Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Acta Neurol Scand 2021 May 7. Epub 2021 May 7.

Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience (CFIN), Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.

Objectives: In this study, we investigated the effects of bilateral and unilateral deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN-DBS) in PD patients on neural responses associated with two aspects of spoken language processing: semantics of action-related verbs and morphosyntactic processing.

Materials And Methods: Using a passive unattended paradigm to present spoken linguistic stimuli, we recorded magnetoencephalographic (MEG) responses in three PD patients in four DBS conditions: left unilateral STN-DBS, right unilateral STN-DBS, bilateral STN-DBS, and no STN-DBS. To ensure that any observed effects of DBS on the neuromagnetic responses could be attributed to the linguistic context per se and were not merely induced by the electrical stimulation, we assessed the effects of STN-DBS on linguistic contrasts within each stimulation condition. Read More

Curr Hypertens Rep 2021 May 7;23(5):26. Epub 2021 May 7.

Cardiology Department, Hippokration General Hospital, Athens, Greece.

Purpose Of Review: The aim of this review article was to summarize the cardiovascular and blood pressure profile regarding Parkinson disease patients and to provide an update on the recent advancements in the field of the diagnosis and management of blood pressure abnormalities in these patients. Our goal was to guide physicians to avoid pitfalls in current practice while treating patients with Parkinson disease and blood pressure abnormalities. For this purpose, we searched bibliographic databases (PubMed, Google Scholar) for all publications published on blood pressure effects in Parkinson disease until May 2020. Read More

J Neurosci Nurs 2021 Jun;53(3):E3

Mov Disord 2021 May 7. Epub 2021 May 7.

Center for Alzheimer's and Related Dementias, National Institute on Aging, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.

Background: Whole-genome sequencing data are available from several large studies across a variety of diseases and traits. However, massive storage and computation resources are required to use these data, and to achieve sufficient power for discoveries, harmonization of multiple cohorts is critical.

Objectives: The Accelerating Medicines Partnership Parkinson's Disease program has developed a research platform for Parkinson's disease (PD) that integrates the storage and analysis of whole-genome sequencing data, RNA expression data, and clinical data, harmonized across multiple cohort studies. Read More

Mov Disord 2021 May 7. Epub 2021 May 7.

IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy.

X-linked parkinsonism encompasses rare heterogeneous disorders mainly inherited as a recessive trait, therefore being more prevalent in males. Recent developments have revealed a complex underlying panorama, including a spectrum of disorders in which parkinsonism is variably associated with additional neurological and non-neurological signs. In particular, a childhood-onset encephalopathy with epilepsy and/or cognitive disability is the most common feature. Read More

Mov Disord 2021 May 7. Epub 2021 May 7.

University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.

Background: The PD MED study reported small but persistent benefits in patient-rated mobility scores and quality of life from initiating therapy with levodopa compared with levodopa-sparing therapies in early Parkinson's disease (PD).

Objectives: The objective was to estimate the cost-effectiveness of levodopa-sparing therapy (dopamine agonists or monoamine oxidase type B inhibitors compared with levodopa alone.

Methods: PD MED is a pragmatic, open-label randomized, controlled trial in which patients newly diagnosed with PD were randomly assigned between levodopa-sparing therapy (dopamine agonists or monoamine oxidase type B inhibitors ) and levodopa alone. Read More

Biochem Soc Trans 2021 May 7. Epub 2021 May 7.

Genetics Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro S. Giovanni di Dio, Fatebenefratelli, 25125 Brescia, Italy.

Missense mutations in the leucine-rich repeat kinase-2 (LRRK2) gene represent the most common cause of autosomal dominant Parkinson's disease (PD). In the years LRRK2 has been associated with several organelles and related pathways in cell. However, despite the significant amount of research done in the past decade, the contribution of LRRK2 mutations to PD pathogenesis remains unknown. Read More

Endocrinol Diabetes Metab Case Rep 2021 Apr 1;2021. Epub 2021 Apr 1.

Endocrinology, Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, UK.

Summary: A 38-year-old female was identified as carrying a heterozygous pathogenic MEN1 variant (c.1304delG) through predictive genetic testing, following a diagnosis of familial hyperparathyroidism. Routine screening for parathyroid and pituitary disease was negative. Read More

Front Aging Neurosci 2021 20;13:648531. Epub 2021 Apr 20.

Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.

It is difficult to differentiate between Parkinson's disease and multiple system atrophy parkinsonian subtype (MSA-P) because of the overlap of their signs and symptoms. Enormous efforts have been made to develop positron emission tomography (PET) imaging to differentiate these diseases. This study aimed to investigate the co-registration analysis of F-fluorodopa and F-flurodeoxyglucose PET images to visualize the difference between Parkinson's disease and MSA-P. Read More

Nat Genet 2021 May 6. Epub 2021 May 6.

Translational Genomics Core of Partners HealthCare Personalized Medicine, Cambridge, MA, USA.

A key driver of patients' well-being and clinical trials for Parkinson's disease (PD) is the course that the disease takes over time (progression and prognosis). To assess how genetic variation influences the progression of PD over time to dementia, a major determinant for quality of life, we performed a longitudinal genome-wide survival study of 11.2 million variants in 3,821 patients with PD over 31,053 visits. Read More

J Am Med Dir Assoc 2021 May 3. Epub 2021 May 3.

Cochrane Taiwan, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; School of Nursing, College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address:

Objective: Anxiety and depression are major psychiatric nonmotor symptoms (NMSs) of Parkinson disease (PD). Although several studies have investigated the effects of psychotherapeutic interventions, particularly cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), for alleviating anxiety and depression in patients with PD, the findings have been inconclusive because of the small sample size and the lack of a unified protocol for such treatments. Thus, the present meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted to assess the effect of psychotherapy on PD-related anxiety and depression. Read More

PLoS One 2021 6;16(5):e0251313. Epub 2021 May 6.

IRCCS Centro Neurolesi "Bonino Pulejo", Messina, Italy.

On March 2019 the World Health Organization declared Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Several recent reports disclose that the outcome of the infection is related to age, sex and can be influenced by underlying clinical conditions. Parkinson's disease (PD) and other parkinsonisms are the most common chronic disease which can cause, directly or indirectly, the patient to be more exposed to other diseases, mostly respiratory system's ones. Read More

Glia 2021 May 6. Epub 2021 May 6.

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea.

Our recent finding has demonstrated that astrocytes confer neuroprotection by endogenously producing ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) via transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) in Parkinson's disease (PD). In this study, the possible molecular target for TRPV1-mediated CNTF production and its neuroprotective effects on dopamine neurons were further investigated. For comparison, glial cell-line derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) was also examined. Read More

Mov Disord 2021 May 6. Epub 2021 May 6.

Laboratory for Early Markers Of Neurodegeneration (LEMON), Center for the Study of Movement, Cognition and Mobility, Neurological Institute, Tel Aviv Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel.

Background: It is not clear how specific gait measures reflect disease severity across the disease spectrum in Parkinson's disease (PD).

Objective: To identify the gait and mobility measures that are most sensitive and reflective of PD motor stages and determine the optimal sensor location in each disease stage.

Methods: Cross-sectional wearable-sensor records were collected in 332 patients with PD (Hoehn and Yahr scale I-III) and 100 age-matched healthy controls. Read More

Dis Model Mech 2021 May 6. Epub 2021 May 6.

Immuno-Oncology Therapeutic Research Area, Sanofi Strasbourg R&D Center, 16 rue d'Ankara, 67000 Strasbourg, France.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder which is primarily caused by the degeneration and loss of dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra in the ventral midbrain. Mutations in leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) are the most common genetic cause of late-onset PD identified to date, with G2019S being the most frequent LRRK2 mutation, which is responsible for up to 1-2% of sporadic PD and up to 6% of familial PD cases. As no treatment is available for this devastating disease, developing new therapeutic strategies is of foremost importance. Read More

Mov Disord 2021 May 6. Epub 2021 May 6.

Parkinson and Movement Disorders Unit, Department of Neuroscience, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.

Dopamine receptors are abundant along the central nigrostriatal tract and are expressed as 5 subtypes in two receptor families. In PD, compensatory changes in dopamine receptors emerge as a consequence of the loss of dopamine nerve terminals or dopaminergic pharmacotherapy. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the available PET and single-photon emission computed tomography studies that have investigated dopamine receptors in PD, PSP and MSA. Read More

Neuronal Signal 2021 Apr 16;5(1):NS20200051. Epub 2021 Apr 16.

Pharmacology and Therapeutics, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland, Galway H91 TK33, Ireland.

During the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, there has been noticeable increase in the reporting of neurological symptoms in patients. There is still uncertainty around the significance and long-term consequence of these symptoms. There are also many outstanding questions on whether the causative virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) can directly infect the central nervous system (CNS). Read More

Mov Disord 2021 May 5. Epub 2021 May 5.

German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany.

Background: Corticobasal syndrome is associated with cerebral protein aggregates composed of 4-repeat (~50% of cases) or mixed 3-repeat/4-repeat tau isoforms (~25% of cases) or nontauopathies (~25% of cases).

Objectives: The aim of this single-center study was to investigate the diagnostic value of the tau PET-ligand [ F]PI-2620 in patients with corticobasal syndrome.

Methods: Forty-five patients (71. Read More

Mov Disord 2021 May 5. Epub 2021 May 5.

IXICO Plc, London, United Kingdom.

Background: Given that new therapeutic options for spinocerebellar ataxias are on the horizon, there is a need for markers that reflect disease-related alterations, in particular, in the preataxic stage, in which clinical scales are lacking sensitivity.

Objective: The objective of this study was to quantify regional brain volumes and upper cervical spinal cord areas in spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 in vivo across the entire time course of the disease.

Methods: We applied a brain segmentation approach that included a lobular subsegmentation of the cerebellum to magnetic resonance images of 210 ataxic and 48 preataxic spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 mutation carriers and 63 healthy controls. Read More

J Magn Reson Imaging 2021 May 5. Epub 2021 May 5.

Department of Radiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.

Background: Excessive iron accumulation is one of the main pathogeneses of Parkinson's disease (PD). Ceruloplasmin plays an important role in keeping the iron homoeostasis.

Purpose: To explore the association between serum ceruloplasmin depletion and subcortical iron distribution in PD. Read More

Mov Disord 2021 May 5. Epub 2021 May 5.

Klinik für Neurologie, Asklepios Fachklinikum Stadtroda, Stadtroda, Germany.

Background: Despite the established value of genomic testing strategies, practice guidelines for their use do not exist in many indications.

Objectives: We sought to validate a recently introduced scoring algorithm for dystonia, predicting the diagnostic utility of whole-exome sequencing (WES) based on individual phenotypic aspects (age-at-onset, body distribution, presenting comorbidity).

Methods: We prospectively enrolled a set of 209 dystonia-affected families and obtained summary scores (0-5 points) according to the algorithm. Read More

Brain Behav 2021 May 5:e02102. Epub 2021 May 5.

Division of Neurology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.

Objectives: Deep brain stimulation, continuous subcutaneous apomorphine infusion, and levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel infusion, together called device-aided therapies (DAT), are introduced when oral and transdermal pharmacotherapy are not enough for a satisfactory control of Parkinson's disease (PD) symptoms. Solid relationships are central to an individual's well-being, but the impact of close relationships in advanced PD remains underexplored. The aim of this study was to investigate the development of close relationships between PD patients and their partners following the initiation of DAT and to examine the relationship structures in these relationships. Read More

EMBO Mol Med 2021 May 5:e14022. Epub 2021 May 5.

Clinical Memory Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.

Alzheimer's disease is characterized by β-amyloid plaques and tau tangles. Plasma levels of phospho-tau217 (P-tau217) accurately differentiate Alzheimer's disease dementia from other dementias, but it is unclear to what degree this reflects β-amyloid plaque accumulation, tau tangle accumulation, or both. In a cohort with post-mortem neuropathological data (N = 88), both plaque and tangle density contributed independently to higher P-tau217, but P-tau217 was not elevated in patients with non-Alzheimer's disease tauopathies (N = 9). Read More

Neurol Sci 2021 May 4. Epub 2021 May 4.

Neurology 2 Unit, A.O.U. Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Corso Bramante 88, 10126, Torino, Italy.

Background: The psychological impact of the COVID-19 outbreak and lockdown on frail populations with advanced Parkinson disease (APD) and their caregivers may present with peculiar features and require specific interventions.

Methods: We enrolled here 100 APD patients and 60 caregivers. Seventy-four patients were treated with device-aided therapies (DAT) and 26 with standard medical treatment (SMT). Read More

Int J Mol Sci 2021 Apr 29;22(9). Epub 2021 Apr 29.

CNRS, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives, (UMR 729), Aix Marseille Université, 13331 Marseille, France.

Alterations of zinc homeostasis have long been implicated in Parkinson's disease (PD). Zinc plays a complex role as both deficiency and excess of intracellular zinc levels have been incriminated in the pathophysiology of the disease. Besides its role in multiple cellular functions, Zn also acts as a synaptic transmitter in the brain. Read More

Sensors (Basel) 2021 Apr 30;21(9). Epub 2021 Apr 30.

Institute of Geophysics, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany.

Smartwatches provide technology-based assessments in Parkinson's Disease (PD). It is necessary to evaluate their reliability and accuracy in order to include those devices in an assessment. We present unique results for sensor validation and disease classification via machine learning (ML). Read More

Behav Brain Res 2021 May 1:113339. Epub 2021 May 1.

Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology of Shandong Province, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, People's Republic of China. Electronic address:

Dopamine (DA) in the striatum is essential to influence motor behavior and may lead to movement impairment in Parkinson's disease (PD). The present study examined the different functions of the DA D1 receptor (D1R) and DA D2 receptor (D2R) by intrastriatal injection of the D1R agonist SKF38393 and the D2R agonist quinpirole in 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-lesioned and control rats. All rats separately underwent dose-response behavior testing for SKF38393 (0, 0. Read More

Adv Exp Med Biol 2021 ;1317:131-145

School of Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.

Worldwide, it is estimated that millions of individuals suffer from a neurological disorder which can be the result of head injuries, ischaemic events such as a stroke, or neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease (PD) and multiple sclerosis (MS). Problems with mobility and hemiparesis are common for these patients, making daily life, social factors and independence heavily affected. Current therapies aimed at improving such conditions are often tedious in nature, with patients often losing vital motivation and positive outlook towards their rehabilitation. Read More

Acta Neuropathol 2021 May 4. Epub 2021 May 4.

Molecular Genetics Section, Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.

Brain Behav 2021 May 4:e02150. Epub 2021 May 4.

Division of Physiotherapy, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.

Introduction: Speech and communication problems are common in Parkinson's disease (PD) and can result in social withdrawal and reduced quality of life. Intervention may improve symptoms but transfer and maintenance remain challenging for many. Access to treatment may also be limited. Read More