti, Michele; Lucetti, Claudio; Baldacci, Filippo; Del Dotto, Paolo; Bonuccelli, Ubaldo

2014-11-01

Both impulse-control disorders and delusional jealousy (DJ) may be considered non-motor side-effects of dopamine agonist therapy in Parkinson's disease (PD). We aimed to investigate the possible concomitant development of these features in PD and their clinical correlates. We performed a cross-sectional investigation in 1063 consecutive PD patients with the Questionnaire for Impulsive Compulsive Disorders in Parkinson's disease and the Parkinson's Psychosis Questionnaire. 81 patients presented ICDs (prevalence 7.61%) and 23 patients presented DJ (17 males, 6 females; prevalence 2.16%). 9 male PD patients presented both DJ and ICDs (39.13% of patients with DJ, 11.11% of patients with ICDs; prevalence of 0.84% in the whole PD sample), with a concomitant onset of delusional jealousy and hypersexuality in 8 cases and a concomitant onset of delusional jealousy and pathological gambling in 2 cases. Hypersexuality and delusional jealousy may occur independently in PD patients "on" dopamine agonist therapy, but may develop together probably reflecting a common alteration of sexuality (sexual arousal and jealousy) The presence of both of these clinical features and sexuality more in general should be investigated when features of either one of them appear. Further confirmation is needed in larger samples of patients. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Altered moral decision-making in patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease.

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Rosen, Jan B; Rott, Elisa; Ebersbach, Georg; Kalbe, Elke

2015-10-01

Moral decision-making essentially contributes to social conduct. Although patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) show deficits in (non-moral) decision making and related neuropsychological functions, i.e. executive functions, theory of mind (ToM), and empathy, moral decision-making has rarely been examined in PD patients. We examined possible alterations of moral decision-making and associated functions in PD. Twenty non-demented PD patients and 23 age- and education-matched healthy control participants were examined with tests that assess reasoning, executive functions (set-shifting and planning), ToM and empathy, decision-making under risk, and moral intuitions. Moral decision-making was assessed with a close-to-everyday moral dilemma paradigm that opposes socially oriented "altruistic" choices to self-beneficial "egoistic" choices in 20 moral dilemma short stories (10 high and 10 low emotional). Concurrently, electrodermal activity was recorded. PD patients made more egoistic moral decisions than healthy controls. Remarkably, while reasoning, planning and empathy correlated with moral decision-making in the control group, in the PD group neuropsychological functions and dopaminergic medication did not correlate with moral decisions. No evidence for reduced skin conductance responses in PD patients and no relationships between skin conductance responses and moral decisions were observed. This study provides evidence for moral decision-making dysfunctions in PD patients who made more egoistic moral decisions. As a possible underlying mechanism, reduced exercise of attentional control due to a dysfunctional interplay between the prefrontal cortex and the basal ganglia is discussed. Future research will have to determine the impact of PD patients' moral decision-making dysfunctions on everyday life and further determine correlates of the deficits. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improvement of Freezing of Gait in Patients with Parkinson's Disease by Imagining Bicycling

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Akio Kikuchi

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Freezing of gait (FOG is one of the factors that reduce the quality of life in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD. Imagining bicycling before gait start provided improvement in FOG in 2 PD patients. Imagining and mimicking bicycling after the initiation of gait allowed the rhythmic gait to continue without interruption. We suggest that imagining and mimicking bicycling, which are nonexternal cues, could serve as a helpful therapeutic approach for the intractable freezing and interruption of gait of PD patients.

Audio-Biofeedback training for posture and balance in Patients with Parkinson's disease

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Zijlstra Wiebren

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD suffer from dysrhythmic and disturbed gait, impaired balance, and decreased postural responses. These alterations lead to falls, especially as the disease progresses. Based on the observation that postural control improved in patients with vestibular dysfunction after audio-biofeedback training, we tested the feasibility and effects of this training modality in patients with PD. Methods Seven patients with PD were included in a pilot study comprised of a six weeks intervention program. The training was individualized to each patient's needs and was delivered using an audio-biofeedback (ABF system with headphones. The training was focused on improving posture, sit-to-stand abilities, and dynamic balance in various positions. Non-parametric statistics were used to evaluate training effects. Results The ABF system was well accepted by all participants with no adverse events reported. Patients declared high satisfaction with the training. A significant improvement of balance, as assessed by the Berg Balance Scale, was observed (improvement of 3% p = 0.032, and a trend in the Timed up and go test (improvement of 11%; p = 0.07 was also seen. In addition, the training appeared to have a positive influence on psychosocial aspects of the disease as assessed by the Parkinson's disease quality of life questionnaire (PDQ-39 and the level of depression as assessed by the Geriatric Depression Scale. Conclusions This is, to our knowledge, the first report demonstrating that audio-biofeedback training for patients with PD is feasible and is associated with improvements of balance and several psychosocial aspects.

Relationships between dysphagia and tongue pressure during swallowing in Parkinson's disease patients.

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Minagi, Y; Ono, T; Hori, K; Fujiwara, S; Tokuda, Y; Murakami, K; Maeda, Y; Sakoda, S; Yokoe, M; Mihara, M; Mochizuki, H

2018-03-25

Although dysphagia is a life-threatening problem in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), the pathophysiology of oropharyngeal dysphagia is yet to be understood. This study investigated the tongue motor function during swallowing in relation to dysphagia and the severity of PD. Thirty patients with PD (14 males and 16 females; average age, 69.4 years), Hoehn and Yahr stage II-IV, in Osaka University Hospital are participated in this study. During swallowing 5 ml of water, tongue pressure on the hard palate was measured using a sensor sheet with 5 measuring points. The maximal tongue pressure at each measuring point during swallowing was compared between patients with PD and healthy controls. Subjective assessment of oropharyngeal dysphagia was performed using Swallowing Disturbance Questionnaire-Japanese. The maximal tongue pressure at each measuring point was significantly lower in patients with PD than in healthy controls (8 males and 12 females; average age, 71.6 years). Furthermore, the maximal tongue pressure was significantly lower in dysphagic PD patients than non-dysphagic PD patients. Loss of tongue pressure production at the anterior part of the hard palate was strongly related to dysphagia in the oral phase as well as in the pharyngeal phase. An abnormal pattern of tongue pressure production was more frequently observed in dysphagic PD patients than in non-dysphagic PD patients. The results suggest that tongue pressure measurement might be useful for early and quantitative detection of tongue motor disability during swallowing in patients with PD. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Meta-analysis of clinical differences between Parkinson's disease patients with and without REM sleep behavior disorder

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ZHANG Hui

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Objective To compare the clinical differences between Parkinson's disease (PD patients with and without rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD. Methods PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Chinese Biology Medicine (CBM and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI databases were used to search for studies on RBD in PD patients. Meticulous data were extracted and Meta-analysis was performed. All analyses were conducted with the software of Revman Manager 5.2.4. Results Five clinical studies involving total 650 PD patients were included. The Meta-analysis showed that PD patients with RBD had an older mean age (WMD = 2.870, 95%CI: 1.490-4.260; P = 0.000, a higher Hoehn-Yahr stage (WMD = 0.300, 95% CI: 0.160-0.450; P = 0.000, higher Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS motor scores during the "on" state (WMD = 2.370, 95%CI: 0.260-4.490; P = 0.030, and larger levodopa dose (WMD = 90.550, 95% CI: 31.040-150.060; P = 0.003 in comparison with PD patients without RBD. In addition, PD patients with RBD were more likely to develop motor fluctuation (OR = 1.520, 95% CI: 1.080-2.140; P = 0.020 and orthostatic hypotension (OR = 11.390, 95% CI: 4.790-27.090; P = 0.000 as compared to PD patients without RBD. However, gender (OR = 1.850, 95%CI: 0.810-4.230; P = 0.150, disease duration (WMD = 0.130, 95% CI: -1.230-1.500; P = 0.850 and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE scores (WMD = - 0.220, 95%CI: - 0.600-0.160; P = 0.260 did not differ between PD patients with and without RBD. Conclusion PD patients with RBD were more likely to be associated with older age, more severe motor disability, higher levodopa usage, higher incidence of motor fluctuation and orthostatic hypotension, indicating that PD with RBD might be at an advanced stage and had more widespread and severe neurodegeneration.

Impact of Dual Task on Parkinson's Disease, Stroke and Ataxia Patients' Gait: A Comparative Analysis

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Michelly Arjona Maciel

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Performing dual task for neurological patients is complex and it can be influenced by the localization of the neurological lesion. Objective: Comparing the impact of dual task on gait in patients with Parkinson's disease, stroke and ataxia. Method: Subjects with Parkinson's disease (PD in initial phase, stroke and ataxia, with independent gait, were evaluated while doing simple gait, with cognitive, motor and cognitive-motor gait demand, assessing average speed and number of steps. Results: Ataxia and stroke patients, compared with PD, showed an increase in the number of steps and decrease the average speed on the march with cognitive demand. Subjects with PD performed better on tasks when compared to others. Conclusion: In this study the impact of dual task was lower in Parkinson's disease patients.

The value of power Doppler ultrasound in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in clinical remission: Reclassifying disease activity?

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Vergara, Facundo; Ruta, Santiago; Rosa, Javier; Marín, Josefina; García-Mónaco, Ricardo; Soriano, Enrique R

2017-03-18

The aim of the present study was to describe the ultrasound (US) findings in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in clinical remission, and to evaluate the ability of power Doppler (PD) US to reclassify disease activity in these patients. We included consecutive patients with RA according to 2010 American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism criteria, who were in clinical remission by the Disease Activity Score (DAS28<2.6). Twenty joints of both hands were assessed by US. PD signal was evaluated on a semi-quantitative scale from 0 to 3. Three different US-modified DAS28 (US-DAS28) were constructed, replacing the clinical swollen joint count by the PD US joint count using PD score ≥1, ≥2 or ≥3, respectively. Eighty-six patients were included. Twenty-three (26.7%) patients had at least one joint with abnormal US-positive PD signal. Thirteen percent of patients were reclassified to low disease activity by applying the US-DAS28 when joints were considered active with a PD signal ≥1; 12%, when a PD signal ≥2 was considered, and 2% of the patients were reclassified when a PD score of 3 was considered. No patients were reclassified to a level of moderate or high activity applying US-DAS28. Although around a quarter of patients with RA in clinical remission showed PD US features indicating residual activity, only a small percentage were reclassified to a state of low activity and none to a level of moderate or high activity, applying the proposed US-DAS28. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Reumatología y Colegio Mexicano de Reumatología. All rights reserved.

Using Tractography to Distinguish SWEDD from Parkinson’s Disease Patients Based on Connectivity

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Mansu Kim

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background. It is critical to distinguish between Parkinson’s disease (PD and scans without evidence of dopaminergic deficit (SWEDD, because the two groups are different and require different therapeutic approaches. Objective. The aim of this study was to distinguish SWEDD patients from PD patients using connectivity information derived from diffusion tensor imaging tractography. Methods. Diffusion magnetic resonance images of SWEDD (n=37 and PD (n=40 were obtained from a research database. Tractography, the process of obtaining neural fiber information, was performed using custom software. Group-wise differences between PD and SWEDD patients were quantified using the number of connected fibers between two regions, and correlation analyses were performed based on clinical scores. A support vector machine classifier (SVM was applied to distinguish PD and SWEDD based on group-wise differences. Results. Four connections showed significant group-wise differences and correlated with the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale sponsored by the Movement Disorder Society. The SVM classifier attained 77.92% accuracy in distinguishing between SWEDD and PD using these identified connections. Conclusions. The connections and regions identified represent candidates for future research investigations.

Durable Clinical Benefit in Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Patients Who Discontinue PD-1/PD-L1 Therapy for Immune-Related Adverse Events.

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Martini, Dylan J; Hamieh, Lana; McKay, Rana R; Harshman, Lauren C; Brandao, Raphael; Norton, Craig K; Steinharter, John A; Krajewski, Katherine M; Gao, Xin; Schutz, Fabio A; McGregor, Bradley; Bossé, Dominick; Lalani, Aly-Khan A; De Velasco, Guillermo; Michaelson, M Dror; McDermott, David F; Choueiri, Toni K

2018-04-01

The current standard of care for treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) patients is PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors until progression or toxicity. Here, we characterize the clinical outcomes for 19 mRCC patients who experienced an initial clinical response (any degree of tumor shrinkage), but after immune-related adverse events (irAE) discontinued all systemic therapy. Clinical baseline characteristics, outcomes, and survival data were collected. The primary endpoint was time to progression from the date of treatment cessation (TTP). Most patients had clear cell histology and received anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy as second-line or later treatment. Median time on PD-1/PD-L1 therapy was 5.5 months (range, 0.7-46.5) and median TTP was 18.4 months (95% CI, 4.7-54.3) per Kaplan-Meier estimation. The irAEs included arthropathies, ophthalmopathies, myositis, pneumonitis, and diarrhea. We demonstrate that 68.4% of patients ( n = 13) experienced durable clinical benefit off treatment (TTP of at least 6 months), with 36% ( n = 7) of patients remaining off subsequent treatment for over a year after their last dose of anti-PD-1/PD-L1. Three patients with tumor growth found in a follow-up visit, underwent subsequent surgical intervention, and remain off systemic treatment. Nine patients (47.4%) have ongoing irAEs. Our results show that patients who benefitted clinically from anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy can experience sustained beneficial responses, not needing further therapies after the initial discontinuation of treatment due to irAEs. Investigation of biomarkers indicating sustained benefit to checkpoint blockers are needed. Cancer Immunol Res; 6(4); 402-8. ©2018 AACR . ©2018 American Association for Cancer Research.

Impulsive compulsive behaviors in Japanese Parkinson's disease patients and utility of the Japanese version of the Questionnaire for Impulsive-Compulsive Disorders in Parkinson's disease.

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Tanaka, Kenichiro; Wada-Isoe, Kenji; Nakashita, Satoko; Yamamoto, Mikie; Nakashima, Kenji

2013-08-15

In order to evaluate impulsive compulsive behaviors (ICBs), such as pathological gambling, compulsive sexual behavior, compulsive buying, compulsive eating, punding, and dopamine dysregulation syndrome (DDS) in Japanese Parkinson's disease (PD) patients, we constructed a Japanese version of the Questionnaire for Impulsive-Compulsive Disorders in Parkinson's disease (J-QUIP) and evaluated the utility of the J-QUIP in Japanese PD patients. J-QUIP was administered to 121 PD patients. Diagnoses of ICBs were made via interview of patients or their caregivers. Subsequently, in order to evaluate risk factors related to these conditions, we evaluated demographic and clinical characteristics, clinical features, and medications utilized. We were able to administer the J-QUIP to 118 of 121 PD patients (97.5%). Sensitivity and specificity of J-QUIP were similar to that reported for the original version of QUIP. In our study, the actual prevalence of each disorder diagnosed via interview was as follows: pathological gambling (6.5%), compulsive sexual behavior (3.2%), compulsive buying (3.2%), compulsive eating (3.2%), punding (6.5%), and DDS (2.2%). Significantly risk factors for these conditions were younger age (p=0.047), earlier age of disease onset (p=0.015), longer PD duration (p=0.001), total levodopa equivalent dose (p=0.006), and dosage of levodopa (p=0.019). We evaluated the prevalence of ICBs in Japanese PD patients along with factors associated with these behaviors via J-QUIP. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cognitive Profiles of Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment or Dementia in Alzheimer's or Parkinson's Disease

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Helmut Hildebrandt

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD and Parkinson's disease (PD are associated with severe cognitive decline, but it is still unclear to what extent they become functionally more similar over time. Methods: We compared amnestic mild cognitively impaired (aMCI; n = 29 patients to mild cognitively impaired (MCI PD patients (n = 25, and patients with AD (n = 34 to patients with PD dementia (PDD; n = 15 with respect to cognitive functioning and mood. Results: aMCI patients were impaired in episodic memory, while MCI PD patients showed deficits in visuoconstruction and attention. AD and PDD patients showed comparable deficits on tests for language, attention and visuoconstruction. However, unlike PDD patients but similar to aMCI patients, AD patients showed a characteristic memory impairment, especially commission errors on recognition tasks, whereas PDD patients scored higher on the depressive mood questionnaire. Conclusions: In advanced stages of both diseases, the pattern of functional deficits associated with parietal and temporal lobe functions (attention, visuoconstruction and language is similar. However, specific differences, already present in the early stage (recognition errors in AD, associated with mediobasal temporal lobe functioning, and depressed mood in PDD, associated with non-motor basal ganglia loops, are also observed in the late stage.

Gene Expression Differences in Peripheral Blood of Parkinson's Disease Patients with Distinct Progression Profiles.

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Raquel Pinho

Full Text Available The prognosis of neurodegenerative disorders is clinically challenging due to the inexistence of established biomarkers for predicting disease progression. Here, we performed an exploratory cross-sectional, case-control study aimed at determining whether gene expression differences in peripheral blood may be used as a signature of Parkinson's disease (PD progression, thereby shedding light into potential molecular mechanisms underlying disease development. We compared transcriptional profiles in the blood from 34 PD patients who developed postural instability within ten years with those of 33 patients who did not develop postural instability within this time frame. Our study identified >200 differentially expressed genes between the two groups. The expression of several of the genes identified was previously found deregulated in animal models of PD and in PD patients. Relevant genes were selected for validation by real-time PCR in a subset of patients. The genes validated were linked to nucleic acid metabolism, mitochondria, immune response and intracellular-transport. Interestingly, we also found deregulation of these genes in a dopaminergic cell model of PD, a simple paradigm that can now be used to further dissect the role of these molecular players on dopaminergic cell loss. Altogether, our study provides preliminary evidence that expression changes in specific groups of genes and pathways, detected in peripheral blood samples, may be correlated with differential PD progression. Our exploratory study suggests that peripheral gene expression profiling may prove valuable for assisting in prediction of PD prognosis, and identifies novel culprits possibly involved in dopaminergic cell death. Given the exploratory nature of our study, further investigations using independent, well-characterized cohorts will be essential in order to validate our candidates as predictors of PD prognosis and to definitively confirm the value of gene expression

Dopamine transporter SPECT in patients with Parkinson's disease

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Hamano, Tadanori; Tsuchida, Tatsuro; Hirayama, Mikio; Fujiyama, Jiro; Mutoh, Tatsuro; Yonekura, Yoshiharu; Kuriyama, Masaru

2000-01-01

The major neuropathological feature in Parkinson's disease (PD) is severe degeneration of the dopamine (DA) neurons in the substantia nigra. Dopamine transporter (DAT) is an important protein in the regulation of DA neurotransmission. It has been reported that PD patients show a loss of DAT in striatum. We report here the findings of single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) of the DAT with 2β-carboxymethoxy-3β-(4[ 123 I]iodophenyl)tropane ([ 123 I]β-CIT) to investigate striatal DAT in 10 patients with PD, one patient with vascular parkinsonism (VP), and one patient with dystonia syndrome. Patients were evaluated using the Webster rating scale. Specific/nondisplaceable striatal binding ratio (V3'') was obtained in each case. In PD patients, the uptake of [ 123 I]β-CIT was reduced, especially in the tail of putamen compared with caudate nucleus. Even in the early stage of PD, the uptake of β-CIT was reduced not only in the severely affected side, but also in the mildly disturbed side of the brain. Putamen caudate ratio was generally low in PD patients. In VP patient, the uptake was reduced, but putamen caudate ratio was not decreased. V3'' values showed significant correlation with the severity of clinical symptoms such as self-care, facies, posture, gait, speech, and Hoehn-Yahr's stage. On the other hand, V3'' values were not significantly correlated with the degree of tremor, seborrhea, and duration of the illness. In conclusion, we found that SPECT of the [ 123 I]β-CIT is a useful method for the diagnosis in the patients presenting parkinsonism, and for the clinico-physiological estimation of parkinsonian symptoms such as self-care, facies, posture, gait, and speech. (author)

Assessment of Oropharyngeal Dysphagia in Patients With Parkinson Disease: Use of Ultrasonography.

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Oh, Eun Hyun; Seo, Jin Seok; Kang, Hyo Jung

2016-04-01

To compare tongue thickness, the shortest hyoid-thyroid approximation (distance between the hyoid bone and thyroid cartilage), and the time interval between the initiation of tongue movement and the time of the shortest hyoid-thyroid approximation, by using ultrasonography in healthy controls and patients with Parkinson disease (PD). Healthy controls and PD patients with dysphagia were compared. Ultrasonography was performed 3 times for the evaluation of tongue thickness, the shortest hyoid-thyroid approximation, and the time between the initiation of tongue movement and the shortest hyoid-thyroid approximation. A total of 24 healthy controls and 24 PD patients with dysphagia were enrolled. No significant differences were demonstrated between the two groups for the shortest hyoid-thyroid approximation (controls, 1.19±0.34 cm; PD patients, 1.37±0.5 cm; p=0.15) and tongue thickness (controls, 4.42±0.46 cm; PD patients, 4.27±0.51 cm; p=0.3). In contrast, the time to the shortest hyoid-thyroid approximation was significantly different between the two groups (controls, 1.53±0.87 ms; PD patients, 2.4±1.4 ms, p=0.048). Ultrasonography can be useful in evaluating dysphagia in patients with PD by direct visualization and measurement of the hyoid bone. Moreover, ultrasonography might contribute to a greater understanding of the pathophysiology of dysphagia in PD.

Investigation on Abnormal Iron Metabolism and Related Inflammation in Parkinson Disease Patients with Probable RBD

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Hu, Yang; Yu, Shu-Yang; Zuo, Li-Jun; Piao, Ying-Shan; Cao, Chen-Jie; Wang, Fang; Chen, Ze-Jie; Du, Yang; Lian, Teng-Hong; Liu, Gai-Fen; Wang, Ya-Jie; Chan, Piu; Chen, Sheng-Di; Wang, Xiao-Min; Zhang, Wei

2015-01-01

Objective To investigate potential mechanisms involving abnormal iron metabolism and related inflammation in Parkinson disease (PD) patients with probable rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (PRBD). Methods Total 210 PD patients and 31 controls were consecutively recruited. PD patients were evaluated by RBD Screening Questionnaire (RBDSQ) and classified into PRBD and probable no RBD (NPRBD) groups. Demographics information were recorded and clinical symptoms were evaluated by series of rating scales. Levels of iron and related proteins and inflammatory factors in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum were detected. Comparisons among control, NPRBD and PRBD groups and correlation analyses between RBDSQ score and levels of above factors were performed. Results (1)The frequency of PRBD in PD patients is 31.90%. (2)PRBD group has longer disease duration, more advanced disease stage, severer motor symptoms and more non-motor symptoms than NPRBD group. (3)In CSF, levels of iron, transferrin, NO and IL–1β in PRBD group are prominently increased. RBDSQ score is positively correlated with the levels of iron, transferrin, NO and IL–1β in PD group. Iron level is positively correlated with the levels of NO and IL–1β in PD group. (4)In serum, transferrin level is prominently decreased in PRBD group. PGE2 level in PRBD group is drastically enhanced. RBDSQ score exhibits a positive correlation with PGE2 level in PD group. Conclusions PRBD is common in PD patients. PRBD group has severer motor symptoms and more non-motor symptoms. Excessive iron in brain resulted from abnormal iron metabolism in central and peripheral systems is correlated with PRBD through neuroinflammation. PMID:26431210

Characteristics of Brain Perfusion in Patients of Parkinson's Disease

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Jeong, Young Jin; Park, Min Jung; Kim, Jae Woo; Kang, Young Kang [Dong-A University College of Medicine, Busan (Korea, Republic of)

2008-02-15

It was well known that cerebral blood perfusion is normal or diffusely decreased in the majority of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Actually we interpreted brain perfusion SPECT images of PD patients in the clinical situation, we observed various cerebral perfusion patterns in patients with PD. So we performed brain perfusion SPECT to know the brain perfusion patterns of PD patients and the difference of perfusion patterns according to the sex and the age. Also we classified PD patients into small groups based on the brain perfusion pattern. Two hundred nineteen patients (M: 70, F: 149, mean age: 62.9{+-}6.9 y/o) who were diagnosed as PD without dementia clinically and 55 patients (M: 15, F: 40, mean age: 61.4{+-}9.2 y/o) as normal controls who had no past illness history were performed {sup 99m}Tc-HMPAO brain perfusion SPECT and neuropsychological test. At first, we compared all patients with PD and normal controls. Brain perfusion in left inferior frontal gyrus, left insula, left transverse temporal gyrus, left inferior parietal lobule, left superior parietal lobule, right precuneus, right caudate tail were lower in patients with PD than normal controls. Secondly, we compared male and female patients with PD and normal controls, respectively. Brain perfusion SPECT showed more decreased cerebral perfusion in left hemisphere than right side in both male and female patients compared to normal controls. And there was larger hypoperfusion area in female patients compared with male. Thirdly, we classified patients with PD and normal controls into 4 groups according to the age and compared brain perfusion respectively. In patient below fifties, brain perfusion in both occipitoparietal and left temporal lobe were lower in PD group. As the patients with PD grew older, hypoperfusion area were shown in both frontal, temporal and limbic lobes. Fourthly, We were able to divide patients into small groups based on cerebral perfusion pattern. There was normal

Decreased sleep spindle density in patients with idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder and patients with Parkinson's disease.

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Christensen, Julie A E; Kempfner, Jacob; Zoetmulder, Marielle; Leonthin, Helle L; Arvastson, Lars; Christensen, Søren R; Sorensen, Helge B D; Jennum, Poul

2014-03-01

To determine whether sleep spindles (SS) are potentially a biomarker for Parkinson's disease (PD). Fifteen PD patients with REM sleep behavior disorder (PD+RBD), 15 PD patients without RBD (PD-RBD), 15 idiopathic RBD (iRBD) patients and 15 age-matched controls underwent polysomnography (PSG). SS were scored in an extract of data from control subjects. An automatic SS detector using a Matching Pursuit (MP) algorithm and a Support Vector Machine (SVM) was developed and applied to the PSG recordings. The SS densities in N1, N2, N3, all NREM combined and REM sleep were obtained and evaluated across the groups. The SS detector achieved a sensitivity of 84.7% and a specificity of 84.5%. At a significance level of α=1%, the iRBD and PD+RBD patients had a significantly lower SS density than the control group in N2, N3 and all NREM stages combined. At a significance level of α=5%, PD-RBD had a significantly lower SS density in N2 and all NREM stages combined. The lower SS density suggests involvement in pre-thalamic fibers involved in SS generation. SS density is a potential early PD biomarker. It is likely that an automatic SS detector could be a supportive diagnostic tool in the evaluation of iRBD and PD patients. Copyright © 2013 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Non-motor symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease - correlations with inflammatory cytokines in serum.

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Daniel Lindqvist

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Parkinson's Disease (PD is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder of the central nervous system. Motor symptoms are the focus of pharmacotherapy, yet non-motor features of the disease (e.g. fatigue, mood disturbances, sleep disturbances and symptoms of anxiety are both common and disabling for the patient. The pathophysiological mechanisms behind the non-motor symptoms in PD are yet to be untangled. The main objective of this study was to investigate associations between pro-inflammatory substances and non-motor symptoms in patients with PD. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We measured C-reactive protein, interleukin (IL-6, soluble IL-2 receptor (sIL-2R and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α in blood samples from PD patients (n=86 and healthy controls (n=40. Symptoms of fatigue, depression, anxiety and sleeping difficulties were assessed using the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue (FACIT, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD, and the Scales for Outcome in PD-Sleep Scale respectively. RESULTS: IL-6 was significantly higher in PD patients than in healthy controls. Compared to healthy controls, PD patients displayed significantly higher mean scores on HAD and lower scores on FACIT, thus indicating more severe symptoms as measured with these scales. Within the PD sample, high levels of both sIL-2R and TNF-α were significantly associated with more severe symptoms assessed by means of FACIT and HAD (depression and anxiety subscales. SIL-2-R levels were able to significantly predict FACIT and HAD scores after the effects of age, gender, anti-parkinsonian medications, and severity of motor symptoms were controlled for. DISCUSSION: We suggest that non-motor symptoms in PD patients, such as fatigue and depressive symptoms, might be generated via inflammatory mechanisms. This knowledge might contribute to the development of novel treatment options in PD, specifically targeting non-motor symptoms.

Basal ganglia circuits changes in Parkinson's disease patients.

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Wu, Tao; Wang, Jue; Wang, Chaodong; Hallett, Mark; Zang, Yufeng; Wu, Xiaoli; Chan, Piu

2012-08-22

Functional changes in basal ganglia circuitry are responsible for the major clinical features of Parkinson's disease (PD). Current models of basal ganglia circuitry can only partially explain the cardinal symptoms in PD. We used functional MRI to investigate the causal connectivity of basal ganglia networks from the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) in PD in the movement and resting state. In controls, SNc activity predicted increased activity in the supplementary motor area, the default mode network, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, but, in patients, activity predicted decreases in the same structures. The SNc had decreased connectivity with the striatum, globus pallidus, subthalamic nucleus, thalamus, supplementary motor area, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, insula, default mode network, temporal lobe, cerebellum, and pons in patients compared to controls. Levodopa administration partially normalized the pattern of connectivity. Our findings show how the dopaminergic system exerts influences on widespread brain networks, including motor and cognitive networks. The pattern of basal ganglia network connectivity is abnormal in PD secondary to dopamine depletion, and is more deviant in more severe disease. Use of functional MRI with network analysis appears to be a useful method to demonstrate basal ganglia pathways in vivo in human subjects. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Identifying the Basal Ganglia network model markers for medication-induced impulsivity in Parkinson's disease patients.

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Pragathi Priyadharsini Balasubramani

Full Text Available Impulsivity, i.e. irresistibility in the execution of actions, may be prominent in Parkinson's disease (PD patients who are treated with dopamine precursors or dopamine receptor agonists. In this study, we combine clinical investigations with computational modeling to explore whether impulsivity in PD patients on medication may arise as a result of abnormalities in risk, reward and punishment learning. In order to empirically assess learning outcomes involving risk, reward and punishment, four subject groups were examined: healthy controls, ON medication PD patients with impulse control disorder (PD-ON ICD or without ICD (PD-ON non-ICD, and OFF medication PD patients (PD-OFF. A neural network model of the Basal Ganglia (BG that has the capacity to predict the dysfunction of both the dopaminergic (DA and the serotonergic (5HT neuromodulator systems was developed and used to facilitate the interpretation of experimental results. In the model, the BG action selection dynamics were mimicked using a utility function based decision making framework, with DA controlling reward prediction and 5HT controlling punishment and risk predictions. The striatal model included three pools of Medium Spiny Neurons (MSNs, with D1 receptor (R alone, D2R alone and co-expressing D1R-D2R. Empirical studies showed that reward optimality was increased in PD-ON ICD patients while punishment optimality was increased in PD-OFF patients. Empirical studies also revealed that PD-ON ICD subjects had lower reaction times (RT compared to that of the PD-ON non-ICD patients. Computational modeling suggested that PD-OFF patients have higher punishment sensitivity, while healthy controls showed comparatively higher risk sensitivity. A significant decrease in sensitivity to punishment and risk was crucial for explaining behavioral changes observed in PD-ON ICD patients. Our results highlight the power of computational modelling for identifying neuronal circuitry implicated in learning

Identifying the Basal Ganglia network model markers for medication-induced impulsivity in Parkinson's disease patients.

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Balasubramani, Pragathi Priyadharsini; Chakravarthy, V Srinivasa; Ali, Manal; Ravindran, Balaraman; Moustafa, Ahmed A

2015-01-01

Impulsivity, i.e. irresistibility in the execution of actions, may be prominent in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients who are treated with dopamine precursors or dopamine receptor agonists. In this study, we combine clinical investigations with computational modeling to explore whether impulsivity in PD patients on medication may arise as a result of abnormalities in risk, reward and punishment learning. In order to empirically assess learning outcomes involving risk, reward and punishment, four subject groups were examined: healthy controls, ON medication PD patients with impulse control disorder (PD-ON ICD) or without ICD (PD-ON non-ICD), and OFF medication PD patients (PD-OFF). A neural network model of the Basal Ganglia (BG) that has the capacity to predict the dysfunction of both the dopaminergic (DA) and the serotonergic (5HT) neuromodulator systems was developed and used to facilitate the interpretation of experimental results. In the model, the BG action selection dynamics were mimicked using a utility function based decision making framework, with DA controlling reward prediction and 5HT controlling punishment and risk predictions. The striatal model included three pools of Medium Spiny Neurons (MSNs), with D1 receptor (R) alone, D2R alone and co-expressing D1R-D2R. Empirical studies showed that reward optimality was increased in PD-ON ICD patients while punishment optimality was increased in PD-OFF patients. Empirical studies also revealed that PD-ON ICD subjects had lower reaction times (RT) compared to that of the PD-ON non-ICD patients. Computational modeling suggested that PD-OFF patients have higher punishment sensitivity, while healthy controls showed comparatively higher risk sensitivity. A significant decrease in sensitivity to punishment and risk was crucial for explaining behavioral changes observed in PD-ON ICD patients. Our results highlight the power of computational modelling for identifying neuronal circuitry implicated in learning, and its

Efficacy, safety, and patient preference of monoamine oxidase B inhibitors in the treatment of Parkinson's disease.

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Robottom, Bradley J

2011-01-20

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease and the most treatable. Treatment of PD is symptomatic and generally focuses on the replacement or augmentation of levodopa. A number of options are available for treatment, both in monotherapy of early PD and to treat complications of advanced PD. This review focuses on rasagiline and selegiline, two medications that belong to a class of antiparkinsonian drugs called monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) inhibitors. Topics covered in the review include mechanism of action, efficacy in early and advanced PD, effects on disability, the controversy regarding disease modification, safety, and patient preference for MAO-B inhibitors.

A Technological Review of the Instrumented Footwear for Rehabilitation with a Focus on Parkinson’s Disease Patients

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Maculewicz, Justyna; Kofoed, Lise; Serafin, Stefania

2016-01-01

In this review article, we summarize systems for gait rehabilitation based on instrumented footwear and present a context of their usage in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients’ auditory and haptic rehabilitation. We focus on the needs of PD patients, but since only a few systems were made with this......In this review article, we summarize systems for gait rehabilitation based on instrumented footwear and present a context of their usage in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients’ auditory and haptic rehabilitation. We focus on the needs of PD patients, but since only a few systems were made...

Impaired Tumor-infiltrating T Cells in Patients with COPD Impacts Lung Cancer Response to PD-1 Blockade.

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Biton, Jérôme; Ouakrim, Hanane; Dechartres, Agnès; Alifano, Marco; Mansuet-Lupo, Audrey; Si, Han; Halpin, Rebecca; Creasy, Todd; Bantsimba-Malanda, Claudie; Arrondeau, Jennifer; Goldwasser, François; Boudou-Rouquette, Pascaline; Fournel, Ludovic; Roche, Nicolas; Burgel, Pierre-Régis; Goc, Jeremy; Devi-Marulkar, Priyanka; Germain, Claire; Dieu-Nosjean, Marie-Caroline; Cremer, Isabelle; Herbst, Ronald; Damotte, Diane

2018-03-08

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have a higher prevalence of lung cancer. The chronic inflammation associated with COPD probably promotes the earliest stages of carcinogenesis. However, once tumors have progressed to malignancy, the impact of COPD on the tumor immune microenvironment remains poorly defined, and its effects on immune-checkpoint blockers' efficacy are still unknown. To study the impact of COPD on the immune contexture of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We performed in depth immune profiling of lung tumors by immunohistochemistry and we determined its impact on patients' survival (n=435). Tumor-infiltrating T lymphocyte (TILs) exhaustion by flow cytometry (n=50) was also investigated. The effectiveness of an anti-PD-1 treatment (nivolumab) was evaluated in 39 advanced-stage NSCLC patients. All data were analyzed according to patients' COPD status. Measurments and Main Results: Remarkably, COPD severity is positively correlated with the coexpression of PD-1/TIM-3 by CD8 T cells. In agreement, we observed a loss of CD8 T cell-associated favorable clinical outcome in COPD+ patients. Interestingly, a negative prognostic value of PD-L1 expression by tumor cells was observed only in highly CD8 T cell-infiltrated tumors of COPD+ patients. Finally, data obtained on 39 advanced-stage NSCLC patients treated by an anti-PD-1 antibody showed longer progression free survival in COPD+ patients, and also that the association between the severity of smoking and the response to nivolumab was preferentially observed in COPD+ patients. COPD is associated with an increased sensitivity of CD8 TILs to immune escape mechanisms developed by tumors, thus suggesting a higher sensitivity to PD-1 blockade in patients with COPD.

Audio-Biofeedback training for posture and balance in Patients with Parkinson's disease

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Mirelman, Anat; Herman, Talia; Nicolai, Simone; Zijlstra, Agnes; Zijlstra, Wiebren; Becker, Clemens; Chiari, Lorenzo; Hausdorff, Jeffrey M.

2011-01-01

Background: Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) suffer from dysrhythmic and disturbed gait, impaired balance, and decreased postural responses. These alterations lead to falls, especially as the disease progresses. Based on the observation that postural control improved in patients with

INDIVIDUAL PROFILE OF FUNCTIONAL HEMISPHERIC ASYMMETRY AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE

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M. A. Bykanova

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Objective — to identify the relationship between the individual profile of functional hemispheric asymmetry (IPFA and lateralization of the Parkinson's disease (PD debut, as well as assess of their impact on anxiety and depressive disorders and quality of life of patients.Materials and methods. 70 patients with PD (28 men and 42 women, average age 63,1 ± 8,1 years with disease duration 48 [36, 72] months (Me [25 %; 75 %] were included. We used Hoehn and Yahr, UPDRS, EuroQol, PDQ-39 scales, scale of anxiety and Spielberger–Hanin Hamilton Depression. IPFA was determined using the protocol survey of 48 jobs during the period of inclusion of patients in the study.Results. In patients with right-sided IPFA right-sided debut of PD was more common (p < 0.05 and in patients with mixed IPFA — leftsided(p < 0.05 PD debut. There were no significant differences in levels of reactive, personal anxiety and depression at different IPFA dependingon the side of PD debut (p > 0.05 received. Quality of life scale PDQ-39 showed worse results in patients with right-in right IPFA debut in comparison with those in patients with left debut (p < 0.05. Quality of life by EuroQol-II scale was higher in patients with rightsided IPFA with the left debut of PD than in patients with right-debut (p < 0.05, and in patients with mixed IPFA with right debut compared to patients with left debut (p < 0.05.Conclusion. With the debut of PD in leading limb and preferential involvement of the dominant hemisphere poorer quality of life was observed. IPFA and clinical asymmetry did not affect on the level of anxiety and depressive disorders, which were revealed in more than twothirds of patients with PD.

Morphometric changes in the reward system of Parkinson's disease patients with impulse control disorders.

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Pellicano, Clelia; Niccolini, Flavia; Wu, Kit; O'Sullivan, Sean S; Lawrence, Andrew D; Lees, Andrew J; Piccini, Paola; Politis, Marios

2015-12-01

Impulse control disorders (ICDs) occur in a subset of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) who are receiving dopamine replacement therapy. In this study, we aimed to investigate structural abnormalities within the mesocortical and limbic cortices and subcortical structures in PD patients with ICDs. We studied 18 PD patients with ICDs, 18 PD patients without ICDs and a group of 24 age and sex-matched healthy controls. Cortical thickness (CTh) and subcortical nuclei volume analyses were carried out using the automated surface-based analysis package FreeSurfer (version 5.3.0). We found significant differences in MRI measures between the three groups. There was volume loss in the nucleus accumbens of both PD patients with ICDs and without ICDs compared to the control group. In addition, PD patients with ICDs showed significant atrophy in caudate, hippocampus and amygdala compared to the group of healthy controls. PD patients with ICDs had significant increased cortical thickness in rostral anterior cingulate cortex and frontal pole compared to PD patients without ICDs. Cortical thickness in rostral anterior cingulate and frontal pole was increased in PD patients with ICDs compared to the control group, but the differences failed to reach corrected levels of statistical significance. PD patients with ICDs showed increased cortical thickness in medial prefrontal regions. We speculate that these findings reflect either a pre-existing neural trait vulnerability to impulsivity or the expression of a maladaptive synaptic plasticity under non-physiological dopaminergic stimulation.

The role of social support in anxiety and depression among Parkinson's disease patients

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Saeedian, Radka Ghorbani; Nagyova, Iveta; Krokavcova, Martina; Skorvanek, Matej; Rosenberger, Jaroslav; Gdovinova, Zuzana; Groothoff, Johan W.; van Dijk, Jitse P.

2014-01-01

Purpose: To explore how social support is associated with anxiety and depression in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients controlling for gender, disease duration and disease severity. Methods: The sample consisted of 124 patients (52.4% male; mean age 68.1 +/- 8.4 years; mean disease duration 6.3 +/-

Finger tapping analysis in patients with Parkinson's disease and atypical parkinsonism.

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Djurić-Jovičić, Milica; Petrović, Igor; Ječmenica-Lukić, Milica; Radovanović, Saša; Dragašević-Mišković, Nataša; Belić, Minja; Miler-Jerković, Vera; Popović, Mirjana B; Kostić, Vladimir S

2016-08-01

The goal of this study was to investigate repetitive finger tapping patterns in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), progressive supranuclear palsy-Richardson syndrome (PSP-R), or multiple system atrophy of parkinsonian type (MSA-P). The finger tapping performance was objectively assessed in PD (n=13), PSP-R (n=15), and MSA-P (n=14) patients and matched healthy controls (HC; n=14), using miniature inertial sensors positioned on the thumb and index finger, providing spatio-temporal kinematic parameters. The main finding was the lack or only minimal progressive reduction in amplitude during the finger tapping in PSP-R patients, similar to HC, but significantly different from the sequence effect (progressive decrement) in both PD and MSA-P patients. The mean negative amplitude slope of -0.12°/cycle revealed less progression of amplitude decrement even in comparison to HC (-0.21°/cycle, p=0.032), and particularly from PD (-0.56°/cycle, p=0.001), and MSA-P patients (-1.48°/cycle, p=0.003). No significant differences were found in the average finger separation amplitudes between PD, PSP-R and MSA-P patients (pmsa-pd=0.726, pmsa-psp=0.363, ppsp-pd=0.726). The lack of clinically significant sequence effect during finger tapping differentiated PSP-R from both PD and MSA-P patients, and might be specific for PSP-R. The finger tapping kinematic parameter of amplitude slope may be a neurophysiological marker able to differentiate particular forms of parkinsonism. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Time to redefine PD? Introductory statement of the MDS Task Force on the definition of Parkinson's disease.

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Berg, Daniela; Postuma, Ronald B; Bloem, Bastiaan; Chan, Piu; Dubois, Bruno; Gasser, Thomas; Goetz, Christopher G; Halliday, Glenda M; Hardy, John; Lang, Anthony E; Litvan, Irene; Marek, Kenneth; Obeso, José; Oertel, Wolfgang; Olanow, C Warren; Poewe, Werner; Stern, Matthew; Deuschl, Günther

2014-04-01

With advances in knowledge disease, boundaries may change. Occasionally, these changes are of such a magnitude that they require redefinition of the disease. In recognition of the profound changes in our understanding of Parkinson's disease (PD), the International Parkinson and Movement Disorders Society (MDS) commissioned a task force to consider a redefinition of PD. This review is a discussion article, intended as the introductory statement of the task force. Several critical issues were identified that challenge current PD definitions. First, new findings challenge the central role of the classical pathologic criteria as the arbiter of diagnosis, notably genetic cases without synuclein deposition, the high prevalence of incidental Lewy body (LB) deposition, and the nonmotor prodrome of PD. It remains unclear, however, whether these challenges merit a change in the pathologic gold standard, especially considering the limitations of alternate gold standards. Second, the increasing recognition of dementia in PD challenges the distinction between diffuse LB disease and PD. Consideration might be given to removing dementia as an exclusion criterion for PD diagnosis. Third, there is increasing recognition of disease heterogeneity, suggesting that PD subtypes should be formally identified; however, current subtype classifications may not be sufficiently robust to warrant formal delineation. Fourth, the recognition of a nonmotor prodrome of PD requires that new diagnostic criteria for early-stage and prodromal PD should be created; here, essential features of these criteria are proposed. Finally, there is a need to create new MDS diagnostic criteria that take these changes in disease definition into consideration. © 2014 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Impulse control and related disorders in Mexican Parkinson's disease patients.

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Rodríguez-Violante, Mayela; González-Latapi, Paulina; Cervantes-Arriaga, Amin; Camacho-Ordoñez, Azyadeh; Weintraub, Daniel

2014-08-01

Impulse control disorders (ICDs) are a relatively recent addition to the behavioral spectrum of PD-related non-motor symptoms. Social and economic factors may play a role on the ICD phenotype of PD patients. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence and characterize the clinical profile of ICDs in a sample of low-income, low-education PD patients with no social security benefits from a Latin American country. We included 300 consecutive PD patients and 150 control subjects. The presence of ICD and related disorders was assessed using a structured interview. After the interview and neurological evaluation were concluded, all subjects completed the Questionnaire for Impulsive-compulsive Disorders in Parkinson's Disease-Rating Scale (QUIP-RS). Regarding ICDs and related disorders (hobbyism-punding), 25.6% (n = 77) of patients in the PD group and 16.6% (n = 25) in the control group fulfilled criteria for at least one ICD or related disorder (p = 0.032). There was a statistically significant difference in the QUIP-RS mean score between PD and control subjects (5.6 ± 9.7 and 2.7 ± 4.21, p = 0.001). The most common ICD was compulsive eating for both PD (8.6%) and control (2.6%) groups. The results of this study confirm that for this population, symptoms of an ICD are significantly more frequent in PD subjects than in control subjects. Nevertheless, socioeconomic differences may contribute to a lower overall frequency and distinct pattern of ICDs in PD patients compared with what has been reported in other countries. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Gastrointestinal Autonomic Dysfunction in Patients with Parkinson’s Disease

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Joong-Seok Kim

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Currently, gastrointestinal dysfunctions in Parkinson’s disease (PD are well-recognized problems and are known to be an initial symptom in the pathological process that eventually results in PD. Gastrointestinal symptoms may result from the involvement of either the central or enteric nervous systems, or these symptoms may be side effects of antiparkinsonian medications. Weight loss, excessive salivation, dysphagia, nausea/gastroparesis, constipation, and defecation dysfunction all may occur. Increased identification and early detection of these symptoms can result in a significant improvement in the quality of life for PD patients.

Voxel-based analysis of diffusion tensor indices in the brain in patients with Parkinson's disease

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Zhang Kaiyuan, E-mail: kaiyuanzhang@yahoo.cn [Department of Radiology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053 (China); Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Capital Medical University, Ministry of Education (China); Yu Chunshui, E-mail: chunshuiyu826@yahoo.com.cn [Department of Radiology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053 (China); Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Capital Medical University, Ministry of Education (China); Zhang Yujin, E-mail: zyjinjin@gmail.com [State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neurosciences and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875 (China); Wu Xiaoli, E-mail: wendy2006315@126.com [Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Capital Medical University, Ministry of Education (China) and Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053 (China); Zhu Chaozhe, E-mail: czzhu@bnu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neurosciences and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875 (China); Chan Piu, E-mail: pbchan@bjsap.org [Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Capital Medical University, Ministry of Education (China); Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053 (China); Li Kuncheng, E-mail: likuncheng1955@yahoo.com.cn [Department of Radiology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053 (China); Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Capital Medical University, Ministry of Education (China)

2011-02-15

Purpose: To investigate the abnormal diffusion in cerebral white matter and its relationship with the olfactory dysfunction in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) through diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Materials and methods: Diffusion tensor imaging of the cerebrum was performed in 25 patients with Parkinson's disease and 25 control subjects matched for age and sex. Differences in fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) between these two groups were studied by voxel-based analysis of the DTI data. Correlations between diffusion indices and the olfactory function in PD patients were evaluated using the multiple regression model after controlling for the duration of the disease, Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Sale (UPDRS), and age. Results: The damaged white and gray matter showed decreased FA or increased MD, localized bilaterally in the cerebellar and orbitofrontal cortex. In addition, in PD patients there was a positive correlation between FA values in the white matter of the left cerebellum and the thresholds of olfactory identification (TOI) and a negative correlation between MD values in the white matter of right cerebellum and the TOI. Conclusion: In patients with PD, there was disruption in the cerebellar white matter which may play an important role in the olfactory dysfunction in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-Revised is accurate for detecting dementia in Parkinson's disease patients with low educational level.

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Rocha, Maria Sheila Guimarães; Bassetti, Elida Maria; Oliveira, Maira Okada; Kuark, Roberta Gomes Borges; Estevam, Nathercia Marinho; Brucki, Sonia Maria Dozzi

2014-01-01

Diagnosis of Parkinson's disease dementia is a challenge in clinical settings. A comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation is time-consuming and expensive; brief instruments for cognitive evaluation must be easier to administer and provide a reliable classification. To study the validity of the Brazilian version of Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-Revised (ACE-R) for the cognitive assessment of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with heterogeneous educational level. Patients were evaluated according to the diagnostic procedures recommended by the Movement Disorder Society (MDS) as the gold standard for the diagnosis of dementia in PD. We studied 70 idiopathic PD patients, with a mean (SD) age of 64.1 (9.3) years and mean disease duration of 7.7 (5.3) years and educational level of 5.9 years, matched for education and age to controls. Twenty-seven patients fulfilled MDS clinical criteria for PD dementia. Mean scores on the ACE-R were 54.7 (12.8) points for patients with PD dementia, 76 (9.9) for PD patients without dementia and 79.7 (1.8) points for healthy controls. The area under the receiver operating curve, taking the MDS diagnostic procedures as a reference, was 0.93 [95% CI, 0.87-0.98; p<0.001] for ACE-R. The optimal cut-off value for ACE-R was ≤72 points [sensitivity 90%; specificity 85%; Kappa concordance (K) 0.79]. ACE-R appears to be a valid tool for dementia evaluation in PD patients with heterogeneous educational level, displaying good correlation with clinical criteria and diagnostic procedures of the MDS.

Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-Revised is accurate for detecting dementia in Parkinson's disease patients with low educational level

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Maria Sheila Guimarães Rocha

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Diagnosis of Parkinson's disease dementia is a challenge in clinical settings. A comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation is time-consuming and expensive; brief instruments for cognitive evaluation must be easier to administer and provide a reliable classification. Objective: To study the validity of the Brazilian version of Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-Revised (ACE-R for the cognitive assessment of Parkinson's disease (PD patients with heterogeneous educational level. Methods: Patients were evaluated according to the diagnostic procedures recommended by the Movement Disorder Society (MDS as the gold standard for the diagnosis of dementia in PD. Results: We studied 70 idiopathic PD patients, with a mean (SD age of 64.1 (9.3 years and mean disease duration of 7.7 (5.3 years and educational level of 5.9 years, matched for education and age to controls. Twenty-seven patients fulfilled MDS clinical criteria for PD dementia. Mean scores on the ACE-R were 54.7 (12.8 points for patients with PD dementia, 76 (9.9 for PD patients without dementia and 79.7 (1.8 points for healthy controls. The area under the receiver operating curve, taking the MDS diagnostic procedures as a reference, was 0.93 [95% CI, 0.87-0.98; p<0.001] for ACE-R. The optimal cut-off value for ACE-R was ≤72 points [sensitivity 90%; specificity 85%; Kappa concordance (K 0.79]. Conclusion: ACE-R appears to be a valid tool for dementia evaluation in PD patients with heterogeneous educational level, displaying good correlation with clinical criteria and diagnostic procedures of the MDS.

Spatial orientation and postural control in patients with Parkinson's disease.

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Pawlitzki, E; Schlenstedt, C; Schmidt, N; Rotkirch, I; Gövert, F; Hartwigsen, G; Witt, K

2018-02-01

Postural instability is one of the most disabling and risky symptoms of advanced Parkinson's disease (PD). The purpose of this study was to investigate whether and how this is mediated by a centrally impaired spatial orientation. Therefore, we performed a spatial orientation study in 21 PD patients (mean age 68years, SD 8.5 years, 9 women) in a medically on condition and 21 healthy controls (mean age 68.9years, SD 5.5years, 14 women). We compared their spatial responses to the horizontal axis (Sakashita's visual target cancellation task), the vertical axis (bucket-test), the sagittal axis (tilt table test) and postural stability using the Fullerton Advanced Balance Scale (FAB). We found larger deviations on the vertical axis in PD patients, although the direct comparisons of performance in PD patients and healthy controls did not reveal significant differences. While the total scores of the FAB Scale were significantly worse in PD (25.9 points, SD 7.2 points) compared to controls (35.1 points, SD 2.3 points, pbalance control. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Distribution of nontuberculous mycobacteria in treated patients with pulmonary disease in Greece - relation to microbiological data.

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Manika, Katerina; Tsikrika, Stamatoula; Tsaroucha, Emilia; Karabela, Simona; Karachaliou, Iris; Bosmi, Ioulia; Kioumis, Ioannis; Papavasileiou, Apostolos

2015-01-01

The aim was to assess the distribution of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) in treated patients with pulmonary disease (PD) in Greece. Patients treated for NTM PD at the two largest chest diseases hospitals in Greece, in the period 1990-2013 were investigated. For the years 2005-2013 data on NTM isolation frequency were recorded. M. avium complex (MAC) was the predominant cause of NTM PD disease followed by M. kansasii and rapid growing mycobacteria (RGM). The pathogenicity of RGM was significantly lower than this of MAC and M. kansasii. An increase was observed in the percentage of isolated NTM species that were considered clinically significant over the study period. The increasing number of NTM PD in Greece is a consequence of their isolation being more frequently considered as clinically relevant.

Healthcare Data Analytics for Parkinson's Disease Patients: A Study of Hospital Cost and Utilization in the United States.

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Mukherjee, Sunanda; Wu, Huanmei; Jones, Josette

2016-01-01

Parkinson's Disease (PD), a prevalent problem, especially for the aged populations, is a progressive but non-fatal nervous system disorder. PD patients have special motor as well as non-motor symptoms over time. There are several limitations in the study of PD such as unavailability of data, proper diagnosis and treatment methods. These limitations significantly reduce the quality of PD patient life quality, either directly or indirectly. PD also imposes great financial burdens to PD patients and their family. This project aims to analyze the most common reasons for PD patient hospitalization, review complications that occur during inpatient stays, and measure the costs associated with PD patient characteristics. Using the HCUP NIS data, comprehensive data analysis has been performed. The results are customized visualized using Tableau and other software systems. The preliminary findings sheds light into how to improve the life quality of PD patients.

Hyposalivation and xerostomia among Parkinson's disease patients and its impact on quality of life.

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Barbe, A G; Heinzler, A; Derman, Shm; Hellmich, M; Timmermann, L; Noack, M J

2017-05-01

Parkinson's disease (PD) adversely affects oral health (OH). However, the informative value of xerostomia compared to objective parameters and its impact on quality of life (QoL) are still unclear. This study aimed to explore whether xerostomia correlates with hyposalivation and to define its impact on OH-related QoL. Whole stimulated saliva (WSS) was collected from 30 patients with PD and 30 matched healthy controls. Objective parameters (community periodontal index of treatment needs, plaque/gingivitis index, mucosa situation and cheilitis angularis) and questionnaires (German Oral Health Impact Profile [OHIPG]-14, visual analogue scale [VAS], xerostomia [yes/no] and the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale-II) were assessed. Eighty-seven per cent of patients with PD showed hyposalivation vs 50% of controls (P = 0.001); 50% of patients with PD reported xerostomia, and none of controls (P xerostomia reported mean VAS values of 4.1 (s.d.: 2.2). WSS did not correlate with VAS values. Half of the patients with PD reported xerostomia and underestimated their xerostomic status, with higher probability than healthy controls. WSS did not reflect the grade of xerostomia. Patients with PD suffered from impaired OH-related QoL. Dental teams should not overlook these oral health risks. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A Kinect-Based Physiotherapy and Assessment Platform for Parkinson's Disease Patients

OpenAIRE

Pachoulakis, Ioannis; Xilourgos, Nikolaos; Papadopoulos, Nikolaos; Analyti, Anastasia

2016-01-01

We report on a Kinect-based, augmented reality, real-time physiotherapy platform tailored to Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients. The platform employs a Kinect sensor to extract real-time 3D skeletal data (joint information) from a patient facing the sensor (at 30 frames per second). In addition, a small collection of exercises practiced in traditional physiotherapy for PD patients has been implemented in the Unity 3D game engine. Each exercise employs linear or circular movement patterns and p...

Human papilloma virus load and PD-1/PD-L1, CD8+ and FOXP3 in anal cancer patients treated with chemoradiotherapy: Rationale for immunotherapy

Science.gov (United States)

Balermpas, Panagiotis; Martin, Daniel; Wieland, Ulrike; Rave-Fränk, Margret; Strebhardt, Klaus; Rödel, Claus; Fokas, Emmanouil; Rödel, Franz

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT We examined the prognostic role of immune markers programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) and its ligand (PD-L1), CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), FOXP3+ Tregs and phosphorylated Caspase-8 (T273) in patients with anal squamous cell cancer (ASCC) treated with standard chemoradiotherapy (CRT). The baseline immunohistochemical expression of immune markers was correlated with clinicopathologic characteristics, and cumulative incidence of local failure, disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in 150 patients, also in the context of human papilloma virus 16 (HPV16) DNA load and p16INK4a expression. After a median follow-up of 40 mo (1–205 mo), the 5-y cumulative incidence of local failure and DFS was 19.4% and 67.2%, respectively. Strong immune marker expression was significantly more common in tumors with high HPV16 viral load. In multivariant analysis, high CD8+ and PD-1+ TILs expression predicted for improved local control (p = 0.023 and p = 0.007, respectively) and DFS (p = 0.020 and p = 0.014, respectively). Also, high p16INK4a (p = 0.011) and PD-L1 (p = 0.033) expression predicted for better local control, whereas high FOXP3+ Tregs (p = 0.050) and phosphorylated Caspase-8 (p = 0.031) expression correlated with superior DFS. Female sex and high HPV16 viral load correlated with favorable outcome for all three clinical endpoints. The present data provide, for the first time, robust explanation for the favorable clinical outcome of HPV16-positive ASCC patients harboring strong immune cell infiltration. Our findings are relevant for treatment stratification with immune PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitors to complement CRT and should be explored in a clinical trial. PMID:28405521

PD-L1 expression by neurons nearby tumors indicates better prognosis in glioblastoma patients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liu, Yawei; Carlsson, Robert; Ambjørn, Malene

2013-01-01

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most aggressive form of brain tumor. In general, tumor growth requires disruption of the tissue microenvironment, yet how this affects glioma progression is unknown. We studied program death-ligand (PD-L)1 in neurons and gliomas in tumors from GBM patients...... and associated the findings with clinical outcome. Remarkably, we found that upregulation of PD-L1 by neurons in tumor-adjacent brain tissue (TABT) associated positively with GBM patient survival, whereas lack of neuronal PD-L1 expression was associated with high PD-L1 in tumors and unfavorable prognosis...... in GBM patients, better survival in wild-type mice was associated with high neuronal PD-L1 in TABT and downregulation of PD-L1 in tumors, which was defective in Ifnb-/- mice. Our data indicated that neuronal PD-L1 signaling in brain cells was important for GBM patient survival. Reciprocal PD-L1...

Rotigotine Transdermal Patch Improves Swallowing in Dysphagic Patients with Parkinson's Disease.

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Hirano, Makito; Isono, Chiharu; Sakamoto, Hikaru; Ueno, Shuichi; Kusunoki, Susumu; Nakamura, Yusaku

2015-08-01

Abnormal swallowing, dysphagia, is a potentially fatal symptom in Parkinson's disease (PD) and is characterized by frequent silent aspiration, an unrecognized risk of suffocation and aspiration pneumonia. Several studies have reported that the injection of apomorphine, a dopamine agonist, alleviated dysphagia in some patients with PD. The effects of other antiparkinson medications against dysphagia remain controversial. Rotigotine is another dopamine agonist with non-oral administration, i.e., a transdermal patch. Its noninvasiveness seems to render this medicine even more suitable than apomorphine for dysphasic patients. However, no direct evidence has been reported. In the present retrospective open-label study, we for the first time objectively showed that rotigotine improved swallowing on videofluoroscopic examination in dysphagic patients with PD.

Prognostic and predictive values of PD-L1 expression in patients with digestive system cancer: a meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Dai, Cong; Wang, Meng; Lu, Jun; Dai, Zhiming; Lin, Shuai; Yang, Pengtao; Tian, Tian; Liu, Xinghan; Min, Weili; Dai, Zhijun

2017-01-01

PD-L1 has been reported to be expressed in diverse human malignancies. However, the prognostic value of PD-L1 in digestive system cancers remains inconclusive. Therefore, we conducted this meta-analysis to evaluate the prognostic impact of PD-L1 expression in digestive system cancers. We searched the PubMed, Embase, and the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure for publications concerning PD-L1 expression in digestive system cancers. Correlations of PD-L1 expression level with overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were analyzed. Finally, 32 studies with 7,308 patients were included. Our results show that PD-L1 expression was significantly associated with poorer OS (hazard ratio [HR] =1.44, 95% confidence interval [CI] =1.18-1.76, P digestive system cancers, especially in gastric cancer and pancreatic cancer. In addition, PD-L1 may act as a new parameter for predicting poor prognosis and a promising target for anticancer therapy in digestive system cancers.

Major life events and development of major depression in Parkinson's disease patients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rod, Naja Hulvej; Bordelon, Y; Thompson, A

2012-01-01

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Non-motor symptoms including depression are important features of Parkinson's disease (PD). We aim to address the relationship between major life events and depression amongst PD patients free of depressive symptoms at baseline. METHODS: New-onset PD patients from California...... were recruited in 2001-2007 and followed up for 3-4 years. The participants (n = 221) were examined by neurologists and responded to comprehensive interviews that included major life events, social support, and coping measures from validated scales. Major depression was assessed using the Structured...... Clinical Interview for the DSM-IV depression module (SCID). RESULTS: More than half of all patients had experienced major life events since diagnosed with PD, and 22 patients developed a major depression. The number of life events was associated with risk of depression in an exposure-dependent manner...

Monoamine transporter availability in Parkinson's disease patients with or without depression

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hesse, Swen; Meyer, Philipp M.; Barthel, Henryk; Sabri, Osama [University of Leipzig, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Leipzig (Germany); Strecker, Karl; Wegner, Florian; Isaias, Ioannis Ugo; Schwarz, Johannes [University of Leipzig, Department of Neurology, Leipzig (Germany); Oehlwein, Christian [Specialized Parkinson' s Disease Outpatient Centre, Gera (Germany)

2009-03-15

Depression is a common symptom in patients suffering from Parkinson's disease (PD) and markedly reduces their quality of life. As post-mortem studies have shown, its presence may reflect extensive cell loss in the midbrain and brainstem with imbalances in monoaminergic neurotransmitters. However, in vivo evidence of specific monoaminergic deficits in depressed PD patients is still sparse. Therefore, we studied PD patients with depression (PD+D) and without depression (PD-D) using high-resolution single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and the monoamine transporter marker [{sup 123}I]FP-CIT. A magnetic resonance imaging-based region-of-interest analysis was applied to quantify the specific-to-nondisplaceable [{sup 123}I]FP-CIT binding coefficient V{sub 3}'' in the striatum, thalamus and midbrain/brainstem regions. PD+D patients had significantly lower V{sub 3}'' compared with PD-D patients in the striatum (p<0.001), thalamus (p=0.002), and midbrain/brainstem (p=0.025). Only PD+D patients without selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) treatment showed lower thalamic and midbrain V{sub 3}'' than controls (p<0.001, p=0.029). In a small sub-group of SSRI-treated PD+D patients neither thalamic V{sub 3}'' nor midbrain/brainstem V{sub 3}'' differed from those in PD-D patients (p=0.168, p=0.201) or controls (p=0.384, p=0.318). Our data indicate that depression in PD is associated with a more pronounced loss of striatal dopamine transporter availability that is most likely secondary to increased dopaminergic degeneration. In addition, depressed PD patients have a lower availability of midbrain/brainstem monoamine transporters than nondepressed PD patients. These findings provide in vivo evidence in support of the known post-mortem data demonstrating more extensive nerve cell loss in PD with depression and indicate that SPECT imaging can help to identify pathophysiological changes underlying nonmotor

Sleep disturbances in Parkinson's disease patients and management options

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claassen DO

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Daniel O Claassen, Scott J KutscherDepartment of Neurology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USAAbstract: Sleep disturbances are among the most common nonmotor complaints of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD, and can have a great impact on quality of life. These disturbances manifest in a variety of ways; for instance, insomnia, sleep fragmentation, and excessive daytime sleepiness. Sleep-related movement disorders such as restless legs syndrome and periodic leg movements may share a common pathophysiology, and occurrence of rapid eye movement behavior disorder may predate the onset of PD or other synucleinopathies by several years. Medications for PD can have a significant impact on sleep, representing a great challenge to the treating physician. Awareness of the complex relationship between PD and sleep disorders, as well as the varied way in which sleep disturbances appear, is imperative for successful long-term management.Keywords: sleep disorders, insomnia, restless legs syndrome, Parkinson disease, fatigue, REM behavior disorder

Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency in patients ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This is a study of Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase(G6PD) deficiency in sickle cell anaemia patients attending the haematology clinic of the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), Jos- Nigeria. The prevalence of G6PD deficiency among the 130 sickle cell anaemia patients studied was found to be 18.5%. G6PD ...

Efficacy, safety, and patient preference of monoamine oxidase B inhibitors in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease

Science.gov (United States)

Robottom, Bradley J

2011-01-01

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease and the most treatable. Treatment of PD is symptomatic and generally focuses on the replacement or augmentation of levodopa. A number of options are available for treatment, both in monotherapy of early PD and to treat complications of advanced PD. This review focuses on rasagiline and selegiline, two medications that belong to a class of antiparkinsonian drugs called monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) inhibitors. Topics covered in the review include mechanism of action, efficacy in early and advanced PD, effects on disability, the controversy regarding disease modification, safety, and patient preference for MAO-B inhibitors. PMID:21423589

Nonmotor symptoms in patients suffering from motor neuron diseases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rene Günther

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Background: The recently postulated disease spreading hypothesis has gained much attention, especially for Parkinson’s disease (PD. The various nonmotor symptoms (NMS in neurodegenerative diseases would be much better explained by this hypothesis than by the degeneration of disease-specific cell populations. Motor neuron disease (MND is primarily known as a group of diseases with a selective loss of motor function. Recent evidence, however, suggests disease spreading into nonmotor brain regions also in MND. The aim of this study was to comprehensively detect NMS in patients suffering from MND.Methods: We used a self-rating questionnaire including 30 different items of gastrointestinal, autonomic, neuropsychiatric and sleep complaints (NMSQuest which is an established tool in PD patients. 90 MND patients were included and compared to 96 controls.Results: In total, MND patients reported significantly higher NMS scores (median: 7 points in comparison to controls (median: 4 points. Dribbling, impaired taste/smelling, impaired swallowing, weight loss, loss of interest, sad/blues, falling and insomnia were significantly more prevalent in MND patients compared to controls. Interestingly excessive sweating was more reported in the MND group. Correlation analysis revealed an increase of total NMS score with disease progression.Conclusions: NMS in MND patients seemed to increase with disease progression which would fit with the recently postulated disease spreading hypothesis. The total NMS score in the MND group significantly exceeded the score for the control group, but only 8 of the 30 single complaints of the NMSQuest were significantly more often reported by MND patients. Dribbling, impaired swallowing, weight loss and falling could primarily be connected to motor neuron degeneration and declared as motor symptoms in MND.

Protein intake, nitrogen balance and nutritional status in patients with Parkinson's disease; time for a change?

Science.gov (United States)

Zilli Canedo Silva, Maryanne; Carol Fritzen, Natali; de Oliveira, Marlon; Paes da Silva, Michel; Rasmussen Petterle, Ricardo; Teive, Hélio Afonso; de Mesquita Barros Almeida Leite, Christiane; Rabito, Estela Iraci; Madalozzo Schieferdecker, Maria Eliana; Carvalho, Mauricio

2015-06-01

To evaluate protein intake, nitrogen balance and nutritional status of clinically stable patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). A cross-sectional study of PD patients Hoehn-Yahr scale stage 1-3 and subjects with no neurologic disease (controls) matched for age and gender. All participants underwent a diet history interview, anthropometric measurements, bioelectrical impedance and food record over three non-consecutive days, including a weekend. A 24-hour urine collection and fasting venous blood sampling were collected from the participants for evaluation of creatinine clearance, creatinine height index and the nitrogen balance. The mean age of PD patients was 58.9 ± 12.8 year compared to 54.7 ± 12.6 year of the controls, P = 0.34. One third of PD group had symptoms of dysphagia and ingested less water and fibers when compared to controls. Calf circumference was small in PD group (35.5 ± 2.8 vs. 38.4 ± 3.5 cm, P = 0.012). Intake of nitrogen was significantly lower and nitrogen balance was negative in PD patients (-1.8 ± 3.9 vs. 1.1 ± 4.2 controls, P = 0.06). The antioxidants folate and vitamin E were consumed in small amounts in both groups, although significantly less in PD patients (P = 0.04 and 0.03, respectively). Daily intakes of protein of approximately 1.1 g/kg by clinically stable PD patients may not be enough to ensure a neutral calorie-nitrogen balance and muscle tissue conservation. Larger studies are necessary to provide a more comprehensive picture of PD patients' metabolic status. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

Cytokine profiling in the prefrontal cortex of Parkinson's Disease and Multiple System Atrophy patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Rydbirk, Rasmus; Elfving, Betina; Andersen, Mille Dahl; Langbøl, Mia Aggergaard; Folke, Jonas; Winge, Kristian; Pakkenberg, Bente; Brudek, Tomasz; Aznar, Susana

2017-10-01

Parkinson's Disease (PD) and Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) are neurodegenerative diseases characterized neuropathologically by alpha-synuclein accumulation in brain cells. This accumulation is hypothesized to contribute to constitutive neuroinflammation, and to participate in the neurodegeneration. Cytokines, which are the main inflammatory signalling molecules, have been identified in blood and cerebrospinal fluid of PD patients, but studies investigating the human brain levels are scarce. It is documented that neurotrophins, necessary for survival of brain cells and known to interact with cytokines, are altered in the basal ganglia of PD patients. In regards to MSA, no major study has investigated brain cytokine or neurotrophin protein expression. Here, we measured protein levels of 18 cytokines (IL-2, 4-8, 10, 12, 13, 17, G-CSF, GM-CSF, IFN-γ, MCP-1, MIP-1α and 1β, TNF-α) and 5 neurotrophins (BDNF, GDNF, bFGF, PDGF-BB, VEGF) in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex in brains of MSA and PD patients and control subjects. We found altered expression of IL-2, IL-13, and G-CSF, but no differences in neurotrophin levels. Further, in MSA patients we identified increased mRNA levels of GSK3β that is involved in neuroinflammatory pathways. Lastly, we identified increased expression of the neurodegenerative marker S100B, but not CRP, in PD and MSA patients, indicating local rather than systemic inflammation. Supporting this, in both diseases we observed increased MHC class II + and CD45 + positive cells, and low numbers of infiltrating CD3 + cells. In conclusion, we identified neuroinflammatory responses in PD and MSA which seems more widespread in the brain than neurotrophic changes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Characterization of the Xylella fastidiosa PD1311 gene mutant and its suppression of Pierce's disease on grapevines.

Science.gov (United States)

Hao, Lingyun; Johnson, Kameka; Cursino, Luciana; Mowery, Patricia; Burr, Thomas J

2017-06-01

Xylella fastidiosa causes Pierce's disease (PD) on grapevines, leading to significant economic losses in grape and wine production. To further our understanding of X. fastidiosa virulence on grapevines, we examined the PD1311 gene, which encodes a putative acyl-coenzyme A (acyl-CoA) synthetase, and is highly conserved across Xylella species. It was determined that PD1311 is required for virulence, as the deletion mutant, ΔPD1311, was unable to cause disease on grapevines. The ΔPD1311 strain was impaired in behaviours known to be associated with PD development, including motility, aggregation and biofilm formation. ΔPD1311 also expressed enhanced sensitivity to H 2 O 2 and polymyxin B, and showed reduced survival in grapevine sap, when compared with wild-type X. fastidiosa Temecula 1 (TM1). Following inoculation, ΔPD1311 could not be detected in grape shoots, which may be related to its altered growth and sensitivity phenotypes. Inoculation with ΔPD1311 2 weeks prior to TM1 prevented the development of PD in a significant fraction of vines and eliminated detectable levels of TM1. In contrast, vines inoculated simultaneously with TM1 and ΔPD1311 developed disease at the same level as TM1 alone. In these vines, TM1 populations were distributed similarly to populations in TM1-only inoculated plants. These findings suggest that, through an indirect mechanism, pretreatment of vines with ΔPD1311 suppresses pathogen population and disease. © 2016 BSPP AND JOHN WILEY & SONS LTD.

Efficacy, safety, and patient preference of monoamine oxidase B inhibitors in the treatment of Parkinson's disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bradley J Robottom

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Bradley J RobottomDepartment of Neurology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USAAbstract: Parkinson's disease (PD is the second most common neurodegenerative disease and the most treatable. Treatment of PD is symptomatic and generally focuses on the replacement or augmentation of levodopa. A number of options are available for treatment, both in monotherapy of early PD and to treat complications of advanced PD. This review focuses on rasagiline and selegiline, two medications that belong to a class of antiparkinsonian drugs called monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B inhibitors. Topics covered in the review include mechanism of action, efficacy in early and advanced PD, effects on disability, the controversy regarding disease modification, safety, and patient preference for MAO-B inhibitors.Keywords: monoamine oxidase inhibitors, rasagiline, selegiline, Parkinson's disease, efficacy, safety

Motor and Non-motor Features: Differences between Patients with Isolated Essential Tremor and Patients with Both Essential Tremor and Parkinson's Disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Apostolia Ghika

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Background: Patients with essential tremor (ET who develop Parkinson’s disease (ET->PD may differ with respect to motor features (MFs and non-motor features (NMFs from patients with isolated ET. Few studies have assessed this issue. Methods: In this retrospective chart review, we analyzed data on MFs and NMFs of 175 patients, including 54 ET->PD and 121 ET, actively followed in the Athens University 1st Neurology Department. Results: Significantly more ET->PD than ET patients reported asymmetric tremor at ET onset (68.5% vs. 14.9%, p<0.001.  Significantly more ET than ET->PD patients had head tremor (43.5% vs. 13.2%, p<0.001 and cerebellar signs (41.3% vs. 9.3%, p<0.001. More ET than ET->PD patients reported hearing impairment (65.3% vs. 28.3%, p<0.001 and restless legs syndrome (34.8% vs. 3.7%, p<0.001. Conversely, a larger proportion of ET->PD than ET patients reported rapid eye movement behavior disorder (51.9% vs. 10.0%, p<0.001, constipation (67.9% vs. 36.4%, p<0.001, and olfactory dysfunction (83.3% vs. 36.4%, p<0.001. Discussion: The subset of ET->PD patients may have distinct MFs and NMFs that should be assessed further for the possible predictive value for the emergence of PD.  

Bisphenol A glucuronidation in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Landolfi, Annamaria; Troisi, Jacopo; Savanelli, Maria Cristina; Vitale, Carmine; Barone, Paolo; Amboni, Marianna

2017-12-01

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a widely distributed estrogen-mimetic molecule, with well-established effects on the dopaminergic system. It can be found in canned food, dental sealants, thermal paper, etc. BPA undergoes liver conjugation with glucuronic acid and is subsequently excreted in the urine. In the present study we quantified the concentration of free and conjugated Bisphenol A in blood of patients affected by Parkinson Disease, using their spouses as controls. An interview was performed to determine possible confounders in BPA exposure. Free and conjugated BPA were quantified by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Parkinson's Disease patients carried a statistically significant lower amount of conjugated Bisphenol A compared to controls. The two populations were mostly homogeneous in terms of exposure to possible Bisphenol A sources. The only exceptions were exposure to canned tuna and canned tomatoes PD patients consumed significantly more of both (pBisphenol A glucuronidation was found after stratification by typology of anti-Parkinson's drug taken and after conversion to the Levodopa Equivalent Daily Dose. BPA glucuronidation was decreased in patients with Parkinson disease. The possible unique mechanisms underlying Bisphenol A metabolism in PD patients deserve further elucidation. Moreover, further study is needed to assess a possible BPA role in Parkinson's Disease pathogenesis, due to its documented dopaminergic toxicity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Lack of effect of polymorphisms in dopamine metabolism related genes on imaging of TRODAT-1 in striatum of asymptomatic volunteers and patients with Parkinson's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Lynch, David R; Mozley, P David; Sokol, Set; Maas, Nicole M C; Balcer, Laura J; Siderowf, Andrew D

2003-07-01

SPECT scanning using (99)Tc-TRODAT-1, a ligand that binds to dopamine transporters, may be useful for detection of early Parkinson's disease (PD), diagnosis of presymptomatic individuals, and monitoring disease progression. Understanding whether genetic factors contribute to inter-individual variability is crucial for interpreting imaging results in the context of disease pathophysiology. We tested whether polymorphisms in the genes for catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), monoamine-oxidase B (MAO-B), and the dopamine transporter (DAT) influence dopamine uptake parameters in the striatum in vivo in asymptomatic volunteers and patients with PD as measured with (99)Tc-TRODAT-1. (99)Tc-TRODAT-1 binding declined with age in both asymptomatic volunteers and PD patients, and depended on disease duration in PD patients. We found no significant association between COMT, MAO-B, and DAT polymorphisms and results of (99)Tc-TRODAT-1 testing in asymptomatic volunteers or patients with PD. In PD patients, the age of disease onset and speed of progression did not differ based on these polymorphisms. These results demonstrate that these specific genetic variations do not alter the fidelity of (99)Tc-TRODAT-1 as a measure of dopaminergic function in asymptomatic volunteer individuals or patients with PD. Copyright 2003 Movement Disorder Society

Cardiac {sup 123}I-MIBG scintigraphy in patients with Parkinson`s disease

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Orimo, Satoshi [Kanto Central Hospital, Tokyo (Japan)

1997-08-01

We discuss the cardiac {sup 123}I-MIBG ({sup 123}I-metaiodobenzylguanidine) scintigraphy in patients with Parkinson`s disease (PD) based on our results, and examine the clinical significance in lowering MIBG storage. Thirty-four patients with PD without diabetes millitus or heart failure, presenting normal cardiac thallium scintigraphy, were examined. They included 13 male and 21 female, aged from 52 to 83 (average age 70.1) and their morbid period was between 0.25 and 19 years (agerage 4.9 years). Ten patients with age-matched disease control were chosen. They contained 5 male and 5 female, aged from 59 to 77 (average age 70.7), suffering from headache, vertigo, cerebral infarction, etc. PD patients group and the age-matched control group were compared with the normal control group. In PD patients, MIBG storage was significantly lowered on the initial and the late images in comparison with the disease and neurological control groups, and the wash-out rate was enhanced. There was negative correlation or the expected tendency of correlation between MIBG storage and the clinical severity. MIBG storage was lowered with longer morbid period. Anti-Parkinson drugs had no apparent effects on MIBG storage. The detection rate of abnormality by cardiac MIBG scintigraphy was clearly higher than that by the sympathetic skin response, and some patients who had no sign on the sympathetic skin response showed the lowering of MIBG storage. The possibility of the failure of the norepinephrine transporter system was indicated as the main cause for the lowering of MIBG storage. (K.H.)

Cognitive profiling of Parkinson disease patients with mild cognitive impairment and dementia.

Science.gov (United States)

Biundo, Roberta; Weis, Luca; Facchini, Silvia; Formento-Dojot, Patrizia; Vallelunga, Annamaria; Pilleri, Manuela; Antonini, Angelo

2014-04-01

Prevalence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia in Parkinson disease (PD) is variable because different classification criteria are applied and there is lack of consensus about neuropsychological tests and cut-off used for cognitive profiling. Given the important therapeutic consequences for patient management, we aimed at identifying suitable diagnostic cognitive tests and respective screening cut-off values for MCI and dementia in PD (PDD). We evaluated 105 PD patients using an extensive neuropsychological battery categorized as PD without cognitive impairment (PD-CNT) (35%), PD-MCI (47%) and PDD (18%) based on established criteria and calculated Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves. We found different sensitivity and specificity among neuropsychological tests in detecting PD-MCI and PDD. In particular performance in attention/set shifting, verbal memory and language abilities, discriminated both PD-MCI and PDD from PD-CNT. Abilities involved mainly in semantic retrieval mechanisms discriminated PD-CNT from PD-MCI but also PD-MCI from PDD. Finally deficits in executive and visual-spatial abilities were only affected in PDD. Our data point to an independent and different load of each test in defining different PD cognitive statuses. These findings can help selection of appropriate cognitive batteries in longitudinal studies and definition of stage-specific therapeutic targets. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of PD-WEBB training on balance impairment and falls in people with Parkinson’s disease%PD-WEBB训练对帕金森病平衡障碍和跌倒的影响

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

谷绍娟; 宋治; 范学军; 陈茹; 郑文; 严文广

2013-01-01

Objective:To determine the effect of Parkinson’s disease-weight bearing exercise for better balance (PD-WEBB) exercise on balance impairment and falls in people with Parkinson's disease (PD).Methods:A single-blind, randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted. The falls efficacy scale score, unified Parkinson disease rating scale (UPDRS) score and Mini-BESTest score were measured and compared between a PD-WEBB group and a control group. Results:hTe falls effcacy scale score, UPDRS-2 score, UPDRS-3 score and Mini-BESTest score were improved in the PD-WEBB group compared with the control group (P Conclusion:PD-WEBB training can significantly improve the balance impairment and quality of life to prevent falls. PD-WEBB training is suitable for PD patients in China, and is a reasonable, effective and sustainable training of family and community assessment model.%目的：评价PD-WEBB训练对帕金森病(Parkinson’s disease，PD)患者平衡障碍和跌倒的影响。方法：采用随机、单盲、对照设计分析PD-WEBB训练8周前后PD-WEBB组与对照组PD患者跌倒功效量表(falls effcacy scale，FES)评分、帕金森病综合评分量表(UPDRS)评分和Mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test (Mini-BESTest)评分的变化。结果：8周后PD-WEBB组FES评分、UPDRS-2评分、UPDRS-3评分和Mini-BESTest评分较对照组有明显变化(P<0.05)，而两组间UPDRS-1评分变化不明显。结论：PD-WEBB训练可以明显改善PD患者的平衡障碍，提高患者日常生活质量，预防跌倒。PD-WEBB训练适合中国PD患者，是一种合理有效的可持续的家庭训练模式。

Executive functioning and risk-taking behavior in Parkinson's disease patients with impulse control disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Pineau, Fanny; Roze, Emmanuel; Lacomblez, Lucette; Bonnet, Anne-Marie; Vidailhet, Marie; Czernecki, Virginie; Corvol, Jean-Christophe

2016-06-01

Impulse control disorders (ICD) are common in Parkinson's disease (PD) and are associated with dopaminergic medication. The purpose of this study was to investigate executive function and risk-taking behavior in PD patients with ICD. 17 PD patients with ICD (ICD-PD) were compared to 20 PD patients without ICD (CTRL-PD) using neuropsychological and experimental tasks. Executive functions were assessed using standard executive testing (Conner's Performance Test, Modified Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Trail Making Test and phonological verbal fluency). Subjects were also submitted to an experimental gambling task consisted of three decks of money cards: neutral deck (equal opportunity for gains as losses), winning deck (small amount of money with a positive balance) and loser deck (high amount of money with a negative balance), evaluating risk-taking behavior (number of cards picked in each deck) and valuation of the reward (subjective appreciation of the value of each deck). There was no significant difference in executive functioning between groups. Both groups selected more cards in the losing deck (high amount of money) as compared to the neutral deck (Mann-Whitney test, ICD-PD, p = 0.02; CTRL-PD, p = 0.003) and to the winning deck (Mann-Whitney test, ICD-PD p = 0.0001; CTRL-PD p = 0.003), suggesting an increased risk-taking behavior. Interestingly, we found that ICD-PD patients estimated the value of decks differently from CTRL-PD patients, taking into account mainly the positive reinforced value of the decks (Mann-Whitney test, p = 0.04). This study showed that executive pattern and risk-taking behavior are similar between ICD-PD and CTRL-PD patients. However, ICD-PD patients showed a specific deficit of the subjective estimation of the reward. Links between this deficit and metacognitive skills are discussed.

Prevalence and Clinical Characteristics of Probable REM Behavior Disorder in Thai Parkinson’s Disease Patients

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Patama Gomutbutra

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Previous studies have shown that Parkinson’s disease (PD patients who have REM behavior disorder (PD with RBD might be a PD subtype since they have different symptom clusters and disease trajectories from PD without RBD. Objective. To study the prevalence of PD with pRBD and to compare the clinical characteristics with PD without pRBD. The feasibility of clinical interview of items adopted from the Mayo Sleep Questionnaire was also to be determined. Methods. A total of 140 Parkinson's patients visiting neurological clinics during January to December 2016 were enrolled in this study. “Probable RBD (pRBD” was defined as present when the patient answered “yes” to a question adapted from the first Mayo Sleep Questionnaire (MSQ. The demographic data, motor symptoms, and nonmotor symptoms were obtained. Results. The prevalence of pRBD among this study’s PD patients was 48.5% (68 out of the total of 140. The median onset of RBD before PD diagnosis was 5 years (range: 0–11 years. By comparison of PD with pRBD and PD without pRBD, this study showed significant difference in the levodopa equivalent dose (742 mg/day versus 566 mg/day; p<0.01, prevalence of symptomatic orthostatic hypotension (35.3% versus 8.3%; p<0.01. The multivariable analysis found that pRBD is independently associated with orthostatic hypotension (OR = 5.02, p<0.01. Conclusion. The findings regarding prevalence and main clinical features of PD with pRBD in this study were similar to those of a previous study of PD with polysomnogram- (PSG- proven RBD. This study hypothesized that interviewing by adopted MSQ may be a cost-effective tool for screening RBD. Further studies with direct comparison are needed.

Chinese expert consensus on programming deep brain stimulation for patients with Parkinson's disease.

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Chen, Shengdi; Gao, Guodong; Feng, Tao; Zhang, Jianguo

2018-01-01

Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) therapy for the treatment of Parkinson's Disease (PD) is now a well-established option for some patients. Postoperative standardized programming processes can improve the level of postoperative management and programming, relieve symptoms and improve quality of life. In order to improve the quality of the programming, the experts on DBS and PD in neurology and neurosurgery in China reviewed the relevant literatures and combined their own experiences and developed this expert consensus on the programming of deep brain stimulation in patients with PD in China. This Chinese expert consensus on postoperative programming can standardize and improve postoperative management and programming of DBS for PD.

Detection of Microbial 16S rRNA Gene in the Blood of Patients With Parkinson’s Disease

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Yiwei Qian

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Emerging evidence suggests that the microbiota present in feces plays a role in Parkinson’s disease (PD. However, the alterations of the microbiome in the blood of PD patients remain unknown. To test this hypothesis, we conducted this case-control study to explore the microbiota compositions in the blood of Chinese PD patients. Microbiota communities in the blood of 45 patients and their healthy spouses were investigated using high-throughput Illumina HiSeq sequencing targeting the V3-V4 region of 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA gene. The relationships between the microbiota in the blood and PD clinical characteristics were analyzed. No difference was detected in the structure and richness between PD patients and healthy controls. The following genera were enriched in the blood of PD patients: Isoptericola, Cloacibacterium, Enhydrobacter and Microbacterium; whereas genus Limnobacter was enriched in the healthy controls after adjusting for age, gender, body mass index (BMI and constipation. Additionally, the findings regarding these genera were validated in another independent group of 58 PD patients and 57 healthy controls using real-time PCR targeting genus-specific 16S rRNA genes. Furthermore, not only the genera Cloacibacterium and Isoptericola (which were identified as enriched in PD patients but also the genera Paludibacter and Saccharofermentans were positively associated with disease duration. Some specific genera in the blood were related to mood disorders. We believe this is the first report to provide direct evidence to support the hypothesis that the identified microbiota in the blood are associated with PD. Additionally, some microbiota in the blood are closely associated with the clinical characteristics of PD. Elucidating these differences in blood microbiomes will provide a foundation to improve our understanding of the role of microbiota in the pathogenesis of PD.

[Psychosocial strategies to strengthen the coping with Parkinson's disease: Perspectives from patients, family carers and healthcare professionals].

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Navarta-Sánchez, María Victoria; Caparrós, Neus; Ursúa Sesma, María Eugenia; Díaz de Cerio Ayesa, Sara; Riverol, Mario; Portillo, Mari Carmen

2017-04-01

To explore the main psychosocial aspects which have influence on the coping with the disease in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and their family carers. An exploratory qualitative study which constitutes the second phase of a mixed-methods project. Multicenter study carried out in Navarre in 2014 in collaboration with Primary Care of Navarre Service of Health-Osasunbidea, Clínica Universidad de Navarra and Navarre Association of Parkinson's patients. A total of 21 participants: 9 people with PD, 7 family carers and 5 healthcare professionals. Participants were selected through purposive sampling. Focus groups were conducted until a suitable saturation data was achieved. Transcriptions were analysed by 2 researchers through a content analysis. Three aspects that affected how patients and family carers coped with PD were identified: features of the clinical practice; family environment, and disease's acceptance. Taking account of these findings, some strategies which could foster these aspects from primary healthcare are suggested in order to improve the adjustment to the disease in patients and family carers. The healthcare in people with PD should have an integral approach that tackle the symptoms control in patients and also deal with psychosocial aspects that influence on the coping with the disease, in patients and family carers. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Smoking, diabetes, blood hypertension: possible etiologic role for Peyronie’s disease? Analysis in 279 patients with a control group in Sicily

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Carlo Pavone

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Objective: To assess the proportion of patients with Peyronie’s Disease (PD and the possible association with its potential risk factors in the general population of the central and western Sicily in our weekly andrological outpatient clinic. Materials and methods: We recruited a sample of 279 consecutive patients consulting our andrological outpatient clinic. Two arms were created: the first one composed by PD patients (men with symptoms suggestive for PD, the second one composed by patients with other andrological diseases (control arm. For each patient we evaluated the age, cigarette smoking, diabetes, blood hypertension and erectile function. In the PD arm we administered validated questionnaires to determine the erectile function status by the International Index of Erectile Function 5 (IIEF-5 and the pain status during erection by the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS. A univariate analysis was conducted using R software. Results: We enrolled 279 consecutive patients. The number of PD patients was 97 (34,7%. The univariate analysis showed a correlation between PD and cigarette smoking (p = 0.0242, blood hypertension (p < 0.001, erectile dysfunction (p < 0.001. No significant association was observed between diabetes and PD (p = 0.358. The median age of PD arm was 60 years and the median age of the control arm was 63,5 years; therefore the median age of PD arm resulted lower than the median age of the control arm (p = 0,031. Conclusions: Peyronie’s disease is more common than we might think; furthermore it can be diagnosed among young patients. According to our results, cigarette smoking and blood hypertension may be considered statically significant risk factors for developing PD. On the contrary diabetes seems not to be a risk factor for PD. According to our results PD should be sought also in young patients. Further studies are necessary to confirm that removing the indicated risk factors may reduce the incidence of PD.

Evaluation of cardiovascular risk in patients with Parkinson disease under levodopa treatment.

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Günaydın, Zeki Yüksel; Özer, Fahriye Feriha; Karagöz, Ahmet; Bektaş, Osman; Karataş, Mehmet Baran; Vural, Aslı; Bayramoğlu, Adil; Çelik, Abdullah; Yaman, Mehmet

2016-01-01

Levodopa is the indispensable choice of medial therapy in patients with Parkinson disease (PD). Since L-dopa treatment was shown to increase serum homocysteine levels, a well-known risk factor for cardiovascular disorders, the patients with PD under L-dopa treatment will be at increased risk for future cardiovascular events. The objective of this study is to evaluate cardiovascular risk in patients with PD under levodopa treatment. The study population consisted of 65 patients with idiopathic PD under L-dopa treatment. The control group included 32 age and gender matched individuals who had no cognitive decline. Echocardiographic measurements, serum homocysteine levels and elastic parameters of the aorta were compared between the patients with PD and controls. As an expected feature of L-dopa therapy, the Parkinson group had significantly higher homocystein levels (15.1 ± 3.9 µmol/L vs. 11.5 ± 3.2 µmol/L, P = 0.02). Aortic distensibility was significantly lower in the patients with PD when compared to controls (4.8 ± 1.5 dyn/cm(2) vs. 6.2 ± 1.9 dyn/cm(2), P = 0.016). Additionally, the patients with PD had higher aortic strain and aortic stiffness index (13.4% ± 6.4% vs. 7.4% ± 3.6%, P homocysteine levels were found to be positively correlated with aortic stiffness index and there was a negative correlation between aortic distensibility and levels of serum homocysteine (r = 0.674, P homocysteine levels may be a possible pathophysiological mechanism.

RISC in PD: The Impact of MicroRNAs in Parkinson’s Disease Cellular and Molecular Pathogenesis

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Sabrina Mahalia Heman-Ackah

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Parkinson’s disease (PD is a debilitating neurodegenerative disease characterized primarily by the selective death of dopaminergic (DA neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta of the midbrain. Although several genetic forms of PD have been identified, the precise molecular mechanisms underlying DA neuron loss in PD remain elusive. In recent years, microRNAs (miRNAs have been recognized as potent post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression with fundamental roles in numerous biological processes. Although their role in PD pathogenesis is still a very active area of investigation, several seminal studies have contributed significantly to our understanding of the roles these small non-coding RNAs play in the disease process. Among these are studies which have demonstrated specific miRNAs that target and down-regulate the expression of PD-related genes as well as those demonstrating a reciprocal relationship in which PD-related genes act to regulate miRNA processing machinery. Concurrently, a wealth of knowledge has become available regarding the molecular mechanisms that unify the underlying etiology of genetic and sporadic PD pathogenesis, including dysregulated protein quality control by the ubiquitin-proteasome system and autophagy pathway, activation of programmed cell death, mitochondrial damage and aberrant DA neurodevelopment and maintenance. Following a discussion of the interactions between PD-related genes and miRNAs, this review highlights those studies which have elucidated the roles of these pathways in PD pathogenesis. We highlight the potential of miRNAs to serve a critical regulatory role in the implicated disease pathways, given their capacity to modulate the expression of entire families of related genes. Although few studies have directly linked miRNA regulation of these pathways to PD, a strong foundation for investigation has been laid and this area holds promise to reveal novel therapeutic targets for PD.

Linear and nonlinear tremor acceleration characteristics in patients with Parkinson's disease

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Meigal, A Yu; Rissanen, S M; Airaksinen, O; Tarvainen, M P; Georgiadis, S D; Karjalainen, P A; Kankaanpää, M

2012-01-01

The purpose of the study was to evaluate linear and nonlinear tremor characteristics of the hand in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and to compare the results with those of healthy old and young control subjects. Furthermore, the aim was to study correlation between tremor characteristics and clinical signs. A variety of nonlinear (sample entropy, cross-sample entropy, recurrence rate, determinism and correlation dimension) and linear (amplitude, spectral peak frequency and total power, and coherence) hand tremor parameters were computed from acceleration measurements for PD patients (n = 30, 68.3 ± 7.8 years), and old (n = 20, 64.2 ± 7.0 years) and young (n = 20, 18.4 ± 1.1 years) control subjects. Nonlinear tremor parameters such as determinism, sample entropy and cross-sample entropy were significantly different between the PD patients and healthy controls. These parameters correlated with the Unified Parkinson's disease rating scale (UPDRS), tremor and finger tapping scores, but not with the rigidity scores. Linear tremor parameters such as the amplitude and the maximum power (power corresponding to peak frequency) also correlated with the clinical findings. No major difference was detected in the tremor characteristics between old and young control subjects. The study revealed that tremor in PD patients is more deterministic and regular when compared to old or young healthy controls. The nonlinear tremor parameters can differentiate patients with PD from healthy control subjects and these parameters may have potential in the assessment of the severity of PD (UPDRS). (paper)

National surveys: a way to manage treatment strategies in Parkinson's disease? Pharmaceutical prescribing patterns and patient experiences of symptom control and their impact on disease

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Skogar Ö

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Örjan Skogar,1,2 Mats Nilsson,1 Carl-Johan Törnhage,3 Johan Lökk2 1Futurum Health Care Academy, Jönköping, 2Institution of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Stockholm, 3Department of Pediatrics, Skaraborg Hospital, Skövde, Sweden Background: The purpose of this study was to draw conclusions from patient-reported experiences in two national surveys from Scandinavia with the intention of comparing treatment strategies and increasing our knowledge of factors that affect the experiences of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD. Methods: A total of 2000 individuals in Sweden and 1300 in Norway were invited to complete postal surveys covering PD-related issues. Patient experiences of diagnostic procedures, symptom control, and follow-up in PD and the effects on symptom-related quality of life were collected. Pharmaceutical prescription data on anti-PD drugs and administrative data were collected from national registries. Results: The surveys were completed by 1553 (78% of the Swedish cohort and 1244 (96% of the Norwegian cohort. Only small differences were seen in disease duration and age distribution. Statistically as well as clinically significant differences in symptom control, diagnostic, and follow-up procedures, as well as in pharmacological treatment and impact on quality of life, were found between the national cohorts independent of disease duration. Conclusion: Information from separate national surveys has the potential to increase our knowledge of patient experiences in PD and can be used to compare, evaluate, educate, and guide health care staff and administrators in optimizing health care for patients with the disease. Keywords: parkinson's disease, diagnosis, follow-up, pharmaceutical prescription, quality of life, survey

The relationship between the regional cerebral blood flow and the cognitive function and anosmia in patients with Parkinson disease and Alzheimer disease

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Imamura, Kazuhiro; Matsumoto, Shinjirou; Mabuchi, Naoki; Kobayashi, Yasushi; Okayasu, Naoki; Watanabe, Kenichi

2009-01-01

We compared the relationship between regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) of the olfactory area and the cognitive function and anosmia in patient with Parkinson disease (PD) and in those with Alzheimer disease (AD). Unified Parkinson's disease rating scale (UPDRS) III, mini-mental state examination (MMSE), Hasegawa dementia scale-revised (HDS-R), clinical dementia rating (CDR), Beck depression inventory (BDI) were employed in this study. The subjects included 56 PD patients (average age 71.4±9.69 years), 23 AD patients (average age 73.3±7.12 years), 12 patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) (average age 72.5±6.89 years), and 9 age-matched controls (NC) (average age 73.8±6.61 years). Next we intravenously injected 1 ampule of thiamine propyldisulphide (Alinamin) and confirmed anosmia. In addition, we performed 123 I-iofetamine (IMP) single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) (SEE methods) and statistically determined rCBF of the olfactory area based on the basis of the Z scores of the interest area. Anosmia was detected in approximately 40% of the PD and AD patients. The HDS-R and MMSE scores were significantly higher in patients with anosmia than in those without anosmia; the CDR scores were significantly higher in the former than in the latter. Further, the incidence of anosmia in PD patients and AD patients with MCI increased with an increase in the CDR scores. In order to determine the rCBF of the olfactory area of the PD and AD patients. As to rCBF of the olfactory area, we examined left and right Z scores of hippocampus, parahippocampus, amygdala, and uncus at Talairach level 3 and the scores of the Brodmann area 28, 34, 35, and 36 at Talairach level 5. In patients with anosmia, the Z scores were significantly high in cases with anosmia in all areas except the right Brodmann area 34 in PD patients and the right Brodmann area 28 and bilateral the Brodmann area 34 of both sides in AD patients. Some parts of the olfactory area are closely

Cerebral blood flow and oxygen metabolism in patients with Parkinson's disease

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Kitamura, Shin; Ujike, Takashi; Kuroki, Soemu; Sakamoto, Shizuki; Soeda, Toshiyuki; Terashi, Akiro; Iio, Masaaki.

1988-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine functional changes in the cerebral cortex and basal ganglia in Parkinson's disease (PD). Cerebral blood flow (CBF), oxygen extraction fraction (OEF), and cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (CMRO 2 ) were determined using 0-15 positron emission tomography in 10 PD patients and five age-matched healthy volunteers. There was a tendency among PD patients towards a decreased CBF and CMRO 2 in the cerebral cortex and basal ganglia. These values were significantly lower in the frontal cortex in the PD group than the control group. There was no difference in OEF between the groups. A more decreased cerebral oxygen metabolism was observed in patients staged as severer on the scale of Hoehn and Yahr. There was no correlation between cerebral oxygen metabolism and tremor, rigidity, or bradykinesis. A decreased cerebral oxygen metabolism was associated with mental disorders, such as depression, hallucination, and dementia. These results may provide an important clue for the understanding of mesocortical dopaminergic pathway and the relationship between PD and dementia. (N.K.)

Cerebral blood flow and oxygen metabolism in patients with Parkinson's disease

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Kitamura, Shin; Ujike, Takashi; Kuroki, Soemu; Sakamoto, Shizuki; Soeda, Toshiyuki; Terashi, Akiro; Iio, Masaaki

1988-10-01

The purpose of this study was to determine functional changes in the cerebral cortex and basal ganglia in Parkinson's disease (PD). Cerebral blood flow (CBF), oxygen extraction fraction (OEF), and cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (CMRO/sub 2/) were determined using 0-15 positron emission tomography in 10 PD patients and five age-matched healthy volunteers. There was a tendency among PD patients towards a decreased CBF and CMRO/sub 2/ in the cerebral cortex and basal ganglia. These values were significantly lower in the frontal cortex in the PD group than the control group. There was no difference in OEF between the groups. A more decreased cerebral oxygen metabolism was observed in patients staged as severer on the scale of Hoehn and Yahr. There was no correlation between cerebral oxygen metabolism and tremor, rigidity, or bradykinesis. A decreased cerebral oxygen metabolism was associated with mental disorders, such as depression, hallucination, and dementia. These results may provide an important clue for the understanding of mesocortical dopaminergic pathway and the relationship between PD and dementia. (N.K.).

Correlation of Sleep Disturbance and Cognitive Impairment in Patients with Parkinson’s Disease

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Eun Ja Kim

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Objective Cognitive impairment is a common nonmotor symptom of Parkinson’s disease (PD and is associated with high mortality, caregiver distress, and nursing home placement. The risk factors for cognitive decline in PD patients include advanced age, longer disease duration, rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder, hallucinations, excessive daytime sleepiness, and nontremor symptoms including bradykinesia, rigidity, postural instability, and gait disturbance. We conducted a cross-sectional study to determine which types of sleep disturbances are related to cognitive function in PD patients. Methods A total of 71 PD patients (29 males, mean age 66.46 ± 8.87 years were recruited. All patients underwent the Mini- Mental State Examination (MMSE and the Korean Version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessments (MoCA-K to assess global cognitive function. Sleep disorders were evaluated with the Stanford Sleepiness Scale, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Insomnia Severity Index (ISI, Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index, and Parkinson’s Disease Sleep Scale in Korea (PDSS. Results The ISI was correlated with the MMSE, and total PDSS scores were correlated with the MMSE and the MoCA-K. In each item of the PDSS, nocturnal restlessness, vivid dreams, hallucinations, and nocturnal motor symptoms were positively correlated with the MMSE, and nocturnal restlessness and vivid dreams were significantly related to the MoCA-K. Vivid dreams and nocturnal restlessness are considered the most powerful correlation factors with global cognitive function, because they commonly had significant correlation to cognition assessed with both the MMSE and the MoCA-K. Conclusions We found a correlation between global cognitive function and sleep disturbances, including vivid dreams and nocturnal restlessness, in PD patients.

Differential effects of tango versus Dance for PD in Parkinson disease

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Marie E McNeely

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Over half of the general population does not achieve recommended daily levels of physical activity, and activity levels in people with Parkinson disease (PD are lower than in healthy older adults. Dance can serve as an adjunct to traditional treatments to improve gait, balance, and quality of life in people with PD. This study directly compares a tango dance intervention and a dance intervention based on the Dance for PD model which integrates multiple dance styles. Eleven people with PD participated in a community-based mixed styles dance intervention called Dance for Parkinson’s (D4PD. Participants in the D4PD group were matched to participants in an ongoing community-based exercise study who participated in tango dance. The groups received 12 weeks of intervention, attending one-hour group classes twice a week. Participants were evaluated off anti-PD medication before and after intervention. Measures of balance, repeated sit-to-stand performance and endurance (Mini-BESTest, four square step test, five times sit to stand, six minute walk time improved from pre to post similarly in both groups. Motor sign severity (MDS-UPDRS-III and functional mobility (TUG improved in the tango group and worsened in the D4PD group. Gait velocity was not affected by either intervention. Direct comparisons of different interventions are critical for developing optimal exercise interventions designed to specifically target motor impairments in PD. Tango dance interventions may preferentially improve mobility and motor signs in people with PD, compared to D4PD.

Unplanned Start on Peritoneal Dialysis Right after PD Catheter Implantation for Older People with End-Stage Renal Disease.

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Povlsen, Johan V; Sørensen, Anette Bagger; Ivarsen, Per

2015-11-01

Unplanned start on dialysis remains a major problem for the dialysis community worldwide. Late-referred patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and urgent need for dialysis are overrepresented among older people. These patients are particularly likely to be started on in-center hemodialysis (HD), with a temporary vascular access known to be associated with excess mortality and increased risks of potentially lethal complications such as bacteremia and central venous thrombosis or stenosis.The present paper describes in detail our program for unplanned start on automated peritoneal dialysis (APD) right after PD catheter implantation and summarizes our experiences with the program so far. Compared with planned start on PD after at least 2 weeks of break-in between PD catheter implantation and initiation of dialysis, unplanned start may be associated with a slight increased risk of mechanical complications but apparently no detrimental effect on mortality, peritonitis-free survival, or PD technique survival.In our opinion and experience, the risk of serious complications associated with the implantation and immediate use of a PD catheter is less than the risk of complications associated with unplanned start on HD with a temporary central venous catheter (CVC). Unplanned start on APD is a gentle, safe, and feasible alternative to unplanned start on HD with a temporary CVC that is also valid for the late-referred older patient with ESRD and urgent need for dialysis. Copyright © 2015 International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis.

The effects of dual tasking on handwriting in patients with Parkinson's disease.

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Broeder, S; Nackaerts, E; Nieuwboer, A; Smits-Engelsman, B C M; Swinnen, S P; Heremans, E

2014-03-28

Previous studies have shown that patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) experience extensive problems during dual tasking. Up to now, dual-task interference in PD has mainly been investigated in the context of gait research. However, the simultaneous performance of two different tasks is also a prerequisite to efficiently perform many other tasks in daily life, including upper limb tasks. To address this issue, this study investigated the effect of a secondary cognitive task on the performance of handwriting in patients with PD. Eighteen PD patients and 11 age-matched controls performed a writing task involving the production of repetitive loops under single- and dual-task conditions. The secondary task consisted of counting high and low tones during writing. The writing tests were performed with two amplitudes (0.6 and 1.0cm) using a writing tablet. Results showed that dual-task performance was affected in PD patients versus controls. Dual tasking reduced writing amplitude in PD patients, but not in healthy controls (p=0.046). Patients' writing size was mainly reduced during the small-amplitude condition (small amplitude p=0.017; large amplitude p=0.310). This suggests that the control of writing at small amplitudes requires more compensational brain-processing recourses in PD and is as such less automatic than writing at large amplitudes. In addition, there was a larger dual-task effect on the secondary task in PD patients than controls (p=0.025). The writing tests on the writing tablet proved highly correlated to daily life writing as measured by the 'Systematic Screening of Handwriting Difficulties' test (SOS-test) and other manual dexterity tasks, particularly during dual-task conditions. Taken together, these results provide additional insights into the motor control of handwriting and the effects of dual tasking during upper limb movements in patients with PD. Copyright © 2014 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

SPECT image analysis using SPM in patients with parkinson's disease and essential tremor : rCBF correlates of immediate surgical outcome following unilateral thalamo-pallidotomy in PD

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Kim, Jong Ho; Kim, Nam Bum; Lee, Uhn

2002-01-01

This study investigated alterations in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in patients with PD and essential tremor (ET) using statistical parametric mapping (SPM) and rCBF correlates of immediate surgical outcome following unilateral thalamo-pallidotomy in patients with PD. Noninvasive rCBF measurements using 99m Tc-ethyl cysteinate dimer (ECD) SPECT were performed on 10 PD (60.5±8.7), 10 ET (55.5±17.7) patients and 10 healthy controls (56.2±12.0). Eight patients with PD following unilateral right thalamo-pallidotomy and five following unilateral left thalamo-pallidotomy underwent pre- and post-operative rCBF SPECT both one week before and after surgery. Acquisition were acquired within 30 min, 360 rotations with 90 projections were collected in a 128 x 128 matrix using a dual head gamma camera (Siemens, Multispect II). Data were analyzed using SPM 99. We found definite bilateral decreased rCBF in perfrontal cortex, bilateral increased rCBF in dentate nucleus of superomedial cerebellum in patients with PD and bilateral increased rCBF in lateral aspect of cerebellum in ET, respectively, compared with healthy controls. In addition, rCBF suspiciousely increased bilaterally in left dorsolateral frontal cortex in ET with equivocal clinical significance. Following 8 right and 5 left unilateral thalamo-pallidotomy in PD patients, immediate postop declines in ipsilateral fronto-temporal and temporal cortical perfusion, respectively, as well as pallidothalamic hypoperfusion were significant. SPM analysis showed that significantly decreased rCBF in bilateral perfrontal cortex and increased rCBF in dentate uncleus of superomedial cerebellum in PD and increased bilateral rCBF in lateral aspect of cerebellum in ET. Unilateral thalamo-pallidotomy in PD patients reduced the immediate post-operative rCBF declines in ipsilateral temporal (frontal) cortex as well as pallidothalamic hypoperfusion which is suggestive of thalamo-cortical diaschisis

Postural control deficit during sit-to-walk in patients with Parkinson's disease and freezing of gait.

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Mezzarobba, Susanna; Grassi, Michele; Valentini, Roberto; Bernardis, Paolo

2018-03-01

The intricate linkage between Freezing of Gait (FoG) and postural control in Parkinson's disease (PD) is unclear. We analyzed the impact of FoG on dynamic postural control. 24 PD patients, 12 with (PD + FoG), 12 without FoG (PD-FoG), and 12 healthy controls, were assessed in ON state. Mobility and postural control were measured with clinical scales (UPDRS III, BBS, MPAS) and with kinematic and kinetic analysis during three tasks, characterized by levels of increasing difficulty to plan sequential movement of postural control: walk (W), gait initiation (GI) and sit-to-walk (STW). The groups were balanced by age, disease duration, disease severity, mobility and balance. During STW, the spatial distribution of COP trajectories in PD + FoG patients are spread over medial-lateral space more than in the PD-FoG (p controls, but it is more centrally dispersed (p postural control differences in STW, compared with PD-FoG and healthy. Different spatial distribution of COP trajectories, between two PD groups are probably due to a deficit to plan postural control during a more demanding motor pattern, such as STW. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The clinical research on fractionated irradiation treatment with X knife in patients of PD

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Wei Pengxiang; Chen Xu; Ai Quanshan; Xia Jiyong; Yang Jiongda; Chen Binghuan

2003-01-01

Objective: To explore X knife treatment methods and to seek a new effective way for PD therapy. Methods: Sixteen patients of PD were treated by performing VIM with 2 times of X knife fractionated irradiation (interval, 24 h) to a total dose of 140 Gy, and 8 patients of PD were treated by performing VIM with 3 times of X knife fractionated irradiation (interval, 24 h) to a total of dose of 165 Gy. Results: During 3-24 months follow-up after X knife treatment, tremor was stopped in 19 patients and was relived significantly in 5 patients. Rigidity and bradykinesia of PD were relieved slightly. No complications were observed. Conclusion: To perform VIM with X knife fractionated irradiation can be safely and effectively used to treat PD. The tremor of PD can be relieved slightly

Forced, not voluntary, exercise improves motor function in Parkinson's disease patients.

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Ridgel, Angela L; Vitek, Jerrold L; Alberts, Jay L

2009-01-01

Animal studies indicate forced exercise (FE) improves overall motor function in Parkinsonian rodents. Global improvements in motor function following voluntary exercise (VE) are not widely reported in human Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of VE and FE on PD symptoms, motor function, and bimanual dexterity. Ten patients with mild to moderate PD were randomly assigned to complete 8 weeks of FE or VE. With the assistance of a trainer, patients in the FE group pedaled at a rate 30% greater than their preferred voluntary rate, whereas patients in the VE group pedaled at their preferred rate. Aerobic intensity for both groups was identical, 60% to 80% of their individualized training heart rate. Aerobic fitness improved for both groups. Following FE, Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) motor scores improved 35%, whereas patients completing VE did not exhibit any improvement. The control and coordination of grasping forces during the performance of a functional bimanual dexterity task improved significantly for patients in the FE group, whereas no changes in motor performance were observed following VE. Improvements in clinical measures of rigidity and bradykinesia and biomechanical measures of bimanual dexterity were maintained 4 weeks after FE cessation. Aerobic fitness can be improved in PD patients following both VE and FE interventions. However, only FE results in significant improvements in motor function and bimanual dexterity. Biomechanical data indicate that FE leads to a shift in motor control strategy, from feedback to a greater reliance on feedforward processes, which suggests FE may be altering central motor control processes.

Assessment of cognitive impairment in patients with Parkinson's disease: prevalence and risk factors

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Wang Q

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Qiumei Wang,1 Zhenxin Zhang,2 Ling Li,2 Hongbo Wen,2 Qun Xu3,4 1Department of Geriatrics, 2Department of Neurology, 3School of Basic Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, 4Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China Background: Although Parkinson's disease (PD is clinically characterized by motor symptoms, cognitive impairment is one of the most disabling non-motor symptoms. Despite it attracting increasing attention worldwide, less is known about its prevalence in the Chinese population. The objective of this study was to assess cognitive impairment and related risk factors in Chinese PD patients. Methods: We collected the demographic, diagnostic, and treatment information of 901 PD patients from 42 centers throughout the People's Republic of China, then administered a battery of neuropsychological tests, to assess motor, cognitive, and neuropsychiatric symptoms. Results: Overall, 193 of 901 (21.4% PD patients met the criteria for dementia (PD-D, and 206 (22.8% met the criteria for mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI. Visuospatial dysfunction and attention/executive impairment predominated. Increased severity of cognitive impairment was associated with greater motor impairment. Patients with psychiatric symptoms, such as depression and hallucinations, were more likely to have dementia. Potentially, the younger-aged and more educated are shown less cognitive impairment, but age at onset, and levodopa equivalent dose, were not associated with the presence of cognitive dysfunction. Conclusion: The prevalence and profile of cognitive impairment in Chinese PD patients, as well as the risk factors, are similar as those reported for other races, but the frequency of nonamnestic cognitive domains differs. Keywords: cognitive impairment, risk factor, prevalence, Parkinson's disease

Imaging of D2 dopamine receptors of patients with Parkinson's disease using SPECT and 131I-IBZM

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Zhang Wei; Wang Jian; Jiang Yuping; Lu Chuanzhen

2001-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the usefulness of SPECT with 131 I-IBZM in imaging of D 2 Dopamine receptors in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Methods: Six patients which early unmedicated PD, six patients with moderate or advanced PD treated with long-term oral L-Dopa and Four control subjects were investigated with SPECT using 131 I-IBZM as dopamine receptor ligand. The ratio of basal ganglia to occipital cortex (BG/OC) and ratio of basal ganglia to frontal cortex (BG/FC) were calculated as semiquantitative parameter of striatal D 2 dopamine receptor's function. Results: The SPECT images revealed high uptake of IBZM in the basal ganglia. In the early unmedicated PD group, the BG/PC and BG/FC rates were significantly higher in the striatum contralateral to the parkinsonism. In the moderate or advanced PD group, no significant differences were observed bilaterally, and the BG/OC and the BG/FC rates in this group was lower than those of the control. Conclusion: 131 I-IBZM with SPECT imaging is useful in evaluating patients with Parkinson's disease

Pramipexole-induced antecollis in patients with Parkinson's disease: Two cases and literature review

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Mutsumi Iijima

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Antecollis is considered to be relatively rare in Parkinson's disease (PD. Few cases of dopamine agonist-induce antecollis in PD have been reported. We described literature review of 12 PD patients including our 2 cases with pramipexole (PPX-induced antecollis. The patients were predominantly Japanese, women and above 3 of Hoehn and Yahr stage. PPX-induced antecollis in PD was considered a type of dystonia of flexor neck muscle, and was improved soon after cessation or reduction of PPX. Our two cases improved their antecollis by overnight changing from PPX to ropinirole without deteriorating motor functions. Overnight switching of DA was considered useful as one option in the treatment of antecollis.

Screening for impulse control symptoms in patients with de novo Parkinson disease: a case-control study.

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Weintraub, Daniel; Papay, Kimberly; Siderowf, Andrew

2013-01-08

To determine the frequency and correlates of impulse control and related behavior symptoms in patients with de novo, untreated Parkinson disease (PD) and healthy controls (HCs). The Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative is an international, multisite, case-control clinical study conducted at 21 academic movement disorders centers. Participants were recently diagnosed, untreated PD patients (n = 168) and HCs (n = 143). The outcome measures were presence of current impulse control and related behavior symptoms based on recommended cutoff points for the Questionnaire for Impulsive-Compulsive Disorders in Parkinson's Disease (QUIP)-Short Form. There were 311 participants with complete QUIP data. Frequencies of impulse control and related behavior symptoms for patients with PD vs HCs were as follows: gambling (1.2% vs. 0.7%), buying (3.0% vs. 2.1%), sexual behavior (4.2% vs. 3.5%), eating (7.1% vs. 10.5%), punding (4.8% vs. 2.1%), hobbyism (5.4% vs. 11.9%), walkabout (0.6% vs. 0.7%), and any impulse control or related behavior (18.5% vs. 20.3%). In multivariable models, a diagnosis of PD was not associated with symptoms of any impulse control or related behavior (p ≥ 0.10 in all cases). PD itself does not seem to confer an increased risk for development of impulse control or related behavior symptoms, which further reinforces the reported association between PD medications and impulse control disorders in PD. Given that approximately 20% of patients with newly diagnosed PD report some impulse control or related behavior symptoms, long-term follow-up is needed to determine whether such patients are at increased risk for impulse control disorder development once PD medications are initiated.

Non-Motor Symptoms in Patients Suffering from Motor Neuron Diseases.

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Günther, René; Richter, Nicole; Sauerbier, Anna; Chaudhuri, Kallol Ray; Martinez-Martin, Pablo; Storch, Alexander; Hermann, Andreas

2016-01-01

The recently postulated "disease spreading hypothesis" has gained much attention, especially for Parkinson's disease (PD). The various non-motor symptoms (NMS) in neurodegenerative diseases would be much better explained by this hypothesis than by the degeneration of disease-specific cell populations. Motor neuron disease (MND) is primarily known as a group of diseases with a selective loss of motor function. However, recent evidence suggests disease spreading into non-motor brain regions also in MND. The aim of this study was to comprehensively detect NMS in patients suffering from MND. We used a self-rating questionnaire including 30 different items of gastrointestinal, autonomic, neuropsychiatric, and sleep complaints [NMS questionnaire (NMSQuest)], which is an established tool in PD patients. 90 MND patients were included and compared to 96 controls. In total, MND patients reported significantly higher NMS scores (median: 7 points) in comparison to controls (median: 4 points). Dribbling, impaired taste/smelling, impaired swallowing, weight loss, loss of interest, sad/blues, falling, and insomnia were significantly more prevalent in MND patients compared to controls. Interestingly, excessive sweating was more reported in the MND group. Correlation analysis revealed an increase of total NMS score with disease progression. NMS in MND patients seemed to increase with disease progression, which would fit with the recently postulated "disease spreading hypothesis." The total NMS score in the MND group significantly exceeded the score for the control group, but only 8 of the 30 single complaints of the NMSQuest were significantly more often reported by MND patients. Dribbling, impaired swallowing, weight loss, and falling could primarily be connected to motor neuron degeneration and declared as motor symptoms in MND.

Dopamine transporter SPECT in patients with Parkinson's disease

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Hamano, Tadanori; Tsuchida, Tatsuro; Hirayama, Mikio; Fujiyama, Jiro; Mutoh, Tatsuro; Yonekura, Yoshiharu; Kuriyama, Masaru [Fukui Medical Univ., Matsuoka (Japan)

2000-03-01

The major neuropathological feature in Parkinson's disease (PD) is severe degeneration of the dopamine (DA) neurons in the substantia nigra. Dopamine transporter (DAT) is an important protein in the regulation of DA neurotransmission. It has been reported that PD patients show a loss of DAT in striatum. We report here the findings of single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) of the DAT with 2{beta}-carboxymethoxy-3{beta}-(4[{sup 123}I]iodophenyl)tropane ([{sup 123}I]{beta}-CIT) to investigate striatal DAT in 10 patients with PD, one patient with vascular parkinsonism (VP), and one patient with dystonia syndrome. Patients were evaluated using the Webster rating scale. Specific/nondisplaceable striatal binding ratio (V3'') was obtained in each case. In PD patients, the uptake of [{sup 123}I]{beta}-CIT was reduced, especially in the tail of putamen compared with caudate nucleus. Even in the early stage of PD, the uptake of {beta}-CIT was reduced not only in the severely affected side, but also in the mildly disturbed side of the brain. Putamen caudate ratio was generally low in PD patients. In VP patient, the uptake was reduced, but putamen caudate ratio was not decreased. V3'' values showed significant correlation with the severity of clinical symptoms such as self-care, facies, posture, gait, speech, and Hoehn-Yahr's stage. On the other hand, V3'' values were not significantly correlated with the degree of tremor, seborrhea, and duration of the illness. In conclusion, we found that SPECT of the [{sup 123}I]{beta}-CIT is a useful method for the diagnosis in the patients presenting parkinsonism, and for the clinico-physiological estimation of parkinsonian symptoms such as self-care, facies, posture, gait, and speech. (author)

Cognitive impairment in early-stage non-demented Parkinson's disease patients

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Pfeiffer, Helle Cecilie Viekilde; Løkkegaard, A; Zoetmulder, Marielle

2013-01-01

In Parkinson's disease (PD), Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD) and Parkinson's disease-mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI) are common. PD-MCI is a risk factor for developing PDD. Knowledge of cognition in early-stages PD is essential in understanding and predicting the dementia process....

Fluctuating Cotard syndrome in a patient with advanced Parkinson disease.

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Solla, Paolo; Cannas, Antonino; Orofino, Gianni; Marrosu, Francesco

2015-02-01

Nonmotor fluctuations of psychiatric symptoms in patients suffering from Parkinson disease (PD) represent a very disabling condition, which may seriously interfere with the quality of life of patients and caregivers. In this regard, these disturbances are present with a higher frequency in advanced PD patients with associated motor complications and can appear both in "on" and in "off" period. Here we report on a case of fluctuating Cotard syndrome clearly related to "wearing-off" deterioration and responsive to levodopa treatment in a patient affected by advanced PD. A 76-year-old woman presented with a 13-year history of PD. Her caregivers reported that, in the last 2 months, she has developed a sudden onset of nihilistic delusion (Cotard syndrome), mainly during the "wearing-off" condition and associated with end of dose dyskinesias and akathisia.As Cotard syndrome clearly improved with the administration of levodopa, the patient was successfully treated changing the levodopa schedule with the shortening of intervals between levodopa intakes in small doses. Both the appearance of the Cotard syndrome in this patient during the "off" state and the subsequent improvement of psychotic symptoms after levodopa administration strongly suggest an important correlation with the dopaminergic dysregulation.This finding suggests that dopaminergic deficit might play a key factor in the development of Cotard syndrome.

Changes of brain structure in Parkinson's disease patients with mild cognitive impairment analyzed via VBM technology.

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Gao, Yuyuan; Nie, Kun; Huang, Biao; Mei, Mingjin; Guo, Manli; Xie, Sifen; Huang, Zhiheng; Wang, Limin; Zhao, Jiehao; Zhang, Yuhu; Wang, Lijuan

2017-09-29

To analyze changes in cerebral grey matter volume and white matter density in non-dementia Parkinson's disease patients using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) technology; to investigate features of brain structure changes in Parkinson's disease patients with mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI), and reveal their intrinsic pathological changes. Based on the diagnostic criteria of PD-MCI, 23 PD-MCI patients, 23 Parkinson's disease patients with normal cognition (PD-NC), and 21 age- and gender-matched healthy people were recruited for the study. Scans were performed on all subjects on a 3.0T MR scanner to obtain brain structural magnetic resonance images. Images were preprocessed using the VBM8 tool from SPM8 software package on the Matlab R2008a platform, and data were then analyzed using the SPM statistical software package to compare the differences of grey matter volume and white matter density between groups, and to evaluate the brain structural changes corresponding to the overall cognitive function. Compared to the control group, the PD-NC group suffered from grey matter atrophy, mainly found in the prefrontal lobe, limbic lobe and left temporal gyrus. The PD-MCI group suffered from grey matter atrophy found in the frontal lobe, limbic lobe, basal ganglia and cerebellum. Compared to the PD-NC group, the PD-MCI group suffered from grey matter atrophy found in the left-side middle temporal gyrus, inferior temporal gyrus and frontal lobe. The grey matter regions correlated with MMSE score (mainly memory related) including the right cingulate gyrus and the limbic lobe. The grey matter regions correlated with MoCA score (mainly non-memory related) including the frontal lobe, basal ganglia, parahippocampal gyrus, occipital lobe and the cerebellum. Additionally, overall cognitive function in non-dementia PD was mainly located in the frontal and limbic system, and was dominated by subcortical atrophy. Structural changes in PD-MCI patients are associated with overall

Verbal memory declines more in female patients with Parkinson's disease: the importance of gender-corrected normative data.

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Fengler, S; Roeske, S; Heber, I; Reetz, K; Schulz, J B; Riedel, O; Wittchen, H U; Storch, A; Linse, K; Baudrexel, S; Hilker, R; Mollenhauer, B; Witt, K; Schmidt, N; Balzer-Geldsetzer, M; Dams, J; Dodel, R; Gräber, S; Pilotto, A; Petrelli, A; Fünkele, S; Kassubek, J; Kalbe, E

2016-08-01

Data on gender-specific profiles of cognitive functions in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) are rare and inconsistent, and possible disease-confounding factors have been insufficiently considered. The LANDSCAPE study on cognition in PD enrolled 656 PD patients (267 without cognitive impairment, 66% male; 292 with mild cognitive impairment, 69% male; 97 with PD dementia, 69% male). Raw values and age-, education-, and gender-corrected Z scores of a neuropsychological test battery (CERAD-Plus) were compared between genders. Motor symptoms, disease duration, l-dopa equivalent daily dose, depression - and additionally age and education for the raw value analysis - were taken as covariates. Raw-score analysis replicated results of previous studies in that female PD patients were superior in verbal memory (word list learning, p = 0.02; recall, p = 0.03), while men outperformed women in visuoconstruction (p = 0.002) and figural memory (p = 0.005). In contrast, gender-corrected Z scores showed that men were superior in verbal memory (word list learning, p = 0.02; recall, p = 0.02; recognition, p = 0.04), while no difference was found for visuospatial tests. This picture could be observed both in the overall analysis of PD patients as well as in a differentiated group analysis. Normative data corrected for gender and other sociodemographic variables are relevant, since they may elucidate a markedly different cognitive profile compared to raw scores. Our study also suggests that verbal memory decline is stronger in women than in men with PD. Future studies are needed to replicate these findings, examine the progression of gender-specific cognitive decline in PD and define different underlying mechanisms of this dysfunction.

Maladaptive Reward-Learning and Impulse Control Disorders in Patients with Parkinson’s Disease: A Clinical Overview and Pathophysiology Update

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Jee-Young Lee

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Impulse control disorders (ICD in Parkinson’s disease (PD are a disabling non-motor symptom with frequencies of 13–35% among patients receiving dopamine replacement therapy. ICD in PD is strongly associated with dopaminergic drug use, especially non-ergot dopamine agonists (DA. However, individual susceptibility and disease-related neural changes are also important contributors to the development of ICD. Discrepancies between nigrostriatal and mesolimbic dopaminergic degeneration and non-physiological administration of dopaminergic drugs may induce abnormal ’hyperstimulation’ of the mesolimbic system, which alters reward-learning behaviors in PD patients. In addition, DA can make patients more impulsive during decision-making and seek risk-taking behaviors. DA intake is also related to the biased representation of rewards. Ultimately, loss of negative feedback control due to dysfunctional frontostriatal connections is necessary for the establishment of ICD in PD. The subsequent behavioral and neural changes are affected by PD treatment and disease progression; thus, proper treatment guidelines for physicians are needed to prevent the development of ICD. Future studies aimed at producing novel therapeutics to control the risk factors for ICD or treat ICD behaviors in PD are warranted. This review summarizes recent advances from epidemiological and pathophysiological studies on ICD in PD. Management principles and limitations of current therapeutics are briefly discussed.

Increased suicide risk and clinical correlates of suicide among patients with Parkinson's disease.

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Lee, Taeyeop; Lee, Hochang Benjamin; Ahn, Myung Hee; Kim, Juyeon; Kim, Mi Sun; Chung, Sun Ju; Hong, Jin Pyo

2016-11-01

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a debilitating, neurodegenerative condition frequently complicated by psychiatric symptoms. Patients with PD may be at higher risk for suicide than the general population, but previous estimates are limited and conflicting. The aim of this study is to estimate the suicide rate based on the clinical case registry and to identify risk factors for suicide among patients diagnosed with PD. The target sample consisted of 4362 patients diagnosed with PD who were evaluated at a general hospital in Seoul, South Korea, from 1996 to 2012. The standardized mortality ratio for suicide among PD patients was estimated. In order to identify the clinical correlates of suicide, case-control study was conducted based on retrospective chart review. The 29 suicide cases (age: 62.3 ± 13.7 years; females: 34.5%) were matched with 116 non-suicide controls (age: 63.5 ± 9.2 years; females 56.9%) by the year of initial PD evaluation. The SMR for suicide in PD patients was 1.99 (95% CI 1.33-2.85). Mean duration from time of initial diagnosis to suicide among cases was 6.1 ± 3.5 years. Case-control analysis revealed that male, initial extremity of motor symptom onset, history of depressive disorder, delusion, any psychiatric disorder, and higher L-dopa dosage were significantly associated with suicide among PD patients. Other PD-related variables such as UPDRS motor score were not significantly associated with death by suicide. Suicide risk in PD patients is approximately 2 times higher than that in the general population. Psychiatric disorders, and also L-dopa medication need further attention with respect to suicide. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Influencing factors of visual hallucinations in patients with Parkinson's disease and its relationship with sleep disorders].

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Wu, D D; Li, S H; Jin, L Y; Jin, Y; Cui, Y Y; Zhao, H; Liu, H J; Ma, X X; Su, W; Chen, H B

2016-04-05

To investigate the prevalence and influencing factors of visual hallucinations in patients with Parkinson's disease(PD), and to analyze the relationship between visual hallucinations and sleep disorders. We recruited 187 patients with PD(H-Y Ⅰ-Ⅲ) from outpatient department in Beijing Hospital. The patients were investigated for general information and the use of medicine. The patients were divided into visual hallucination(VH) group and non-hallucination(non-VH) group. A comparison study was conducted between two groups. We investigated the sleep disorders of PD patients according to Non Motor Symptom Quest(NMSquest) and Parkinson's disease sleep scale(PDSS). Logistic stepwise multiple regression procedures were used to determine the best predictive model of visual hallucinations in patients with PD. (1) 42 cases(22.5%) of PD patients were accompanied by visual hallucinations; (2) the VH group and non-VH group had no difference in age, sex, duration of illness, the scores of Minimum Mental State Examination(MMSE) and levodopa equivalent doses (LED). The scores of Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale(UPDRS) Ⅰ, the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety(HAMA) and the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression(HAMD) in VH group were significantly higher than those in non-VH group[3.5(2, 5) vs 2 (1, 3); 10(6.75, 15) vs 8(5, 11); 11(7.75, 17) vs 9(5, 13); Psleep behavior disorder(RBD) in VH group were significantly higher than those in non-VH group(61.9% vs 40.7%, 71.4% vs 47.6%, P0.05). The score of PDSS in VH group was significantly lower than that in non-VH group[111(92.75, 128.25) vs 123(109, 135), Psleep disorder are independently associated with VH in PD.

Hemodialysis versus Peritoneal Dialysis: A Comparison of Survival Outcomes in South-East Asian Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease.

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Fan Yang

Full Text Available Studies comparing patient survival of hemodialysis (HD and peritoneal dialysis (PD have yielded conflicting results and no such study was from South-East Asia. This study aimed to compare the survival outcomes of patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD who started dialysis with HD and PD in Singapore.Survival data for a maximum of 5 years from a single-center cohort of 871 ESRD patients starting dialysis with HD (n = 641 or PD (n = 230 from 2005-2010 was analyzed using the flexible Royston-Parmar (RP model. The model was also applied to a subsample of 225 propensity-score-matched patient pairs and subgroups defined by age, diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease.After adjusting for the effect of socio-demographic and clinical characteristics, the risk of death was higher in patients initiating dialysis with PD than those initiating dialysis with HD (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.08; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.67-2.59; p<0.001, although there was no significant difference in mortality between the two modalities in the first 12 months of treatment. Consistently, in the matched subsample, patients starting PD had a higher risk of death than those starting HD (HR: 1.73, 95% CI: 1.30-2.28, p<0.001. Subgroup analysis showed that PD may be similar to or better than HD in survival outcomes among young patients (≤65 years old without diabetes or cardiovascular disease.ESRD patients who initiated dialysis with HD experienced better survival outcomes than those who initiated dialysis with PD in Singapore, although survival outcomes may not differ between the two dialysis modalities in young and healthier patients. These findings are potentially confounded by selection bias, as patients were not randomized to the two dialysis modalities in this cohort study.

ATP13A2 variants in early-onset Parkinson's disease patients and controls

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Djarmati, Ana; Hagenah, Johann; Reetz, Kathrin

2009-01-01

Four genes responsible for recessively inherited forms of Parkinson's disease (PD) have been identified, including the recently discovered ATP13A2 (PARK9) gene. Our objective was to investigate the role of this gene in a large cohort of PD patients and controls. We extensively screened all 29 exo...

Mechanical Energy Recovery during Walking in Patients with Parkinson Disease.

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Mariangela Dipaola

Full Text Available The mechanisms of mechanical energy recovery during gait have been thoroughly investigated in healthy subjects, but never described in patients with Parkinson disease (PD. The aim of this study was to investigate whether such mechanisms are preserved in PD patients despite an altered pattern of locomotion. We consecutively enrolled 23 PD patients (mean age 64±9 years with bilateral symptoms (H&Y ≥II if able to walk unassisted in medication-off condition (overnight suspension of all dopaminergic drugs. Ten healthy subjects (mean age 62±3 years walked both at their 'preferred' and 'slow' speeds, to match the whole range of PD velocities. Kinematic data were recorded by means of an optoelectronic motion analyzer. For each stride we computed spatio-temporal parameters, time-course and range of motion (ROM of hip, knee and ankle joint angles. We also measured kinetic (Wk, potential (Wp, total (WtotCM energy variations and the energy recovery index (ER. Along with PD progression, we found a significant correlation of WtotCM and Wp with knee ROM and in particular with knee extension in terminal stance phase. Wk and ER were instead mainly related to gait velocity. In PD subjects, the reduction of knee ROM significantly diminished both Wp and WtotCM. Rehabilitation treatments should possibly integrate passive and active mobilization of knee to prevent a reduction of gait-related energetic components.

Symptoms of depression in patients with mild cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease

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Ana Lara Soares Blum Malak

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Objective: To investigate the most frequent depressive symptoms and their association with cognition in Parkinson's disease (PD patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI. Methods: 48 patients with PD and 44 controls (CG, aged between 50 and 80 years and with at least 4 years of formal education, all with MCI and none diagnosed with depression, were assessed. Patients and controls were matched for age, education, and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE score. Participants underwent clinical evaluation with a neurologist followed by neuropsychological assessment employing the instruments: MMSE, Clock Drawing Test, Verbal Fluency Test (semantic and phonemic, Figures Memory Test (FMT, Stroop Test, Trail Making Test, Digit Span (WAIS III, Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT, Hooper Visual Organization Test, and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI. Results: The most frequent depressive symptoms in the PD group were: difficulty working, fatigue and sleep disorders (the latter also being present in CG. BDI score correlated negatively with learning and recognition memory in both groups. Episodic memory, evaluated by the FMT and RAVLT tests, was the cognitive function showing greatest impairment. Conclusion: Some of the depressive symptoms observed in PD patients with MCI seem to be attributable to complications of PD, while others are common to both PD and MCI, making differential diagnoses complex but crucial.

Orofacial function and oral health in patients with Parkinson's disease

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Bakke, Merete; Larsen, Stine L; Lautrup, Caroline

2011-01-01

No comprehensive study has previously been published on orofacial function in patients with well-defined Parkinson's disease (PD). Therefore, the aim of this study was to perform an overall assessment of orofacial function and oral health in patients, and to compare the findings with matched cont...

The resting state fMRI study of patients with Parkinson's disease associated with cognitive dysfunction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng Jieying; Huang Biao

2013-01-01

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the most common neurodegenerative cause of Parkinsonism, but the high morbidity of PD accompanied cognitive dysfunction hasn't drawn enough attention by the clinicians. With the rapid development of the resting state functional MRI (fMRI) technique, the cause of PD patients with cognitive dysfunction may be associated with the damage of functional connectivity of the motor networks and the cognitive networks. The relationship between neuropathologic mechanism of PD patients with cognitive dysfunction and impaired cognitive circuits will be disclosed by building the changes of brain topological structure in patients. The resting state fMRI study can provide the rationale for prevention, diagnosis and treatment of PD. (authors)

Functional differences between PD-1+ and PD-1- CD4+ effector T cells in healthy donors and patients with glioblastoma multiforme.

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Brittany A Goods

Full Text Available Immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1 have been highly successful in the treatment of cancer. While PD-1 expression has been widely investigated, its role in CD4+ effector T cells in the setting of health and cancer remains unclear, particularly in the setting of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM, the most aggressive and common form of brain cancer. We examined the functional and molecular features of PD-1+CD4+CD25-CD127+Foxp3-effector cells in healthy subjects and in patients with GBM. In healthy subjects, we found that PD-1+CD4+ effector cells are dysfunctional: they do not proliferate but can secrete large quantities of IFNγ. Strikingly, blocking antibodies against PD-1 did not rescue proliferation. RNA-sequencing revealed features of exhaustion in PD-1+ CD4 effectors. In the context of GBM, tumors were enriched in PD-1+ CD4+ effectors that were similarly dysfunctional and unable to proliferate. Furthermore, we found enrichment of PD-1+TIM-3+ CD4+ effectors in tumors, suggesting that co-blockade of PD-1 and TIM-3 in GBM may be therapeutically beneficial. RNA-sequencing of blood and tumors from GBM patients revealed distinct differences between CD4+ effectors from both compartments with enrichment in multiple gene sets from tumor infiltrating PD-1-CD4+ effectors cells. Enrichment of these gene sets in tumor suggests a more metabolically active cell state with signaling through other co-receptors. PD-1 expression on CD4 cells identifies a dysfunctional subset refractory to rescue with PD-1 blocking antibodies, suggesting that the influence of immune checkpoint inhibitors may involve recovery of function in the PD-1-CD4+ T cell compartment. Additionally, co-blockade of PD-1 and TIM-3 in GBM may be therapeutically beneficial.

Comparison of Olfactory Identification Patterns among Parkinson's Disease Patients from Different Countries.

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Millar Vernetti, Patricio; Rossi, Malco; Cerquetti, Daniel; Perez Lloret, Santiago; Merello, Marcelo

2016-01-01

Olfactory function assessment is an important screening tool and also may differentiate Parkinson's disease (PD) patients from other parkinsonisms, including nondegenerative ones, such as, normal pressure hydrocephalus, vascular, drug induced, or infectious parkinsonism. Several authors in different countries have reported various sets of odors that best differentiate between these conditions. It is debated if distinctive patterns of "restrictive" or "selective" hyposmia in PD may be affected by cultural aspects. To compare the olfactory identification function in PD across different countries, we analyzed Sniffin' Sticks identification task results between 112 PD patients from Argentina and previously reported data of PD patients from Brazil (106 patients), the Netherlands (400 patients), Germany (40 patients), China (110 patients), and Sri Lanka (89 patients). Categorical principal component analysis (CATPCA) was performed to find components reflecting groups of odors similarly perceived across subjects. CATPCA analysis found 2 components for each group which shared 10 out of 16 odors amongst each other. We found that only the shared items of component 2 (orange, mint, banana, garlic, coffee, cloves, and fish) showed uniform results across all of the included countries, whereas variations in component 1 (licorice, turpentine, and apple) were attributed mostly to differences across control groups. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Prevalence, psychological impact, and risk factors of erectile dysfunction in patients with Peyronie’s disease: a retrospective analysis of 309 cases

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Paulis G

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Gianni Paulis,1,2 Gennaro Romano,3 Andrea Paulis4 1Department of Surgical Sciences, Andrology Center, Regina Apostolorum Hospital, Albano L., Italy; 2Department of Uro-Andrology, Peyronie’s Disease Care Center, Rome, Italy; 3Department of Urologic Oncology, Section of Avellino, Italian League Against Cancer, Avellino, Italy; 4Section of Psycho-Sexology, Peyronie’s Disease Care Center, Rome, Italy Abstract: Peyronie’s disease (PD is a chronic inflammatory disease involving the tunica albuginea of the penis. Erectile dysfunction (ED is a possible invalidating symptom of PD. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence, psychological impact, and risk factors of ED in patients with PD. The study was conducted by carrying out a retrospective analysis of the clinical records of 309 patients with PD who visited our andrology clinic. All patients underwent the following tests: body mass index, common blood tests and hormone assays, questionnaire for erectile function assessment, dynamic penile color Doppler ultrasonography, imaging of the penis at maximum erection with photographic poses according to Kelâmi, psychosexual impact evaluation with PD Questionnaire (symptom bother score, evaluation of depression symptoms with the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and evaluation of the intensity of penile pain with the pain intensity numeric rating scale. ED was observed in 37.5% of the cases. We divided the cases into two groups: group A (PD + ED, 116 cases, and group B (PD without ED, 193 cases. After multivariate analysis, we concluded that the following comorbidities are independent risk factors for ED: dyslipidemia, obesity, chronic prostatitis, benign prostatic hyperplasia, and autoimmune diseases. A depressive disorder was observed in 62.4%, and it was more frequent in patients with PD + ED (91.37% versus 45.07% group B. Sexual bother was greater in group A compared with group B (9.7 versus 7.6. Intensities of depressive symptoms and

DA-9701 on gastric motility in patients with Parkinson's disease: A randomized controlled trial.

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Shin, Cheol Min; Lee, Yoon Jin; Kim, Jong-Min; Lee, Jee Young; Kim, Kyung-Joon; Choi, Yoon Jin; Kim, Nayoung; Lee, Dong Ho

2018-04-21

To evaluate the effect of DA-9701, a novel prokinetic drug, on gastric motility evaluated by magnetic resonance imaging in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Forty PD patients were randomly allocated to receive either domperidone or DA-9701. Their gastric functions were evaluated using magnetic resonance imaging before and after 4-week treatment period. Information on levodopa daily dose, disease duration, and Unified PD Rating Scale scores was collected. In 18 patients (domperidone: 9, DA-9701: 9), plasma levodopa concentrations were determined. Primary outcome was assessed by a one-sided 95% confidence interval to show non-inferiority of DA-9701 vs. domperidone with a pre-determined non-inferiority margin of -10%. Thirty-eight participants (19 men and 19 women; mean age, 67.1 years) completed the study protocol (domperidone: DA-9701 = 19:19). Gastric emptying rate at 120 min (2-hr GER) was comparable between the 2 groups; it was not correlated with levodopa daily dose or disease duration or Unified PD Rating Scale scores (all p > 0.05). DA-9701 was not inferior to domperidone in changes of 2-hr GERs before and after the treatment (absolute difference, 4.0 %; one-sided 95% confidence interval, - 3.7 to infinity). However, a significant increase in 2-hr GER was observed only in DA-9701 group (54.5% and 61.8%, before and after treatment, respectively, p DA-9701 group. There were neither adverse reactions nor deteriorations of parkinsonian symptoms observed in the study participants. DA-9701 can be used for the patients with PD to enhance gastric motility without aggravating PD symptoms (ClinicalTrials.gov number: NCT03022201). Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Massage Therapy Treatment and Outcomes for a Patient with Parkinson's Disease: a Case Report.

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Casciaro, Yolanda

2016-03-01

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a complex neurological disorder. The disease is progressive and, in time, results in severe disability. Many patients turn to massage in an attempt to alleviate symptoms of pain and rigidity, though the effects of massage with respect to PD are not well studied. This case adds one more instance in which massage therapy has provided temporary respite from resting tremor, one unrelenting symptom of PD. To determine if massage therapy can produce favorable outcomes with respect to the severity of rigidity and tremor in a patient with PD. A 63-year-old female patient with idiopathic, long-standing, Hoehn-Yahr Stage 4 PD was treated with massage therapy five times over the course of six weeks. A SPES/SCOPA Motor Impairments rating scale was used to measure rigidity and tremor pre- and post-treatment, to gauge treatment effectiveness. The massage treatments consisted of deep longitudinal stroking, muscle squeezing techniques, passive range of motion movements, and general relaxation techniques to encourage a soothing environment while promoting a decrease in muscular tone and hyperactivity. Massage therapy administration was by a student near the end of her two-year diploma. The results obtained indicated that massage therapy treatment had a positive effect on reducing resting and postural tremor in a patient with long-standing PD. The treatment was also effective in temporarily reducing rigidity during treatment, but did not produce a lasting effect. Further study is required; however, the results of this case were consistent with the limited research available on the subject of massage therapy and Parkinson's disease, in that positive change with respect to tremor-and to a lesser degree, rigidity-were achieved with focused, intentional treatment.

Overexpression of blood microRNAs 103a, 30b, and 29a in L-dopa-treated patients with PD.

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Serafin, Alice; Foco, Luisa; Zanigni, Stefano; Blankenburg, Hagen; Picard, Anne; Zanon, Alessandra; Giannini, Giulia; Pichler, Irene; Facheris, Maurizio F; Cortelli, Pietro; Pramstaller, Peter P; Hicks, Andrew A; Domingues, Francisco S; Schwienbacher, Christine

2015-02-17

The aims of the present study were to profile the expression of several candidate microRNAs (miRNAs) in blood from L-dopa-treated and drug-naive patients with Parkinson disease (PD) vs unaffected controls and to interpret the miRNA expression data in a biological context. We analyzed RNAs from peripheral blood of 36 L-dopa-treated, 10 drug-naive patients with PD and unaffected controls matched 1:1 by sex and age. We evaluated expression by reverse transcription-quantitative real-time PCR, and we analyzed data using a 2-tailed paired t test. To detect miRNA targets, several miRNA resources were combined to generate an overall score for each candidate gene using weighted rank aggregation. Significant overexpression of miR-103a-3p (p < 0.0001), miR-30b-5p (p = 0.002), and miR-29a-3p (p = 0.005) in treated patients with PD was observed, and promising candidate target genes for these were revealed by an integrated in silico analysis. We revealed 3 candidate biomarkers for PD. miRNAs 30b-5p and 29a-3p replicated a documented deregulation in PD albeit opposite to published data, while for miR-103a-3p, we demonstrated for the first time an overexpression in treated patients with PD. Expression studies in patients and/or in isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells before and after L-dopa administration are necessary to define the involvement of L-dopa treatment in the observed overexpression. Our in silico analysis to prioritize targets of deregulated miRNAs identified candidate target genes, including genes related to neurodegeneration and PD. Despite the preliminary character of our study, the results provide a rationale for further clarifying the role of the identified miRNAs in the pathogenesis of PD and for validating their diagnostic potential. © 2015 American Academy of Neurology.

Characteristic patterns of cerebral blood perfusion and cognitive impairment in patients with Parkinsons disease

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Jeong, Y. J.; Park, M. J.; Cha, J. G.; Kim, S. H.; Kim, J. W.; Kang, D. Y.

2005-01-01

Parkinsons disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that represents cognitive impairment as well as motor symptoms. Even in the early stages of PD, cognitive alterations can be demonstrated by careful neuropsychological test. The purposes of this study are to investigate the pattern of cognitive impairment and the regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) using Tc-99m HMPAO SPECT in patients with PD. One hundred and twenty two patients with PD and 35 control subjects participated in this study. Patients with PD who had dementia clinically or K-MMSE score below 25 points or with severe motor dysfunction to interfere with the tests were also excluded. They were all matched for age (61±10 vs 61±8), education periods (8.8±4.9 vs 8.8±4.5), and K-MMSE score (27±1.6 vs 27±1.5). All subjects were evaluated using the Seoul Neuropsychological Screening Battery (SNSB) and Tc-99m HMPAO SPECT with SPM software to measure rCBF. Patients with PD performed worse in digit span backward, Rey Complex Figure Test, visual memory, semantic fluency, stroop test, and alternating hand movement test(p<0.05) compared with control group. On SNSB test, 100 patients (82.0%) showed some abnormalities. Eighty-six patients (70.5%) showed frontal dysfunction, 47 (38.5%) memory impairment, 33 (27.0%) language dysfunction, 25 (20.5%) attention deficit and 22 (18.3%) visuospatial dysfunction in the order of frequency. Eight patients with PD showed single memory domain MCI and 28 single non-memory domain MCI (20 frontal dysfunction). Multiple domain MCI was found in 64 patients with PD. SPM analysis of the SPECT image revealed multiple perfusion deficit in the both frontal, temporal, both limbic lobes, Lt. parietal and Lt. Putamen. It is concluded that abnormalities of cognitive function be detected very commonly in patients with PD. MCI in PD patients is most frequently involved in the item of frontal lobe function. SPECT image might be helpful to explain cognitive impairment in some PD patients

Characteristic patterns of cerebral blood perfusion and cognitive impairment in patients with Parkinsons disease

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Jeong, Y. J.; Park, M. J.; Cha, J. G.; Kim, S. H.; Kim, J. W.; Kang, D. Y. [Dong-A University College of medicine, Pusan (Korea, Republic of)

2005-07-01

Parkinsons disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that represents cognitive impairment as well as motor symptoms. Even in the early stages of PD, cognitive alterations can be demonstrated by careful neuropsychological test. The purposes of this study are to investigate the pattern of cognitive impairment and the regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) using Tc-99m HMPAO SPECT in patients with PD. One hundred and twenty two patients with PD and 35 control subjects participated in this study. Patients with PD who had dementia clinically or K-MMSE score below 25 points or with severe motor dysfunction to interfere with the tests were also excluded. They were all matched for age (61{+-}10 vs 61{+-}8), education periods (8.8{+-}4.9 vs 8.8{+-}4.5), and K-MMSE score (27{+-}1.6 vs 27{+-}1.5). All subjects were evaluated using the Seoul Neuropsychological Screening Battery (SNSB) and Tc-99m HMPAO SPECT with SPM software to measure rCBF. Patients with PD performed worse in digit span backward, Rey Complex Figure Test, visual memory, semantic fluency, stroop test, and alternating hand movement test(p<0.05) compared with control group. On SNSB test, 100 patients (82.0%) showed some abnormalities. Eighty-six patients (70.5%) showed frontal dysfunction, 47 (38.5%) memory impairment, 33 (27.0%) language dysfunction, 25 (20.5%) attention deficit and 22 (18.3%) visuospatial dysfunction in the order of frequency. Eight patients with PD showed single memory domain MCI and 28 single non-memory domain MCI (20 frontal dysfunction). Multiple domain MCI was found in 64 patients with PD. SPM analysis of the SPECT image revealed multiple perfusion deficit in the both frontal, temporal, both limbic lobes, Lt. parietal and Lt. Putamen. It is concluded that abnormalities of cognitive function be detected very commonly in patients with PD. MCI in PD patients is most frequently involved in the item of frontal lobe function. SPECT image might be helpful to explain cognitive impairment in some

The Effects of Apomorphine on Visual Perception in Patients With Parkinson Disease and Visual Hallucinations : A Pilot Study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Geerligs, Linda; Meppelink, Anne Marthe; Brouwer, Wiebo H.; van Laar, Teus

2009-01-01

Visual hallucinations (VHs) often occur in patients with advanced Parkinson disease (PD). Overstimulation of dopamine receptors has been considered as one of the causes for VHs in PD. However, several clinical studies suggested that apomorphine infusion did not worsen existing VHs in PD, but could

[Characteristics of cerebral glucose metabolism in patients with cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease].

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Homenko, Ju G; Susin, D S; Kataeva, G V; Irishina, Ju A; Zavolokov, I G

To study the relationship between early cognitive impairment symptoms and cerebral glucose metabolism in different brain regions (according to the positron emission tomography (PET) data) in Parkinson's disease (PD) in order to increase the diagnostic and treatment efficacy. Two groups of patients with PD (stage I-III), including 11 patients without cognitive disorders and 13 with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), were examined. The control group included 10 age-matched people with normal cognition. To evaluate cognitive state, the Mini mental state examination (MMSE), the Frontal assessment battery (FAB) and the 'clock drawing test' were used. The regional cerebral glucose metabolism rate (CMRglu) was assessed using PET with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG). In PD patients, CMRglu were decreased in the frontal (Brodmann areas (BA) 9, 10, 11, 46, 47), occipital (BA 19) and parietal (BA 39), temporal (BA 20, 37), and cingulate cortex (BA 32) compared to the control group. Cerebral glucose metabolism was decreased in the frontal (BA 8, 9, 10, 45, 46, 47), parietal (BA 7, 39, 40) and cingulate cortex (BA 23, 24, 31, 32) in the group of PD patients with MCI compared to PD patients with normal cognition. Hypometabolism in BA 7, 8, 23, 24, 31, 40 was revealed only in comparison of PD and PD-MCI groups, and did not appear in case of comparison of cognitively normal PD patients with the control group. It is possible to suggest that the mentioned above brain areas were associated with cognitive impairment. The revealed glucose hypometabolism pattern possibly has the diagnostic value for the early and preclinical diagnosis of MCI in PD and control of treatment efficacy.

Mild parkinsonian signs in the elderly--is there an association with PD? Crossectional findings in 992 individuals.

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Stefanie Lerche

Full Text Available Mild parkinsonian signs (MPS are common in the elderly population, and have been associated with vascular diseases, mild cognitive impairment and dementia; however their relation to Parkinson's disease (PD is unclear. Hypothesizing that individuals with MPS may reflect a pre-stage of PD, i.e. a stage in which the nigrostriatal system is already affected although to a milder degree than at the time of PD diagnosis, aim of this study was to evaluate the similarities between MPS and PD.The TREND study is a prospective cross-sectional cohort study in individuals >50 years with biennial assessments designed to identify markers for an earlier diagnosis of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. For this substudy 992 individuals were included for analyses (892 controls, 73 MPS individuals, 27 PD patients. Parameters defining risk of PD (sex, age, positive family history, prodromal markers (hyposmia, REM sleep behavior disorder, depression and autonomic failure as well as quantitative fine motor, axial motor and cognitive parameters were compared between the three cohorts.As expected, PD patients differed from controls with regard to 12 of 15 of the assessed parameters. MPS individuals differed significantly from controls in 12 of the PD-associated parameters, but differed from PD only in 5 parameters.This study shows that individuals with MPS share many prodromal and clinical markers of PD with PD patients, implying that either a common dynamic process or similar constitutional factors occur in MPS individuals and PD patients.

Increased serum renalase in peritoneal dialysis patients: Is it related to cardiovascular disease risk?

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Gok Oguz, Ebru; Akoglu, Hadim; Ulusal Okyay, Gulay; Karaveli Gursoy, Guner; Yildirim, Tolga; Merhametsiz, Ozgur; Cimen, Tolga; Canbakan, Basol; Yeter, Ekrem; Ayli, M Deniz

Renalase, with possible monoamine oxidase activity, is implicated in degradation of catecholamines; which suggests novel mechanisms of cardiovascular complications in patients with chronic kidney diseases. Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) has been found to correlate with cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in dialysis patients. The present study aimed to evaluate the association of serum renalase levels with EAT thickness and other CVD risk factors in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. The study included 40 PD patients and 40 healthy controls. All subjects underwent blood pressure and anthropometric measurements. Serum renalase was assessed by using a commercially available assay. Transthoracic echocardiography was used to measure EAT thickness and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) in all subjects. The median serum renalase level was significantly higher in the PD patients than in the control group [176.5 (100-278.3) vs 122 (53.3-170.0)ng/ml] (p=0.001). Renalase was positively correlated with C-reactive protein (r=0.705, p<0.001) and negatively correlated with RRF (r=-0.511, p=0.021). No correlation was observed between renalase and EAT thickness or LVMI. There was a strong correlation between EAT thickness and LVMI in both the PD patients and the controls (r=0.848, p<0.001 and r=0.640, p<0.001 respectively). This study indicates that renalase is associated with CRP and residual renal function but not with EAT thickness as CVD risk factors in PD patients. Copyright © 2016 Sociedad Española de Nefrología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Neuropsychological profile of Parkinson's disease patients selected for deep brain stimulation surgery

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Flavia Amaral Machado

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Background: Parkinson's disease (PD shows symptoms involving motor and non-motor complications, including cognitive and behavioral changes, such changes might to contraindicate deep brain stimulation surgery (DBS. Objective: The aim of study was to investigate the neuropsychological profile of patients with PD in a waiting list for DBS. Methods: The neuropsychological evaluation was held in 30 patients of the ISCMPA Movement Disorders Clinic, with surgical indication based on the criteria of the responsible neurologists, in the period of 12 months. Instruments used: MMSE, FAB, MoCA, BDI, Semantic Verbal Fluency, PDQ-39, PDSS; and the UPDRS and Hoehn-Yahr scale. Results: The patients were mostly male (66.7% with a mean age of 59.37 (SD 10.60 and disease duration 9.33 (SD 4.08. There was cognitive impairment in 56.7% of patients by FAB and 76.7% by MoCA. Conclusion: Even in the earliest stages of the disease, there is the incidence of non-motor symptoms, especially in those subjects who had an early onset of the disease.

Periodontal disease in Chinese patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

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Zhang, Qiuxiang; Zhang, Xiaoli; Feng, Guijaun; Fu, Ting; Yin, Rulan; Zhang, Lijuan; Feng, Xingmei; Li, Liren; Gu, Zhifeng

2017-08-01

Disease of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and periodontal disease (PD) shares the common multiple characteristics. The aims of the present study were to evaluate the prevalence and severity of periodontal disease in Chinese SLE patients and to determine the association between SLE features and periodontal parameters. A cross-sectional study of 108 SLE patients together with 108 age- and sex-matched healthy controls was made. Periodontal status was conducted by two dentists independently. Sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle factors, medication use, and clinical parameters were also assessed. The periodontal status was significantly worse in SLE patients compared to controls. In univariate logistic regression, SLE had a significant 2.78-fold [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.60-4.82] increase in odds of periodontitis compared to healthy controls. Adjusted for potential risk factors, patients with SLE had 13.98-fold (95% CI 5.10-38.33) increased odds against controls. In multiple linear regression model, the independent variable negatively and significantly associated with gingival index was education (P = 0.005); conversely, disease activity (P periodontitis of SLE in multivariate logistic regression (OR 1.348; 95% CI: 1.183-1.536, P < 0.001). Chinese SLE patients were likely to suffer from higher odds of PD. These findings confirmed the importance of early interventions in combination with medical therapy. It is necessary for a close collaboration between dentists and clinicians when treating those patients.

Parkinson's disease prevalence in Fabry disease: A survey study

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Adina H. Wise

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Recent research has suggested a possible link between Parkinson's disease (PD and Fabry disease. To test this relationship, we administered a self-report and family history questionnaire to determine the prevalence of PD in Fabry disease patients and family members with likely pathogenic alpha-galactosidase A (GLA mutations. A total of 90 Fabry patients (77 from the online survey and 13 from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS were included in the analysis. Two of the Fabry disease patients who completed the online survey were diagnosed with PD (2/90, 2.2%. Among probands older than 60, 8.3% (2/24 were diagnosed with PD. Using Kaplan Meier survival analysis, the age-specific risk of PD by age 70 was 11.1%. Family history was available on 72 Fabry families from the online study and 9 Fabry families from ISMMS. Among these 81 families, 6 (7.4% had one first degree relative who fit the criteria for a conservative diagnosis of PD. The results of this study suggest that there may be an increased risk of developing PD in individuals with GLA mutations, but these findings should be interpreted with caution given the limitations of the study design.

Are Patients Ready for ?EARLYSTIM?? Attitudes towards Deep Brain Stimulation among Female and Male Patients with Moderately Advanced Parkinson's Disease

OpenAIRE

Sperens, Maria; Hamberg, Katarina; Hariz, Gun-Marie

2017-01-01

Objective. To explore, in female and male patients with medically treated, moderately advanced Parkinson's disease (PD), their knowledge and reasoning about Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS). Methods. 23 patients with PD (10 women), aged 46- 70, were interviewed at a mean of 8 years after diagnosis, with open-ended questions concerning their reflections and considerations about DBS. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed according to the difference and similarity technique in Ground...

Clinical and manometric characteristics of patients with Parkinson's disease and esophageal symptoms.

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Su, A; Gandhy, R; Barlow, C; Triadafilopoulos, G

2017-04-01

Dysphagia is a common problem in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD); its etiology is multifactorial and its management is challenging. In this retrospective cohort analysis using prospectively collected data, we aimed to objectively characterize dysphagia and/or other esophageal symptoms in patients with PD, assess the prevalence of outflow obstruction as well as major or minor disorders of esophageal peristalsis leading to impaired esophageal clearance and highlight objective parameters that can help in the current management algorithm. Thirty-three consecutive patients with PD presenting with dysphagia, odynophagia, heartburn, regurgitation, chest pain, and weight loss underwent clinical and functional evaluation by high-resolution manometry (HRM). Esophagogastric junction (EGJ) outflow obstruction and major as well as minor disorders of peristalsis were then assessed using the Chicago classification (v3). Thirty-three PD patients with esophageal symptoms were enrolled in the study; 12 of them reported weight loss that was considered as potentially reflecting underlying esophageal dysfunction. The median age of the patients was 70 years (range: 53-89 years), 24 (75%) were men. The majority (62%) experienced dysphagia, likely contributing to weight loss in 41% of patients. Odynophagia was rare (6%) while GER symptoms, such as heartburn, regurgitation, and chest pain were noted in 37%, 31%, and 28% of patients, respectively. Using the hierarchy of the Chicago classification, 12 patients (39%) exhibited EGJ outflow obstruction, 16 (48%) diffuse esophageal spasm (DES), 18 (55%), ineffective esophageal peristalsis (IEM), 16 (48%) fragmented peristalsis, and only 2 patients (6%) had normal HRM tracings. There were no patients with HRM features of achalasia. Dysphagia is common in patients with PD and is associated with a high prevalence of underlying motility disturbances as identified by HRM. The exact impact of these motility abnormalities on symptom induction

Alpha-Synuclein Pathology in Sensory Nerve Terminals of the Upper Aerodigestive Tract of Parkinson's Disease Patients.

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Mu, Liancai; Chen, Jingming; Sobotka, Stanislaw; Nyirenda, Themba; Benson, Brian; Gupta, Fiona; Sanders, Ira; Adler, Charles H; Caviness, John N; Shill, Holly A; Sabbagh, Marwan; Samanta, Johan E; Sue, Lucia I; Beach, Thomas G

2015-08-01

Dysphagia is common in Parkinson's disease (PD) and causes significant morbidity and mortality. PD dysphagia has usually been explained as dysfunction of central motor control, much like other motor symptoms that are characteristic of the disease. However, PD dysphagia does not correlate with severity of motor symptoms nor does it respond to motor therapies. It is known that PD patients have sensory deficits in the pharynx, and that impaired sensation may contribute to dysphagia. However, the underlying cause of the pharyngeal sensory deficits in PD is not known. We hypothesized that PD dysphagia with sensory deficits may be due to degeneration of the sensory nerve terminals in the upper aerodigestive tract (UAT). We have previously shown that Lewy-type synucleinopathy (LTS) is present in the main pharyngeal sensory nerves of PD patients, but not in controls. In this study, the sensory terminals in UAT mucosa were studied to discern the presence and distribution of LTS. Whole-mount specimens (tongue-pharynx-larynx-upper esophagus) were obtained from 10 deceased human subjects with clinically diagnosed and neuropathologically confirmed PD (five with dysphagia and five without) and four age-matched healthy controls. Samples were taken from six sites and immunostained for phosphorylated α-synuclein (PAS). The results showed the presence of PAS-immunoreactive (PAS-ir) axons in all the PD subjects and in none of the controls. Notably, PD patients with dysphagia had more PAS-ir axons in the regions that are critical for initiating the swallowing reflex. These findings suggest that Lewy pathology affects mucosal sensory axons in specific regions of the UAT and may be related to PD dysphagia.

Serum uric acid levels in patients with Parkinson's disease: A meta-analysis.

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Min Wen

Full Text Available Lower serum uric acid (UA levels have been reported as a risk factor in Parkinson's disease (PD. However, the results have been inconsistent so far.The aim of the present study was to clarify the potential relationship of uric acid with PD.Comprehensive electronic search in pubmed, web of science, and the Cochrane Library database to find original articles about the association between PD and serum uric acid levels published before Dec 2015. Literature quality assessment was performed with the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Random-effects model was used to estimate the standardized mean differences (SMDs with 95% confidence intervals (CIs. Heterogeneity across studies was assessed using I2 and H2 statistics. Sensitivity analyses to assess the influence of individual studies on the pooled estimate. Publication bias was investigated using funnel plots and Egger's regression test. Analyses were performed by using Review Manager 5.3 and Stata 11.0.Thirteen studies with a total of 4646 participants (2379 PD patients and 2267 controls were included in this meta-analysis. The current results showed that the serum UA levels in PD patients were significantly lower compared to sex and age-matched healthy controls (SMD: -0.49, 95% CI: [-0.67, -0.30], Z = 5.20, P < 0.001 and these results showed no geographic regional (Asia: SMD = -0.65, 95% CI [-0.84, -0.46], Z = 6.75, p <0.001; Non-Asia: SMD = -0.25, 95% CI [-0.43, -0.07], Z = 2.70, p = 0.007 and sex differences (women: SMD = -0.53, 95% CI [-0.70, -0.35], z = 5.98, p <0.001; men: SMD = -0.66, 95% CI [-0.87, -0.44], z = 6.03, p <0.001. Serum UA levels in middle-late stage PD patients with higher H&Y scales were significantly lower than early stage PD patients with lower H&Y scales (SMD = 0.63, 95% CI [0.36,0.89], z = 4.64, p <0.001.Our study showed that the serum UA levels are significantly lower in PD and the level is further decreased as the disease progresses. Thus it might be a potential biomarker to indicate

Novel P-TEN-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1) variant in Indian Parkinson's disease patient.

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Halder, Tamali; Raj, Janak; Sharma, Vivek; Das, Parimal

2015-09-25

Loss-of-function mutation in PINK1 is known for causing autosomal recessive early onset Parkinsonism accounting approximately 6.5% of PD cases. Recently, PINK1 has also been shown to cause Parkinson's disease (PD) in eastern India. Present study is aimed to see its contribution in north-Indian PD patients. A total of 106 PD patients and 60 ethnically matched healthy controls were included in the study. All the patients were screened for mutation in PINK1 by direct DNA sequence analysis of the PCR amplicons covering all exons and exon-intron boundaries. Identified novel variant was reconfirmed by DNA sequencing of 10 randomly selected TA clones containing the variant amplicon. In vitro functional assay of the mutant protein was performed by transfecting COS-7 cell line with wild type and mutant (created by site-directed-mutagenesis) cDNA construct of PINK1 fused to N' terminal GFP followed by western blot analysis. Two potentially pathogenic, one being novel (p.Q267X) and 6 other apparently non-pathogenic variants were identified. Western blot analysis reveals production of truncated PINK1 fusion protein of ∼55kDa in p.Q267X mutant instead of 82/93kDa of wild type PINK1 fusion protein (molecular weight of GFP is ∼27kDa). Our study concludes that PINK1 variants are prevalent for causing Parkinson's disease (PD) in India, as revealed by the occurrence of 1.8% (2/106) in PD patients from north Indian population. The novel homozygous variant of PINK1 (c.799C>T) reported here is the plausible cause for disease manifestation in this patient. Future study, however, would be helpful to understand the functional mechanism how this premature PINK1 protein (p.Q267X) responds to cellular stress leading to the PD pathophysiology. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessing Motor Fluctuations in Parkinson's Disease Patients Based on a Single Inertial Sensor.

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Pérez-López, Carlos; Samà, Albert; Rodríguez-Martín, Daniel; Català, Andreu; Cabestany, Joan; Moreno-Arostegui, Juan Manuel; de Mingo, Eva; Rodríguez-Molinero, Alejandro

2016-12-15

Altered movement control is typically the first noticeable symptom manifested by Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. Once under treatment, the effect of the medication is very patent and patients often recover correct movement control over several hours. Nonetheless, as the disease advances, patients present motor complications. Obtaining precise information on the long-term evolution of these motor complications and their short-term fluctuations is crucial to provide optimal therapy to PD patients and to properly measure the outcome of clinical trials. This paper presents an algorithm based on the accelerometer signals provided by a waist sensor that has been validated in the automatic assessment of patient's motor fluctuations (ON and OFF motor states) during their activities of daily living. A total of 15 patients have participated in the experiments in ambulatory conditions during 1 to 3 days. The state recognised by the algorithm and the motor state annotated by patients in standard diaries are contrasted. Results show that the average specificity and sensitivity are higher than 90%, while their values are higher than 80% of all patients, thereby showing that PD motor status is able to be monitored through a single sensor during daily life of patients in a precise and objective way.

Evaluating Outcomes for Older Patients with Parkinson’s Disease or Dementia with Lewy Bodies who have been Hospitalised for Hip Fracture Surgery

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Enemark, Marie; Midttun, Mette; Winge, Kristian

2017-01-01

Introduction: People with Parkinson’s disease (PD) are at risk of falling and have an increased risk of complications and prolonged recovery during hospitalisation. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the rate of complications and recovery related to a hip fracture in patients...... with PD. Methods: All patients with PD or dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and a hip fracture who were admitted from January 2013 through June 2014 (18 months) to the Department of Orthopaedics, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark were evaluated. Data regarding duration of admission......, complications, timing of administration of anti-PD medication, and level of mobility at discharge were obtained from files of patients with PD or DLB and compared with data from a comparable group of patients who were admitted with a hip fracture and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Results...

Abnormal Cerebrovascular Reactivity in Patients with Parkinson’s Disease

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Carlos Henrique Ferreira Camargo

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Orthostatic hypotension (OH is an important nonmotor manifestation of Parkinson’s disease (PD. Changes in cerebrovascular reactivity may contribute to this manifestation and can be monitored using transcranial Doppler. Objective. To identify possible changes in cerebrovascular reactivity in patients with OH. Methods. Twenty-two individuals were selected and divided into three groups: with and without OH and controls. Transcranial Doppler was used to assess basal mean blood flow velocity, postapnea mean blood flow velocity, percentage increase in mean blood flow velocity, and cerebrovascular reactivity as measured by the breath-holding index. Results. PD patients had lower values of basal velocity (p=0.019, postapnea velocity (p=0.0015, percentage increase in velocity (p=0.039, and breath-holding index (p=0.04 than the controls. Patients with OH had higher values of basal velocity (p=0.09 and postapnea velocity (p=0.19 but lower values of percentage increase in velocity (p=0.22 and breath-holding index (p=0.32 than patients without OH. Conclusions. PD patients present with abnormalities in a compensatory mechanism that regulates cerebral blood flow. OH could be an indicator of these abnormalities.

Elevated Serum Pesticide Levels and Risk of Parkinson Disease

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Richardson, Jason R.; Shalat, Stuart L.; Buckley, Brian; Winnik, Bozena; O’Suilleabhain, Padraig; Diaz-Arrastia, Ramon; Reisch, Joan; German, Dwight C.

2012-01-01

Background Exposure to pesticides has been reported to increase the risk of Parkinson disease (PD), but identification of the specific pesticides is lacking. Three studies have found elevated levels of organochlorine pesticides in postmortem PD brains. Objective To determine whether elevated levels of organochlorine pesticides are present in the serum of patients with PD. Design Case-control study. Setting An academic medical center. Participants Fifty patients with PD, 43 controls, and 20 patients with Alzheimer disease. Main Outcome Measures Levels of 16 organochlorine pesticides in serum samples. Results β-Hexachlorocyclohexane (β-HCH) was more often detectable in patients with PD (76%) compared with controls (40%) and patients with Alzheimer disease (30%). The median level of β-HCH was higher in patients with PD compared with controls and patients with Alzheimer disease. There were no marked differences in detection between controls and patients with PD concerning any of the other 15 organochlorine pesticides. Finally, we observed a significant odds ratio for the presence of β-HCH in serum to predict a diagnosis of PD vs control (odds ratio, 4.39; 95% confidence interval, 1.67–11.6) and PD vs Alzheimer disease (odds ratio, 5.20), which provides further evidence for the apparent association between serum β-HCH and PD. Conclusions These data suggest that β-HCH is associated with a diagnosis of PD. Further research is warranted regarding the potential role of β-HCH as a etiologic agent for some cases of PD. PMID:19597089

Toxocara Seroprevalence in Patients with Idiopathic Parkinson's Disease: Chance Association or Coincidence?

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Tuncay Çelik

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Most cases of idiopathic Parkinson disease (IPD are believed to be due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between toxocariasis and Parkinson disease (PD. Patients were selected from people who were admitted to the Movement Disorders Branch, Neurology Department of Elazığ University Faculty of Medicine Elazığ, Turkey. We studied specific IgG antibodies against Toxocara canis (T. canis in 50 patients with idiopathic Parkinson and 50 healthy volunteers. We investigated the clinical history of three patients infected with T. canis. We also studied specific IgG antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii in these groups. Antibodies anti-Toxocara canis were found in 3 idiopathic PD (6% (P=0.121 and antibody titer was not found in control. A patient had history of the presence of dog in current dog ownership. We did not detect any statistically significant association between T. canis and IPD. But, we believe that further comprehensive studies are required for understanding whether there is a causal relation between toxocariasis and PD. We didn’t find possible association between Toxoplasma gondii and IPD (P=0.617.

Neuropsychological profile in Chinese patients with Parkinson's disease and normal global cognition according to Mini-Mental State Examination Score.

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Qiao, Jin; Zheng, Xiyuan; Wang, Xiaoyan; Lu, Wenhui; Cao, Hongmei; Qin, Xing

2015-01-01

Cognitive impairments have been reported to be more common in non-demented patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and education levels play an important role in intelligence. The studies on cognitive impairments in Chinese PD patients with higher education levels and normal global cognition according to Mini-Mental State Examination Score (MMSE) have not been reported. We enrolled 69 consecutive PD patients with over 6 years education levels and a MMSE score above 24 (of 30) and performed a battery of neuropsychological scales. There are extensive cognitive domain impairments in PD patients with "normal" global cognitive according to MMSE. Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is a highly sensitive scale to screen cognitive impairments in PD. The cutoff score of 28 on the MMSE screening for cognitive impairment in Chinese PD patients with high education levels may be more appropriate.

Psychogenic and neural visual-cue response in PD dopamine dysregulation syndrome.

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Loane, Clare; Wu, Kit; O'Sullivan, Sean S; Lawrence, Andrew D; Woodhead, Zoe; Lees, Andrew J; Piccini, Paola; Politis, Marios

2015-11-01

Dopamine dysregulation syndrome (DDS) in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients refers to the compulsive use of dopaminergic replacement therapy and has serious psycho-social consequences. Mechanisms underlying DDS are not clear although has been linked to dysfunctional brain reward networks. With fMRI, we investigate behavioral and neural response to drug-cues in six PD DDS patients and 12 PD control patients in both the ON and OFF medication state. Behavioral measures of liking, wanting and subjectively 'feeling ON medication' were also collected. Behaviorally, PD DDS patients feel less ON and want their drugs more at baseline compared to PD controls. Following drug-cue exposure, PD DDS patients feel significantly more ON medication, which correlates with significant increases in reward related regions. The results demonstrate that exposure to drug-cues increases the subjective feeling of being 'ON' medication which corresponds to dysfunctional activation in reward related regions in PD DDS patients. These findings should be extended in future studies. Visual stimuli being sufficient to elicit behavioral response through neuroadaptations could have direct implications to the management of addictive behavior. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Avelumab, an anti-PD-L1 antibody, in patients with locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer: a phase 1b JAVELIN Solid Tumor study.

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Dirix, Luc Y; Takacs, Istvan; Jerusalem, Guy; Nikolinakos, Petros; Arkenau, Hendrik-Tobias; Forero-Torres, Andres; Boccia, Ralph; Lippman, Marc E; Somer, Robert; Smakal, Martin; Emens, Leisha A; Hrinczenko, Borys; Edenfield, William; Gurtler, Jayne; von Heydebreck, Anja; Grote, Hans Juergen; Chin, Kevin; Hamilton, Erika P

2018-02-01

Agents targeting programmed death receptor 1 (PD-1) or its ligand (PD-L1) have shown antitumor activity in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer (MBC). The aim of this study was to assess the activity of avelumab, a PD-L1 inhibitor, in patients with MBC. In a phase 1 trial (JAVELIN Solid Tumor; NCT01772004), patients with MBC refractory to or progressing after standard-of-care therapy received avelumab intravenously 10 mg/kg every 2 weeks. Tumors were assessed every 6 weeks by RECIST v1.1. Adverse events (AEs) were graded by NCI-CTCAE v4.0. Membrane PD-L1 expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry (Dako PD-L1 IHC 73-10 pharmDx). A total of 168 patients with MBC, including 58 patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), were treated with avelumab for 2-50 weeks and followed for 6-15 months. Patients were heavily pretreated with a median of three prior therapies for metastatic or locally advanced disease. Grade ≥ 3 treatment-related AEs occurred in 13.7% of patients, including two treatment-related deaths. The confirmed objective response rate (ORR) was 3.0% overall (one complete response and four partial responses) and 5.2% in patients with TNBC. A trend toward a higher ORR was seen in patients with PD-L1+ versus PD-L1- tumor-associated immune cells in the overall population (16.7% vs. 1.6%) and in the TNBC subgroup (22.2% vs. 2.6%). Avelumab showed an acceptable safety profile and clinical activity in a subset of patients with MBC. PD-L1 expression in tumor-associated immune cells may be associated with a higher probability of clinical response to avelumab in MBC.

Personality traits in patients with Parkinson's disease: assessment and clinical implications.

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Poletti, Michele; Bonuccelli, Ubaldo

2012-06-01

This study reviews empirical evidence on the association between personality traits and Parkinson's disease (PD), with a twofold aim. First, to better identify non-motor symptoms, such as affective symptoms and personality changes, that could help to define the pre-motor phase of PD; second, to better understand the neurobiological bases of personality traits, a goal that is not fully accomplished by a purely anatomical approach. A literature review was performed on studies of personality traits in PD patients, in electronic databases ISI Web of Knowledge, Medline and PsychInfo, conducted in July 2011. We found evidence that the existence of a characteristic premorbid personality profile of PD patients is not actually sustained by robust empirical evidence, mainly due to the methodological bias of the retrospective assessment of personality; PD patients present a personality profile of low novelty seeking and high harm avoidance. We concluded that the definition of a pre-motor phase of PD, based on non-motor symptoms, should search for the presence of concomitant affective disorders and for a positive psychiatric history for affective disorders rather than for a typical personality profile or personality changes. The low novelty seeking profile is probably related to the dopaminergic deficit, while the high harm avoidance profile is probably associated with the presence of affective disorders. Clinical implications of these findings, in regard to personality assessment and pharmacological treatments in PD, are also discussed.

Videofluoroscopic Predictors of Penetration-Aspiration in Parkinson's Disease Patients.

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Argolo, Natalie; Sampaio, Marília; Pinho, Patrícia; Melo, Ailton; Nóbrega, Ana Caline

2015-12-01

Parkinson's disease (PD) patients show a high prevalence of swallowing disorders and tracheal aspiration of food. The videofluoroscopic study of swallowing (VFSS) allows clinicians to visualize the visuoperceptual and temporal parameters associated with swallowing disorders in an attempt to predict aspiration risk. However, this subject remains understudied in PD populations. Our aim was to identify the predictors of penetration-aspiration in PD patients using the VFSS. Consecutive patients were evaluated using VFSS with different consistencies and volumes of food. A speech-language pathologist measured the type of intra-oral bolus organization, loss of bolus control, bolus location at the initiation of the pharyngeal swallow, the presence of multiple swallows, piecemeal deglutition, bolus residue in the pharyngeal recesses and temporal measures. Scores ≥3 on the penetration-aspiration scale (PAS) indicated the occurrence of penetration-aspiration. Using logistic marginal regression, we found that residue in the vallecula, residue in the upper esophageal sphincter and piecemeal deglutition were associated with penetration-aspiration (odds ratio (OR) = 4.09, 2.87 and 3.83; P = 0.0040, 0.0071 and 0.0009, respectively). Penetration/aspiration occurred only with fluids (both of thin and thick consistency), and no significant differences were observed between fluid types or food volumes. The mechanisms underlying dysphagia and penetration/aspiration in PD patients and indications for further studies are discussed.

Cognitive Behavioral Group Therapy Reduces Stress and Improves the Quality of Life in Patients with Parkinson's Disease.

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Hadinia, Anousha; Meyer, Antonia; Bruegger, Viviane; Hatz, Florian; Nowak, Karolina; Taub, Ethan; Nyberg, Elisabeth; Stieglitz, Rolf-Dieter; Fuhr, Peter; Gschwandtner, Ute

2016-01-01

Objective: The aim of this study is to compare a cognitive behavioral group therapy (CBT) with a health enhancement program (HEP) for stress reduction and the impact on quality of life (QoL) in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Method : Thirty patients with PD participated in the study: 16 received CBT including stress-reducing elements and 14 took part in a HEP. The two groups did not differ significantly in their baseline demographic characteristics. The patients in both groups underwent weekly sessions of 2 h duration for 9 weeks. The Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire with 39 items (PDQ-39), the Burden Questionnaire for Parkinson's Disease (translated from the original German: Belastungsfragebogen für Parkinsonpatienten (BELA) and the Disease-Related Questionnaire [ Fragebogen zur krankheitsbezogenen Kommunikation (FKK)] were used for assessment. Ratings were completed at baseline and after 9 weeks (immediately after the last treatment session). Results : The patients in the CBT group achieved significantly better BELA, FKK and PDQ-39 scores ( p Cognitive Behavioral Group Therapy appears to be an effective way for patients with PD to lessen stress and improve their quality of life.

Quantitative Measures of Swallowing Deficits in Patients With Parkinson's Disease.

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Ellerston, Julia K; Heller, Amanda C; Houtz, Daniel R; Kendall, Katherine A

2016-05-01

Dysphagia and associated aspiration pneumonia are commonly reported sequelae of Parkinson's disease (PD). Previous studies of swallowing in patients with PD have described prolonged pharyngeal transit time, delayed onset of pharyngeal transit, cricopharyngeal (CP) achalasia, reduced pharyngeal constriction, and slowed hyolaryngeal elevation. These studies were completed using inconsistent evaluation methodology, reliance on qualitative analysis, and a lack of a large control group, resulting in concerns regarding diagnostic precision. The purpose of this study was to investigate swallowing function in patients with PD using a norm-referenced, quantitative approach. This retrospective study includes 34 patients with a diagnosis of PD referred to a multidisciplinary voice and swallowing clinic. Modified barium swallow studies were performed using quantitative measures of pharyngeal transit time, hyoid displacement, CP sphincter opening, area of the pharynx at maximal constriction, and timing of laryngeal vestibule closure relative to bolus arrival at the CP sphincter. Reduced pharyngeal constriction was found in 30.4%, and a delay in airway closure relative to arrival of the bolus at the CP sphincter was the most common abnormality, present in 62% of patients. Previously reported findings of prolonged pharyngeal transit, poor hyoid elevation, and CP achalasia were not identified as prominent features. © The Author(s) 2015.

Computing the variations in the self-similar properties of the various gait intervals in Parkinson disease patients.

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Manjeri Keloth, Sana; Arjunan, Sridhar P; Kumar, Dinesh

2017-07-01

This study has investigated the stride, swing, stance and double support intervals of gait for Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with different levels of severity. Self-similar properties of the gait signal were analyzed to investigate the changes in the gait pattern of the healthy and PD patients. To understand the self-similar property, detrended fluctuation analysis was performed. The analysis shows that the PD patients have less defined gait when compared to healthy. The study also shows that among the stance and swing phase of stride interval, the self-similarity is less for swing interval when compared to the stance interval of gait and decreases with the severity of gait. Also, PD patients show decreased self-similar patterns in double support interval of gait. This suggest that there are less rhythmic gait intervals and a sense of urgency to remain in support phase of gait by the PD patients.

Neuropsychological correlates of theory of mind in patients with early Parkinson's disease.

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Santangelo, Gabriella; Vitale, Carmine; Trojano, Luigi; Errico, Domenico; Amboni, Marianna; Barbarulo, Anna Maria; Grossi, Dario; Barone, Paolo

2012-01-01

The theory of mind is the ability to attribute mental states to oneself and others and to understand that others have beliefs, desires and intentions different from one's own. The aim of the study was to explore the neuropsychological correlates of theory of mind in patients affected by early Parkinson's disease (PD). Thirty-three PD patients and 33 age-, sex-, and education-matched control subjects underwent the Frontal Assessment Battery, as well as tasks assessing "cognitive" and "affective" theory of mind, and memory abilities; questionnaires evaluating behavioral disorders and quality of life were also administrated. Although the 2 groups did not differ on neuropsychological tasks, PD patients' performance on tasks assessing cognitive and affective theory of mind was significantly worse than controls. Moreover, PD patients had more behavioral disorders and worse quality of life than controls. After covarying for behavioral and quality of life scores, the differences between patients and controls on theory of mind tasks remained significant. "Cognitive" theory of mind was associated with Frontal Assessment Battery score and 2 domains of quality of life scale, whereas "affective" theory of mind scores correlated only with behavioral scales such as the Frontal Behavioral Inventory and Apathy Evaluation Scale. The results demonstrate that both affective and cognitive aspects of theory of mind are simultaneously impaired in early PD and suggest that deficits in the 2 subcomponents of theory of mind may be linked to dysfunction of different frontosubcortical circuitries in early PD. Copyright © 2011 Movement Disorder Society.

Impulse control disorder in PD: A lateralized monoaminergic frontostriatal disconnection syndrome?

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Premi, E; Pilotto, A; Garibotto, V; Bigni, B; Turrone, R; Alberici, A; Cottini, E; Poli, L; Bianchi, M; Formenti, A; Cosseddu, M; Gazzina, S; Magoni, M; Bertoli, M; Paghera, B; Borroni, B; Padovani, A

2016-09-01

Impulse Control Disorder symptoms (ICD) in Parkinson's disease (PD) has been recently associated by magnetic Resonance imaging with impaired cortico-striatal connectivity, especially between left putamen and frontal associative areas. 84 patients entered the study (21 PD-ICD+ and 64 PD-ICD-) and underwent DATSCAN imaging. The striatal tracer uptake was evaluated using BRASS software (Hermes, Sweden). The whole-brain analysis was performed with Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM). PD-ICD+ showed a significant reduction of left putaminal and left inferior frontal gyrus tracer uptake compared to PD-ICD-. Functional covariance analysis using left putamen as the seed point showed that, in contrast to ICD-patients, ICD+ patients had no functional covariance with contralateral basal ganglia and ipsilateral cingulate cortex, as index of an impaired inter- and intra-hemispheric dopamine binding in PD-ICD+. the results support and expand the concept of a functional disconnection syndrome linked to ICD symptoms in PD patients through an asymmetric molecular frontostriatal network breakdown with left basal ganglia as central hub. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Massage Therapy Treatment and Outcomes for a Patient with Parkinson’s Disease: a Case Report

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Casciaro, Yolanda

2016-01-01

Introduction Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a complex neurological disorder. The disease is progressive and, in time, results in severe disability. Many patients turn to massage in an attempt to alleviate symptoms of pain and rigidity, though the effects of massage with respect to PD are not well studied. This case adds one more instance in which massage therapy has provided temporary respite from resting tremor, one unrelenting symptom of PD. Objective To determine if massage therapy can produce favorable outcomes with respect to the severity of rigidity and tremor in a patient with PD. Case Presentation A 63-year-old female patient with idiopathic, long-standing, Hoehn-Yahr Stage 4 PD was treated with massage therapy five times over the course of six weeks. A SPES/SCOPA Motor Impairments rating scale was used to measure rigidity and tremor pre- and post-treatment, to gauge treatment effectiveness. The massage treatments consisted of deep longitudinal stroking, muscle squeezing techniques, passive range of motion movements, and general relaxation techniques to encourage a soothing environment while promoting a decrease in muscular tone and hyperactivity. Massage therapy administration was by a student near the end of her two-year diploma. Results The results obtained indicated that massage therapy treatment had a positive effect on reducing resting and postural tremor in a patient with long-standing PD. The treatment was also effective in temporarily reducing rigidity during treatment, but did not produce a lasting effect. Conclusion Further study is required; however, the results of this case were consistent with the limited research available on the subject of massage therapy and Parkinson’s disease, in that positive change with respect to tremor—and to a lesser degree, rigidity—were achieved with focused, intentional treatment. PMID:26977216

Reproducibility and validity of patient-rated assessment of speech, swallowing, and saliva control in Parkinson’s Disease

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Machiel Zwarts; Johanna Kalf; Bastiaan Bloem; George Borm; Marten Munneke; Bert de Swart

2012-01-01

To report on the development and psychometric evaluation of the Radboud Oral Motor Inventory for Parkinson's Disease (ROMP), a newly developed patient-rated assessment of speech, swallowing, and saliva control in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). To evaluate reproducibility, 60 patients

Neuromelanin imaging of the substantia nigra and locus ceruleus among patients with Parkinson's disease using 3Tesla MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Konno, Kanako; Ohtsuka, Chigumi; Kato, Kanako; Terayama, Yasuo

2010-01-01

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder in which loss of dopaminergic neurons from the pars compacta of substantia nigra (SNc) and locus ceruleus (LC) in the major pathologic substrate. To investigate the relationships between the loss of SNc and LC neurons, and the stage of illness, we compared the signal intensity of SNc and LC between PD patients and normal controls by using a neuromelanin-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 3 Tesla. We examined 41 PD patients in early stage, 10 in progressive stage, and 22 healthy controls. In PD, we observed a significant loss of neuromelanin in LC (p<0.0001) and lateral area of SNc (p=0.0011) while no significant difference between neuromelanin imaging and severity of PD was observed. The present study suggests that neuromelanin imaging using 3T MRI is a useful tool for early diagnosis of Parkinson's disease. (author)

Creativity Assessment in Subjects with Tourette Syndrome vs. Patients with Parkinson’s Disease: A Preliminary Study

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Carlotta Zanaboni Dina

2017-07-01

Full Text Available (1 Background: Literature suggests that high levels of dopamine are associated with creative thoughts. Tourette Syndrome (TS patients have high dopamine levels, while Parkinson’s Disease (PD subjects have low dopamine levels. Consequently, TS individuals are supposed to have a major and PD patients less creative output. Moreover, dopamine medications may alter the level of creativity, and therefore Quality of Life, in both pathologies. (2 Methods: The aim of the study was to verify the hypothesis of TS patients having higher creative scores than PD patients. The assessment consisted of the administration of the Creative Thinking ASK Test. There were 54 participants—36 males and 18 females—i.e., 27 TS patients and 27 PD subjects. Age of the sample was 35 to 57 years old, high school certificate was required. (3 Results: TS sample (103.11 ASK average score was more creative than PD sample (94.11 ASK average score. (4 Conclusions: The results supported the aforementioned hypothesis: TS sample resulted in having higher creative scores than PD sample. Dopamine and other neurotransmitters of TS and PS appear to affect subject’s creativity. Further studies with creative assessments in TS and PD patients are needed to support the preliminary results of our study.

The application of low frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in rehabilitation of Parkinson's disease patients

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WU Zhuo-hua

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Objective To explore the application value of low frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS in Parkinson's disease (PD patients and electrophysiological research. Methods Fifty-six PD patients treated in the Department of Neurology of our hospital from September 2010 to September 2012 were randomly divided into 2 groups, group A (N = 28 and group B (N = 28. Patients in group A were given conventional drug treatment and rehabilitation training, while patients in group B were given low frequency rTMS on the basis of conventional drug treatment and rehabilitation training. After 3 weeks, the scores of Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS, resting threshold (RT, cortical latent period, nerve root latent period, central motor conduction time (CMCT and the incidence of adverse reactions were compared between 2 groups. Results After intervention, the emotion, ability of daily living and motor function of patients in group B was obviously improved, and the scores of UPDRS in group B were significantly lower than that in group A (P 0.05. Conclusion The effect of low frequency rTMS in the treatment for PD is evident, safe and reliable, and with less adverse reaction. It can be used as a noninvasive physical treatment measure for PD.

Visual and cognitive predictors of driving safety in Parkinson's disease patients.

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Amick, M M; Grace, J; Ott, B R

2007-11-01

This study assessed the clinical utility of contrast sensitivity (CS) relative to attention, executive function, and visuospatial abilities for predicting driving safety in participants with Parkinson's disease (PD). Twenty-five, non-demented PD patients completed measures of contrast sensitivity, visuospatial skills, executive functions, and attention. All PD participants also underwent a formal on-road driving evaluation. Of the 25 participants, 11 received a marginal or unsafe rating on the road test. Poorer driving performance was associated with worse performance on measures of CS, visuospatial constructions, set shifting, and attention. While impaired driving was associated with a range of cognitive and visual abilities, only a composite measure of executive functioning and visuospatial abilities, and not CS or attentional skills, predicted driving performance. These findings suggest that neuropsychological tests, which are multifactorial in nature and require visual perception and visual spatial judgments are the most useful screening measures for hazardous driving in PD patients.

Chemotherapy treatment is associated with altered PD-L1 expression in lung cancer patients

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Rojkó, Lívia; Reiniger, Lilla; Téglási, Vanda

2018-01-01

Objectives: While the predictive value of programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) protein expression for immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy of lung cancer has been extensively studied, the impact of standard platinum-based chemotherapy on PD-L1 or programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) expression is unkn...... expression of TC in a subset of patients, therefore, rebiopsy and re-evaluation of PD-L1 expression may be necessary for the indication of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy.......Objectives: While the predictive value of programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) protein expression for immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy of lung cancer has been extensively studied, the impact of standard platinum-based chemotherapy on PD-L1 or programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) expression...... is unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the changes in PD-L1 expression of tumor cells (TC) and immune cells (IC), in PD-1 expression of IC, and in the amount of stromal mononuclear cell infiltration after platinum-based chemotherapy in patients with lung cancer. Materials and methods: We...

Effect of visual feedback on the occipito-parietal-motor network in Parkinson's disease patients with freezing of gait

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Priya D Velu

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Freezing of gait (FOG is an elusive phenomenon that debilitates a large number of Parkinson’s disease (PD patients regardless of stage of disease, medication status, or DBS implantation. Sensory cues, especially visual feedback cues, have been shown to alleviate FOG episodes or prevent episodes from even occurring. Here, we examine cortical information flow between occipital, parietal, and motor areas during the pre-movement stage of gait in a PD-with-FOG patient that had a strong positive behavioral response to visual cues, a PD-with-FOG patient without any behavioral response to visual cues, and an age-matched healthy control, before and after training with visual feedback. Results for this case study show differences in cortical information flow between the responding PD-with-FOG patient and the other two subjects, notably, an increased information flow in the beta range. Tentatively suggesting the formation of an alternative cortical sensory-motor pathway during training with visual feedback, these results are proposed as subject for further verification employing larger cohorts of patients.

Alpha-Synuclein Pathology in Sensory Nerve Terminals of the Upper Aerodigestive Tract of Parkinson’s Disease Patients

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Mu, Liancai; Chen, Jingming; Sobotka, Stanislaw; Nyirenda, Themba; Benson, Brian; Gupta, Fiona; Sanders, Ira; Adler, Charles H.; Caviness, John N.; Shill, Holly A.; Sabbagh, Marwan; Samanta, Johan E.; Sue, Lucia I.; Beach, Thomas G.

2015-01-01

Dysphagia is common in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and causes significant morbidity and mortality. PD dysphagia has usually been explained as dysfunction of central motor control, much like other motor symptoms that are characteristic of the disease. However, PD dysphagia does not correlate with severity of motor symptoms nor does it respond to motor therapies. It is known that PD patients have sensory deficits in the pharynx, and that impaired sensation may contribute to dysphagia. However, the underlying cause of the pharyngeal sensory deficits in PD is not known. We hypothesized that PD dysphagia with sensory deficits may be due to degeneration of the sensory nerve terminals in the upper aerodigestive tract (UAT). We have previously shown that Lewy-type synucleinopathy (LTS) is present in the main pharyngeal sensory nerves of PD patients, but not in controls. In this study, the sensory terminals in UAT mucosa were studied to discern the presence and distribution of LTS. Whole-mount specimens (tongue-pharynx-larynx-upper esophagus) were obtained from 10 deceased human subjects with clinically diagnosed and neuropathologically confirmed PD (five with dysphagia and five without) and four age-matched healthy controls. Samples were taken from six sites and immunostained for phosphorylated α-synuclein (PAS). The results showed the presence of PAS-immunoreactive (PAS-ir) axons in all the PD subjects and in none of the controls. Notably, PD patients with dysphagia had more PAS-ir axons in the regions that are critical for initiating the swallowing reflex. These findings suggest that Lewy pathology affects mucosal sensory axons in specific regions of the UAT and may be related to PD dysphagia. PMID:26041249

Resting state cortical oscillations of patients with Parkinson disease and with and without subthalamic deep brain stimulation: a magnetoencephalography study.

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Cao, Chunyan; Li, Dianyou; Jiang, Tianxiao; Ince, Nuri Firat; Zhan, Shikun; Zhang, Jing; Sha, Zhiyi; Sun, Bomin

2015-04-01

In this study, we investigate the modification to cortical oscillations of patients with Parkinson disease (PD) by subthalamic deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS). Spontaneous cortical oscillations of patients with PD were recorded with magnetoencephalography during on and off subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation states. Several features such as average frequency, average power, and relative subband power in regions of interest were extracted in the frequency domain, and these features were correlated with Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale III evaluation. The same features were also investigated in patients with PD without surgery and healthy controls. Patients with Parkinson disease without surgery compared with healthy controls had a significantly lower average frequency and an increased average power in 1 to 48 Hz range in whole cortex. Higher relative power in theta and simultaneous decrease in beta and gamma over temporal and occipital were also observed in patients with PD. The Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale III rigidity score correlated with the average frequency and with the relative power of beta and gamma in frontal areas. During subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation, the average frequency increased significantly when stimulation was on compared with off state. In addition, the relative power dropped in delta, whereas it rose in beta over the whole cortex. Through the course of stimulation, the Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale III rigidity and tremor scores correlated with the relative power of alpha over left parietal. Subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation improves the symptoms of PD by suppressing the synchronization of alpha rhythm in somatomotor region.

Prospective evaluation of pulmonary function in Parkinson's disease patients with motor fluctuations.

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Hampson, Neil B; Kieburtz, Karl D; LeWitt, Peter A; Leinonen, Mika; Freed, Martin I

2017-03-01

Spirometry patterns suggesting restrictive and obstructive pulmonary dysfunction have been reported in Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the patterns' precise relation to PD pathophysiology remains unclear. Purpose/Aim. To assess ON- versus OFF-state pulmonary function, the quality of its spirometric evaluation, and the quality of longitudinal spirometric findings in a large sample of PD patients with motor fluctuations. During a placebo-controlled trial of an inhaled levodopa formulation, CVT-301, in PD patients with ≥2 h/d of OFF time, spirometry was performed by American Thoracic Society (ATS) guidelines at screening and throughout the 4-week treatment period. Among 86 patients, mean motor impairment during an OFF state at screening was moderately severe. However, mean spirometry results at screening were within normal ranges, and in a mixed model for repeated measures (MMRM), the results at screening were not dependent on motor state (ON vs. OFF). In the placebo group (n = 43), 76% of ON-state and 81% of OFF-state examinations throughout the study met ATS quality metrics, and in an MMRM analysis, mean findings at these patients' arrivals for treatment-period visits showed no significant 4-week change. Across all 86 patients, flow-volume curves prior to any study-drug administration showed only a 3% incidence of "sawtooth" morphology. In PD patients with motor fluctuations, longitudinal spirometry of acceptable quality was generally obtained. Although mean findings were normal, about a quarter of spirograms did not meet ATS quality criteria. Spirogram morphology may be less indicative of various forms of respiratory dysfunction than has previously been reported in PD.

Progression of brain atrophy in the early stages of Parkinson's disease: a longitudinal tensor-based morphometry study in de novo patients without cognitive impairment.

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Tessa, Carlo; Lucetti, Claudio; Giannelli, Marco; Diciotti, Stefano; Poletti, Michele; Danti, Sabrina; Baldacci, Filippo; Vignali, Claudio; Bonuccelli, Ubaldo; Mascalchi, Mario; Toschi, Nicola

2014-08-01

The presence of brain atrophy and its progression in early Parkinson's disease (PD) are still a matter of debate, particularly in patients without cognitive impairment. The aim of this longitudinal study was to assess whether PD patients who remain cognitively intact develop progressive atrophic changes in the early stages of the disease. For this purpose, we employed high-resolution T1-weighted MR imaging to compare 22 drug-naïve de novo PD patients without cognitive impairment to 17 age-matched control subjects, both at baseline and at three-year follow-up. We used tensor-based morphometry to explore the presence of atrophic changes at baseline and to compute yearly atrophy rates, after which we performed voxel-wise group comparisons using threshold-free cluster enhancement. At baseline, we did not observe significant differences in regional atrophy in PD patients with respect to control subjects. In contrast, PD patients showed significantly higher yearly atrophy rates in the prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulum, caudate nucleus, and thalamus when compared to control subjects. Our results indicate that even cognitively preserved PD patients show progressive cortical and subcortical atrophic changes in regions related to cognitive functions and that these changes are already detectable in the early stages of the disease. Copyright © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Factors Associated with the Choice of Peritoneal Dialysis in Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease

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Pei-Chun Chiang

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background. The purpose of this study was to analyze the factors associated with receiving peritoneal dialysis (PD in patients with incident end-stage renal disease (ESRD in a hospital in Southern Taiwan. Methods. The study included all consecutive patients with incident ESRD who participated in a multidisciplinary predialysis education (MPE program and started their first dialysis therapy between January 1, 2008, and June 30, 2013, in the study hospital. We provided small group teaching sessions to advanced CKD patients and their family to enhance understanding of various dialysis modalities. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to analyze the association of patient characteristics with the chosen dialysis modality. Results. Of the 656 patients, 524 (80% chose hemodialysis and 132 chose PD. Our data showed that young age, high education level, and high scores of activities of daily living (ADLs were positively associated with PD treatment. Patients who received small group teaching sessions had higher percentages of PD treatment (30.5% versus 19.5%; P=0.108 and preparedness for dialysis (61.1% versus 46.6%; P=0.090. Conclusion. Young age, high education level, and high ADL score were positively associated with choosing PD. Early creation of vascular access may be a barrier for PD.

Prevalence and characteristics of dementia in Parkinson disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aarsland, Dag; Andersen, Kjeld; Larsen, Jan P

2003-01-01

Few longitudinal studies of dementia in Parkinson disease (PD) have been reported, and the proportion of patients with PD who eventually develop dementia is unknown.......Few longitudinal studies of dementia in Parkinson disease (PD) have been reported, and the proportion of patients with PD who eventually develop dementia is unknown....

Independent Validation of the SEND-PD and Correlation with the MDS-UPDRS Part IA

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Mayela Rodríguez-Violante

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Neuropsychiatric symptoms in Parkinson’s disease can be assessed by the MDS-UPDRS part IA. The Scale for Evaluation of Neuropsychiatric Disorders in Parkinson’s disease (SEND-PD has been recently developed to assess the severity of some neuropsychiatric symptoms. The objective of this study is to compare the performance of the SEND-PD with the corresponding items of the MDS-UPDRS part IA. Methods. Patients with Parkinson’s disease were evaluated using the MDS-UPDRS and the SEND-PD by independent raters. Partial SEND-PD and neuropsychiatric MDS-UPDRS part IA were constructed with equivalent items for comparison. Results. A total of 260 consecutive patients were included. Overall, 61.2% of the patients did not report any psychotic symptom and 83.5% did not report any ICD symptom. On the other hand, 78.5% of the patients did report at least one symptom related to apathy, depression, or anxiety. The partial SEND-PD score was 2.9±3.1 (range from 0 to 16. The neuropsychiatric MDS-UPDRS part IA score was 2.9±3 (range from 0 to 14. The correlation coefficient between corresponding items ranged from 0.67 to 0.98 and between both summary indexes was rs=0.93 (all, P<0.001. Conclusion. A high association between equivalent items of the SEND-PD and the MDS-UPDRS was found.

Relationship Between Plasma Homocystein Levels and Polyneuropaty in Patients Using Levodopa For Idiopathic Parkinson’s Disease

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Mithat Bedir

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Objective: Recent studies showed high plasma homocysteine levels in patients treated with Levodopa for Parkinson’s disease (PD. Homocysteine, due to its exotoxic effect, might be the cause of polyneuropathy seen in PD. In this study, our aim was to show the correlation between high concentration of plasma homocysteine levels and polyneuropathy associated with PD.. Material and Methods: Forty-one patients with PD receiving levodopa treatment (patient group and 30 healthy subjects (control group were included in this study. We compared the two groups in terms of electrophysiological findings. Twelve patients had high plasma homocysteine levels and 29 of them had low plasma homocysteine levels. Results: Six of the 41 patients had sensorial polyneuropathy and decreased compound muscle action potantiel amplitude compared to controls. Two patients had high plasma homocysteine levels, two patients had nearly high plasma homocysteine levels, two patients had low plasma homocysteine levels who had sensorial polyneuropathy. Conclusion: Although in our study, we did not show any correlation between polyneuropathy and high plasma homocysteine levels, further studies including homogeneous groups of younger patients with PD are needed. (The Me di cal Bul - le tin of Ha se ki 2012; 50: 53-8

Obsessive compulsive personality disorder and Parkinson's disease.

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Nicoletti, Alessandra; Luca, Antonina; Raciti, Loredana; Contrafatto, Donatella; Bruno, Elisa; Dibilio, Valeria; Sciacca, Giorgia; Mostile, Giovanni; Petralia, Antonio; Zappia, Mario

2013-01-01

To evaluate the frequency of personality disorders in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and in a group of healthy controls. Patients affected by PD diagnosed according to the United Kingdom Parkinson's disease Society Brain Bank diagnostic criteria and a group of healthy controls were enrolled in the study. PD patients with cognitive impairment were excluded from the study. Structured Clinical Interview for Personality Disorders-II (SCID-II) has been performed to evaluate the presence of personality disorders. Presence of personality disorders, diagnosed according to the DSM-IV, was confirmed by a psychiatric interview. Clinical and pharmacological data were also recorded using a standardized questionnaire. 100 PD patients (57 men; mean age 59.0 ± 10.2 years) and 100 healthy subjects (52 men; mean age 58.1 ± 11.4 years) were enrolled in the study. The most common personality disorder was the obsessive-compulsive personality disorder diagnosed in 40 PD patients and in 10 controls subjects (p-valuepersonality disorder recorded in 14 PD patients and 4 control subjects (p-value 0.02). Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder was also found in 8 out of 16 de novo PD patients with a short disease duration. PD patients presented a high frequency of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder that does not seem to be related with both disease duration and dopaminergic therapy.

Impulse control disorders and related behaviours (ICD-RBs) in Parkinson's disease patients: Assessment using ?Questionnaire for impulsive-compulsive disorders in Parkinson's disease? (QUIP)

OpenAIRE

Sharma, Ashish; Goyal, Vinay; Behari, Madhuri; Srivastva, Achal; Shukla, Garima; Vibha, Deepti

2015-01-01

Background: There is limited data on the prevalence of impulse control disorder and related behaviors (ICD-RBs) in Indian patients with Parkinson′s Disease (PD). In the context of potential genetic and environmental factors affecting the expression of ICD-RBs, studying other multiethnic populations may bring in-sights into the mechanisms of these disorders. Objectives: To ascertain point prevalence estimate of ICD-RBs in Indian PD patients, using the validated “Questionnaire for Impulsive-Com...

Influence of physiotherapy on severity of motor symptoms and quality of life in patients with Parkinson disease.

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Cholewa, J; Boczarska-Jedynak, M; Opala, G

2013-01-01

Parkinson disease (PD) is one of the most frequent diseases of the central nervous system. Rehabilitation is one of the factors which may help the patients to maintain higher physical activity in everyday life. The aim of this work was to evaluate the influence of movement rehabilitation on severity of motor symptoms in PD patients. The study included 70 patients suffering from PD according to the Hoehn and Yahr scale. Patients' clinical status was assessed with Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) parts I-III. Additionally, activity of daily living was evaluated with the Schwab and England scale. The quality of life was evaluated by the Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39). The examinations were conducted before and after the twelve weeks of the experiment. Patients included in the intervention group (n = 40) took part in 60-minute rehabilitation exercises twice a week, which were aimed at increasing movement ranges, balance improvement, movement agility and walking. The main emphasis was placed on the ability to cope with daily activities. A significant difference in scores of given scales before and after the 12-week period was observed in the intervention group: UPDRS part I score decreased by 17.31%, part II decreased by 22.2%, part III decreased by 18.96%, and PDQ-39 score decreased by 17.12%. Mean score of the Schwab and England scale increased by 9.69%, indicating an improved quality of life. The applied rehabilitation programme decreased the severity of motor symptoms in patients with PD.