Objective Olfactory dysfunction is an early and common symptom in Parkinson disease (PD). Previously, the authors demonstrated that idiopathic olfactory dysfunction in first-degree relatives of PD patients is associated with an increased risk of developing PD within 2 years. The aim of the present study was to determine the value ...

OBJECTIVE: To compare the phase radians in several cerebral regions between patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and control subjects, and to evaluate whether iron deposition quantified by susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) is related to the severity of motor symptoms of PD. METHODS: SWI consisted of both magnitude and phase images from ...

The mechanism underlying the motor fluctuations that develop after long-term L-dopa therapy is not fully known. It has been speculated that malabsorption of L-dopa from the small intestine occurs. It was reported that gastric retention in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with motor fluctuations is increased as compared with that in ...

BACKGROUND: Left main disease (LMD), defined as > or = 50% lesion stenosis, occurs in 3% to 5% of patients undergoing catheterization. Limited data on the value of single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging for diagnosis of LMD exists. HYPOTHESIS: This study sought to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of SPECT ...

OBJECTIVE: To assess the influence of levodopa on swallowing dysfunction in Parkinson's disease patients. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature and a meta-analysis were performed. All studies referring to levodopa and swallowing dysfunction that provided direct data or data that could be transformed into mean +/- standard deviation were ...

PET studies with the DOPA decarboxylase substrate 6-[(18)F]fluoro-l-DOPA (FDOPA) reveal the storage of [(18)F]-fluorodopamine within synaptic vesicles, mainly of dopamine fibres. As such, FDOPA PET is a sensitive indicator of the integrity of the nigrostriatal dopamine innervation. Nonetheless, there have been several reports of focal elevations of FDOPA utilization in ...

Background: Homocysteine (Hcy) exerts multiple neurotoxic mechanisms that have been linked to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders. Several studies observed elevated plasma Hcy levels in Parkinson's Disease (PD) patients treated with L-dopa, compared to healthy controls and to patients with other neurodegenetative disorders. Objective: We performed an overview of published ...

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease is the main cause of mortality in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. Recent studies have indicated that non-traditional risk factors such as endothelial dysfunction (ED), chronic inflammation and protein-energy wasting (PEW) may contribute significantly to the increased cardiovascular mortality among dialysis patients. To further ascertain this association, ...

To investigate the relationships between history of falls and cholinergic vs dopaminergic denervation in patients with Parkinson disease (PD). There is a need to explore nondopaminergic mechanisms of gait control as the majority of motor impairments associated with falls in PD are resistant to dopaminergic treatment. Alterations in cholinergic neurotransmission ...

Previous reports have suggested that essential tremor (ET) represents a risk factor for the development of Parkinson's disease (PD). Patients with long-standing ET who develop PD tend to have a tremor-dominant subtype. To further clarify this association, we examined patients from kindreds with autosomal dominant ET who had signs of ...

The cooccurrence of rest and postural tremor (mixed tremor) as the predominant clinical manifestation in patients who do not fulfill diagnostic established criteria for essential tremor (ET) or Parkinson's disease (PD) poses a clinical diagnostic challenge. Twenty-two patients with mixed tremor and additional mild extrapyramidal features, such as bradykinesia and ...

Hyperhomocysteinaemia was reported in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) treated with l-Dopa. The increase in plasma concentration of this sulfur compound arises from the massive methylation of the drug operated by the enzyme catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), which acts as a powerful sink of methyl groups. The contemporary occurrence of C677T polymorphism ...

In this paper, we present a wearable assistant for Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with the freezing of gait (FOG) symptom. This wearable system uses on-body acceleration sensors to measure the patients' movements. It automatically detects FOG by analyzing frequency components inherent in these movements. When FOG is detected, the assistant ...

OBJECTIVE: We occasionally observe cranial synkinesias that involve a lateral jaw movement ipsilateral to the horizontal gaze deviation in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and normal subjects. We term this conjugated movement 'ocular-jaw synkinesia' (OJS). The clinical and electrophysiological features of OJS are described in this study. METHODS: Eighty-two subjects were ...

Instrumental motion assessment, i.e., peg insertion, gains importance as an addition to rating procedures to determine the efficacy of therapeutic interventions and to serve as diagnostic tool in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). One of their motor features is disturbed execution of alternating motions. The objectives of the study were ...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Air temperature changes are associated with increased cardiovascular and respiratory risk, but the roles of inflammatory and coagulation markers are not well understood. We investigated the associations between temperature and several blood markers in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and pulmonary disease (PD). METHODS: Two studies ...

This study had two objectives. The first was to analyse the impact of Parkinson's disease (PD) on the duration of CV syllables and their components in different positions within phrases in French; the second was to examine the distribution of final lengthening (FL) on syllable sub-components. Two main tendencies emerged: ...

The cerebellum is involved in the generation of essential tremor (ET) and cerebellar timing function is altered in patients with ET showing an increased variability of rhythmic hand movements. Using a sensor-engineered glove, we evaluated motor behaviour during repetitive finger tapping movements in 15 patients with ET and in 11 ...

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Orthonasal olfaction is severely altered in PD patients. Retronasal olfactory function has been shown to be preserved under certain conditions even in the absence of orthonasal function. This study was undertaken to investigate retronasal versus orthonasal olfactory function in Parkinson's disease (PD). STUDY DESIGN: Prospective study. METHODS: A total ...

OBJECTIVE: To compare time-distance, kinematic, and kinetic gait parameters in patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) off dopaminergic therapy with a group of healthy control subjects. DESIGN: A group-comparison study. SETTING: Gait analysis laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: Patients with PD (n=20) and healthy age-matched controls (n=20). INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: ...

We retrospectively investigated in consecutive Parkinson's disease (PD) outpatients the relationship between the body region in which LID first appeared and the body region where Parkinsonian motor symptoms started. We also studied the spread of LID and motor symptoms to other body parts during the progression of PD. Of the ...

Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) may have pronounced tremor that exacerbates during stress. To determine whether PD tremor improves with relaxation guided imagery (RGI) and relaxing music. Twenty patients with PD with moderate to severe tremor participated in sessions where relaxation techniques were implemented. Tremor was objectively monitored using an ...

Cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction has frequently been reported in some patients with extrapyramidal syndromes, especially multiple system atrophy (MSA) but also Parkinson's disease (PD). However, there are only few reports on the prevalence of cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction progressive in supranuclear palsy (PSP). Moreover, the relation of detailed cardiovascular testing and easy ...

Postural tremor is a common initial symptom in spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA), but its pathophysiological mechanisms remain to be studied. This study was undertaken to examine the physiological mechanisms underlying postural tremor in SBMA. For eight patients (36-63 years old) with genetically confirmed SBMA, we recorded surface electromyograms ...

To determine whether variable thalamic degeneration in Parkinson's disease (PD) contributes to less drug responsive clinical features. Formalin-fixed thalami from longitudinally followed patients with PD and early dystonia (N = 6), early falls (N = 5) or no dystonia or falls (N = 6) and age-matched controls without neuropathology (N ...

We aimed to investigate the prevalence of restless legs syndrome (RLS) according to essential diagnostic criteria, and to explore potential associations with clinical features, especially motor fluctuations, in a cohort of 113 patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD). Twenty-eight (24%) fulfilled essential diagnostic criteria for RLS. They were younger (63.1 ...

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the impact of parkinsonism on regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). METHOD: Forty-four probable DLB patients, comprising 13 patients without parkinsonism and 31 patients with parkinsonism, and 16 normal controls were selected for this study. We evaluated the rCBF ...

The biochemical basis of major depression (MD) in Parkinson's disease (PD) is largely unknown. To increase our understanding of MD in PD patients, the levels of monoamine metabolites (HVA, 5-HIAA and MHPG), BDNF, orexin-A, IL-6 and corticosterone were examined in cerebrospinal fluid. The analyses were performed in MD patients with ...

Various movement disorders such as dystonia may acutely develop during or at emergence from general anaesthesia in patients with or without pre-existing Parkinson disease. These movements are triggered by a variety of drugs including propofol, sevoflurane, anti-emetics, antipsychotics and opioids. The postulated mechanism involves an imbalance between dopaminergic and cholinergic ...

Recent studies have reported an increased risk to develop Parkinson's disease (PD) in patients with idiopathic RBD (iRBD). Midbrain hyperechogenicity is a common transcranial sonography (TCS) finding in PD and has been suggested as a PD risk-marker in nonparkinsonian subjects. The objective of this study is to assess midbrain echogenicity ...

Spiral analysis is a computerized method of analyzing upper limb motor physiology through the quantification of spiral drawing. The objective of this study was to determine whether spirals drawn by patients with Niemann-Pick disease type C (NPC) could be distinguished from those of controls, and to physiologically characterize movement abnormalities ...

Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), a genetic disorder in DNA nucleotide excision repair, is characterized by skin hypersensitivity to sunlight and progressive neurological impairment. Laryngeal dystonia and vocal cord paralysis are complications that can arise in older XP group A (XPA) patients. We report three patients with XPA being administered low-dose levodopa ...

BACKGROUND Functional dyspepsia (FD) is now categorized into the epigastric pain syndrome (EPS) and the postprandial distress syndrome (PDS). However, the role of disturbed gastric emptying and sensory function for the reduction of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) has not yet been studied in EPS and PDS. METHODS A total ...

OBJECTIVE: To determine if ultrasonography (US) and power Doppler (PD) may be useful in identifying polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) patients with relapsing disease. METHODS: For a mean of 41 months, 57 consecutive untreated patients with PMR were prospectively assessed for relapses/recurrences. This cohort represented all the patients diagnosed over a 18-month ...

In idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder (RBD), an association with visuoperceptive disorders has been described. However, such an association has not been clearly established in RBD secondary to Parkinson's disease (PD). We compared visuoperceptive function in four groups of non-demented patients (parkinsonian patients with or without RBD, patients ...

BACKGROUND: Olfactory deficits are frequent among patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD). Additionally, apathy (as quantified by the Apathy Evaluation Scale), is more prevalent in PD patients compared to the general population. Olfactory impairment and apathy are associated with dysfunction in overlapping brain regions. Neuroimaging studies indicate that the anterior ...

OBJECTIVE: Oxidative stress is implicated in Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD), and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is a potent antioxidant overexpressed in PD substantia nigra and AD cerebral cortex and hippocampus, indicating a possible up-regulation of antioxidant defenses in both neurodegenerative diseases. The role of HO-1 in peripheral blood ...

Idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) is closely associated with olfactory loss. Deficits in the sense of smell may precede clinical motor symptoms by years. Although there is more and more evidence from recent studies to support this view, it remains unclear which substrates would cause the olfactory deficit. Studies based on ...

Differential diagnosis of parkinsonian syndromes is a major challenge in movement disorders. Dysautonomia is a common feature but may vary in clinical severity and onset. The study attempted to find a pattern of autonomic abnormalities discriminative for patients with different parkinsonian syndromes. The cross-sectional study included 38 patients with multiple ...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The question whether patients with essential tremor (ET) have slowed movements as part of their clinical manifestations is still a matter of controversy. We analyzed basic motor function in patients with ET and in healthy matched controls. METHODS: We studied 61 patients with ET and 122 age- ...

The relationship between Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) and Parkinson's disease (PD) is still controversial. Most genetic, pathological, and imaging data argue against a close association of these two disorders. Still, many studies reported an increased prevalence of RLS in PD patients. These studies are difficult to interpret because the current ...

OBJECTIVE: To assess the external validity of laboratory baselines in panic disorder (PD), frequently associated with respiratory pattern abnormalities like increased respiratory variability and sighing, implying a stable pathophysiologic trait characteristic. METHODS: Physical activity and a variety of breath-by-breath volumetric, timing, and variability measures of respiration were recorded in the ...

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of Parkinson's disease (PD) in Jordan is not known. This study describes the prevalence and clinical characteristics of PD in Northern Jordan. METHODS: Patients with the diagnosis of PD seen at neurology clinics in three major hospitals in Northern Jordan during the period of March 2007 to ...

INTRODUCTION: The haemostatic and biochemical abnormalities participate in the progression of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in peritoneally dialysed (PD) patients. Recently, the role of kynurenine (KYN) pathway of tryptophan (TRP) degradation in the development of CVD has been postulated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study was undertaken to investigate haemostatic parameters, ...

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 even improve VHs in some ...

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether time-series analysis of magnetoencephalography (MEG) data is a suitable method to study brain activity related to olfactory information processing, and to detect differences in odor-induced brain activity between patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and controls. METHODS: Whole head 151-channel MEG recordings were obtained in 21 controls ...

Blood serum was used to identify protein biomarkers for diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD) using analytically validated quantitative 2D-gel electrophoresis, and single variable and multivariate statistics. Using banked samples from a first medical center, we identified 57 specific protein spot biomarkers with disease-specific abnormal levels in serum of patients with ...

OBJECTIVES: The mechanism of gait instability in Parkinson disease (PD) is not completely understood. We examined the saccular part of the otolith function and its possible contribution to gait difficulties in idiopathic PD. METHODS: Fifty-four PD patients (mean age 66 years, 32 men) were included. These were characterized with respect ...

BACKGROUND: Nonmotor symptoms (NMSs) are common in patients with Parkinson disease (PD), but little is known about the burden of the full range of NMSs in de novo PD patients. OBJECTIVES: NMSs in untreated de novo PD patients were evaluated both quantitatively and qualitatively using the Non-Motor Symptoms Assessment Scale ...

The observer's motor system has been shown to be involved in observing the actions of another person. Recent findings suggest that people with Parkinson's disease do not show the same motor facilitatory effects when observing the actions of another person. We studied whether Parkinson's patients were able to make unspeeded ...