Hyperhidrosis in Parkinson's disease

Botulinum toxin treatment in parkinsonism

Botulinum toxin (BoNT) was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1989 for facial movement disorders and strabismus, but since that time its indications have been expanding beyond neurologic and ophthalmologic disorders. This article is a narrative review of the therapeutic use of BoNT in tremors, dystonia, sialorrhea, bladder and other autonomic symptoms, levodopa-induced dyskinesia and other problems occuring in the setting of parkinsonism. Though FDA approval is lacking for some of these indications, expert experiences have shown that BoNT is often beneficial in this group of patients.

Setting the clinical context to non-motor symptoms reflected by Park-pain, Park-sleep, and Park-autonomic subtypes of Parkinson's disease

Non-motor symptoms (NMS) of Parkinson's disease (PD) are well described in both clinical practice and the literature, enabling their management and enhancing our understanding of PD. NMS can dominate the clinical pictures and NMS subtypes have recently been proposed, initially based on clinical observations, and later confirmed in data driven analyses of large datasets and in biomarker-based studies. In this chapter, we provide an update on what is known about three common subtypes of NMS in PD. The pain (Park-pain), sleep dysfunction (Park-sleep), and autonomic dysfunction (Park-autonomic), providing an overview of their individual classification, clinical manifestation, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and potential treatments.

How heat waves, ozone and sunlight hours affect endocrine and metabolic diseases emergency admissions? A case study in the region of Madrid (Spain)

BACKGROUND

Studies which analyse the joint effect of acoustic or chemical air pollution variables and different meteorological variables on neuroendocrine disease are practically nonexistent. This study therefore sought to analyse the impact of air pollutants and environmental meteorological variables on daily unscheduled admissions due to endocrine and metabolic diseases in the Madrid Region from January 01, 2013 to December 31, 2018.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We conducted a longitudinal, retrospective, ecological study of daily time series analysed by Poisson regression, with emergency neuroendocrine-disease admissions in the Madrid Region as the dependent variable. The independent variables were: mean daily concentrations of PM₁₀, PM_2.5, NO₂ and O₃; acoustic pollution; maximum and minimum daily temperatures; hours of sunlight; relative humidity; wind speed; and air pressure above sea level. Estimators of the statistically significant variables were used to calculate the relative risks (RRs).

RESULTS

A statistically significant association was found between the increase in temperatures in heat waves, RR: 1.123 95% CI (1.001-1.018), and the number of emergency admissions, making it the main risk factor. An association between a decrease in sunlight and an increase in hospital admissions, RR: 1.005 95% CI (1.002 1.008), was likewise observed. Similarly, ozone, in the form of mean daily concentrations in excess of 44 μg/m³, had an impact on admissions due to neuroendocrine disease, RR: 1.010 95% CI (1.007-1.035). The breakdown by sex showed that in the case of women, NO₂ was also a risk factor, RR: 1.021 95% CI (1.007-1.035).

CONCLUSION

The results obtained in this study serve to identify risk factors for this disease, such as extreme temperatures in heat waves, O₃ or NO₂. The robust association found between the decrease in sunlight and increase in hospital admissions due to neuroendocrine disease serves to spotlight an environmental factor which has received scant attention in public health until now.

The Impact of Nonmotor Symptoms on Health-Related Quality of Life in Parkinson’s Disease: A Network Analysis Approach

Nonmotor symptoms negatively affect health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, it is unknown which nonmotor symptoms are most commonly associated with HRQoL. Considering the complex interacting network of various nonmotor symptoms and HRQoL, this study aimed to reveal the network structure, explained HRQoL variance, and identify the nonmotor symptoms that primarily affect HRQoL. We included 689 patients with PD from the Cohort of Patients with Parkinson’s Disease in Spain (COPPADIS) study who were rated on the Nonmotor Symptoms Scale in Parkinson’s disease (NMSS) and the Parkinson´s Disease Questionnaire 39 (PDQ-39) at baseline. Network analyses were performed for the 30 items of the NMSS and both the PDQ-39 summary index and eight subscales. The nodewise predictability, edge weights, strength centrality, and bridge strength were determined. In PD, nonmotor symptoms are closely associated with the mobility, emotional well-being, cognition, and bodily discomfort subscales of the PDQ-39. The most influential nonmotor symptoms were found to be fatigue, feeling sad, hyperhidrosis, impaired concentration, and daytime sleepiness. Further research is needed to confirm whether influencing these non-motor symptoms can improve HRQoL.

Oxybutynin-Induced Hyperthermia in a Patient With Parkinson's Disease

Impaired thermoregulation and heat intolerance may be intrinsic to autonomic dysfunction in Parkinson's disease due to disturbances in perspiration regulation. Thermoregulatory impairment leading to hyperthermia/heatstroke can be accentuated with the usage of anticholinergics, which block the ability to sweat. Oxybutynin chloride is one of the most used anticholinergic agents in clinical practice for the management of detrusor hyperreflexia secondary to neurogenic bladder dysfunction and is often used in the setting of Parkinson's disease. We present a rare instance of oxybutynin-induced heatstroke in an elderly patient with Parkinson's disease.

Use of Botulinum Neurotoxin in Parkinson's Disease: A Critical Appraisal

For well over 30 years, the botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) has been used for a large number of indications, some of which however have not been licensed. Admittedly, approval varies in many countries and this permits a large spectrum for evaluation. Thus, BoNT is used for patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and other Parkinson’s syndromes (PS) in varying degrees of frequency. We have to distinguish between (1) indications that are either approved or (2) those not approved, (3) indications that might be a result of PS and (4) finally those which appear independent of PS. The most important indication for BoNT in PS patients is probably sialorrhea, for which approval has been granted in the majority of countries. Cervical dystonia is a frequent symptom in PS, with anterocollis as a specific entity. A further indication is blepharospasm in the different forms, especially the inhibition of eyelid opening in atypical PS. The use of BoNT in cases of camptocormia, the Pisa syndrome and neck rigidity is still a matter of debate. In dystonia of the extremities BoNT can be recommended, especially in dystonia of the feet. One well-known indication, for which however sufficient data are still lacking, involves treating tremor with BoNT. As to autonomic symptoms: Focal hyperhidrosis and detrusor hyperactivity can be mentioned, in this last case BoNT has already been approved. A number of further but rare indications such as freezing-of-gait, dyskinesia, and dysphagia will be discussed and evaluated.

Parkinson's disease and skin

Parkinson's disease is associated with a variety of dermatologic disorders and the study of skin may provide insights into pathophysiological mechanisms underlying this common neurodegenerative disorder. Skin disorders in patients with Parkinson's disease can be divided into two major groups: 1) non-iatrogenic disorders, including melanoma, seborrheic dermatitis, sweating disorders, bullous pemphigoid, and rosacea, and 2) iatrogenic disorders related either to systemic side effects of antiparkinsonian medications or to the delivery system of antiparkinsonian therapy, including primarily carbidopa/levodopa, rotigotine and other dopamine agonists, amantadine, catechol-O-methyl transferase inhibitors, subcutaneous apomorphine, levodopa/carbidopa intestinal gel, and deep brain stimulation. Recent advances in our understanding of the role of α-synuclein in peripheral tissues, including the skin, and research based on induced pluripotent stem cells derived from skin fibroblasts have made skin an important target for the study of Parkinson's disease pathogenesis, drug discovery, novel stem cell therapies, and diagnostics.

The Role of Heart Rate Variability in the Future of Remote Digital Biomarkers

Heart rate variability (HRV) offers insights into humoral, neural and neurovisceral processes in health and disorders of brain, body and behavior but has yet to be fully potentiated in the digital age. Remote measurement technologies (RMTs), such as, smartphones, wearable sensors or home-based devices, can passively capture HRV as a nested parameter of neurovisceral integration and health during everyday life, providing insights across different contexts, such as activities of daily living, therapeutic interventions and behavioral tasks, to compliment ongoing clinical care. Many RMTs measure HRV, even consumer wearables and smartphones, which can be deployed as wearable sensors or digital cameras using photoplethysmography. RMTs that measure HRV provide the opportunity to identify digital biomarkers indicative of changes in health or disease status in disorders where neurovisceral processes are compromised. RMT-based HRV therefore has potential as an adjunct digital biomarker in neurovisceral digital phenotyping that can add continuously updated, objective and relevant data to existing clinical methodologies, aiding the evolution of current "diagnose and treat" care models to a more proactive and holistic approach that pairs established markers with advances in remote digital technology.

Could Heat Therapy Be an Effective Treatment for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Diseases? A Narrative Review

Neurodegenerative diseases involve the progressive deterioration of structures within the central nervous system responsible for motor control, cognition, and autonomic function. Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease are among the most common neurodegenerative disease and have an increasing prevalence over the age of 50. Central in the pathophysiology of these neurodegenerative diseases is the loss of protein homeostasis, resulting in misfolding and aggregation of damaged proteins. An element of the protein homeostasis network that prevents the dysregulation associated with neurodegeneration is the role of molecular chaperones. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are chaperones that regulate the aggregation and disaggregation of proteins in intracellular and extracellular spaces, and evidence supports their protective effect against protein aggregation common to neurodegenerative diseases. Consequently, upregulation of HSPs, such as HSP70, may be a target for therapeutic intervention for protection against neurodegeneration. A novel therapeutic intervention to increase the expression of HSP may be found in heat therapy and/or heat acclimation. In healthy populations, these interventions have been shown to increase HSP expression. Elevated HSP may have central therapeutic effects, preventing or reducing the toxicity of protein aggregation, and/or peripherally by enhancing neuromuscular function. Broader physiological responses to heat therapy have also been identified and include improvements in muscle function, cerebral blood flow, and markers of metabolic health. These outcomes may also have a significant benefit for people with neurodegenerative disease. While there is limited research into body warming in patient populations, regular passive heating (sauna bathing) has been associated with a reduced risk of developing neurodegenerative disease. Therefore, the emerging evidence is compelling and warrants further investigation of the potential benefits of heat acclimation and passive heat therapy for sufferers of neurodegenerative diseases.

Autonomic dysfunction in Parkinson's disease: Implications for pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease with a 200 year-long research history. Our understanding about its clinical phenotype and pathogenesis remains limited, although dopaminergic replacement therapy has significantly improved patient outcomes. Autonomic dysfunction is an essential category of non-motor phenotypes that has recently become a cutting edge field that directs frontier research in PD. In this review, we initially describe the epidemiology of dysautonomic symptoms in PD. Then, we perform a meticulous analysis of the pathophysiology of autonomic dysfunction in PD and propose that the peripheral autonomic nervous system may be a key route for α-synuclein pathology propagation from the periphery to the central nervous system. In addition, we recommend that constipation, orthostatic hypotension, urinary dysfunction, erectile dysfunction, and pure autonomic failure should be viewed as prodromal dysautonomic markers in PD prediction and diagnosis. Finally, we summarize the strategies currently available for the treatment of autonomic dysfunction in PD and suggest that high-quality, better-designed, randomized clinical trials should be conducted in the future.

"New methods of assessing autonomic disorders in Parkinson disease patients: skin-galvanic reaction"

The aim of this study was to assess quantitatively sweating in PD patients. In the study, the galvanic-skin reaction (GSR) was used. The GSR was tested using eSense Skin Reaction device. The results show that sweating in patients with Parkinson's disease on drugs (PD ON) and control patients is similar, while patients with PD without levodopa (PD OFF) have higher perspiration.

Exploring hyperhidrosis and related thermoregulatory symptoms as a possible clinical identifier for the dysautonomic subtype of Parkinson's disease

Objective

To identify associated (non-)motor profiles of Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients with hyperhidrosis as a dominant problem.

Methods

This is a cross-sectional, exploratory, analysis of participants enrolled in the Non-motor Longitudinal International Study (NILS; UKCRN No: 10084) at the Parkinson’s Centre at King’s College Hospital (London, UK). Hyperhidrosis scores (yes/no) on question 28 of the Non-Motor Symptom Questionnaire were used to classify patients with normal sweat function (n = 172) and excessive sweating (n = 56) (Analysis 1; n = 228). NMS scale (NMSS) question 30 scores were used to stratify participants based on hyperhidrosis severity (Analysis 2; n = 352) using an arbitrary severity grading: absent score 0 (n = 267), mild 1–4 (n = 49), moderate 5–8 (n = 17), and severe 9–12 (n = 19). NMS burden, as well as PD sleep scale (PDSS) scores were then analysed along with other correlates.

Results

No differences were observed in baseline demographics between groups in either analysis. Patients with hyperhidrosis exhibited significantly higher total NMSS burden compared to those without (p < 0.001). Secondary analyses revealed higher dyskinesia scores, worse quality of life and PDSS scores, and higher anxiety and depression levels in hyperhidrosis patients (p < 0.001). Tertiary analyses revealed higher NMSS item scores for fatigue, sleep initiation, restless legs, urinary urgency, and unexplained pain (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Chronic hyperhidrosis appears to be associated with a dysautonomia dominant subtype in PD patients, which is also associated with sleep disorders and a higher rate of dyskinesia (fluctuation-related hyperhidrosis). These data should prompt the concept of hyperhidrosis being used as a simple clinical screening tool to identify PD patients with autonomic symptoms.

Autonomic dysfunction in Parkinson disease and animal models

Parkinson disease has traditionally been classified as a movement disorder, despite patients' accounts of diverse symptoms stemming from impairments in numerous body systems. Today, Parkinson disease is increasingly recognized by clinicians and scientists as a complex neurodegenerative disorder featuring both motor and nonmotor manifestations concomitant with pathology throughout all major branches of the nervous system. Dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system, or dysautonomia, is a common feature of Parkinson disease. It produces signs and symptoms that severely affect patients' quality of life, such as blood pressure dysregulation, hyperhidrosis, and constipation. Treatment options for dysautonomia are limited to symptom alleviation because the cause of these symptoms and Parkinson disease overall are still unknown. Animal models provide a platform to interrogate mechanisms of Parkinson disease-related autonomic nervous system dysfunction and test novel treatment strategies. Several animal models of Parkinson disease are available, each with different effects on the autonomic nervous system. This review critically analyses key dysautonomia signs and symptoms and associated pathology in Parkinson disease patients and relevant findings in animal models. We focus on the cardiovascular system, adrenal medulla, skin/thermoregulation, bladder, pupils, and gastrointestinal tract, to assess the contribution of animal models to the understanding of Parkinson disease autonomic dysfunction.

The Skin and Parkinson's Disease: Review of Clinical, Diagnostic, and Therapeutic Issues

BACKGROUND

Parkinson's disease (PD) and the skin are related in a number of ways, including clinical abnormalities of the disease itself and skin-related side effects of dopaminergic medication, pumps, and surgical therapies. Recent advances in understanding the role of α-synuclein suggest skin biopsies as a potential diagnostic or even a premotor marker of PD.

METHODS

The PubMed database was searched for publications up to October 2015, and the current evidence on skin-related issues in PD was comprehensively summarized.

RESULTS

The evidence was summarized on the prevalence, etiology, and management of seborrheic dermatitis, sweating dysfunctions, bullous pemphigoid, and malignant melanoma, as well as therapy-related skin disorders, especially those observed in amantadine, rotigotine, apomorphine, and levodopa/carbidopa intestinal gel therapies and deep-brain stimulation. Skin biopsies evaluating the presence of α-synuclein, the density and morphology of cutaneous nerves, and skin fibroblast functions also are discussed.

CONCLUSIONS

Skin disorders are a common manifestation of PD. However, the exact pathophysiology and prevalence of these disorders are not well understood, and more systematic research is needed in this regard. Peripheral tissue biopsies as a diagnostic marker of PD are an exciting avenue in future PD research, although multiple caveats and pending issues need to be solved before they can be used in routine clinical practice.

Effect of heat waves on morbidity and mortality due to Parkinson's disease in Madrid: A time-series analysis

BACKGROUND

Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the factors which are associated with a higher risk of mortality during heat waves. The use of certain neuroleptic medications to control some of this disease's complications would appear to be related to an increase in heat-related mortality.

OBJECTIVE

To analyse the relationship and quantify the short-term effect of high temperatures during heat wave episodes in Madrid on daily mortality and PD-related hospital admissions.

METHODS

We used an ecological time-series study and fit Poisson regression models. We analysed the daily number of deaths due to PD and the number of daily PD-related emergency hospital admissions in the city of Madrid, using maximum daily temperature (°C) as the main environmental variable and chemical air pollution as covariates. We controlled for trend, seasonalities, and the autoregressive nature of the series.

RESULTS

There was a maximum daily temperature of 30°C at which PD-related admissions were at a minimum. Similarly, a temperature of 34°C coincides with an increase in the number of admissions. For PD-related admissions, the Relative Risk (RR) for every increase of 1°C above the threshold temperature was 1.13 IC95%:(1.03-1.23) at lags 1 and 5; and for daily PD-related mortality, the RR was 1.14 IC95%:(1.01-1.28) at lag 3.

CONCLUSION

Our results indicate that suffering from PD is a risk factor that contributes to the excess morbidity and mortality associated with high temperatures, and is relevant from the standpoint of public health prevention plans.

Parkinson's disease: a review of non-motor symptoms

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder resulting from degeneration of the substantia nigra and the dopaminergic nigrostriatal pathway. Most treatments are geared toward the management and relief of motor symptoms in Parkinson's patients; however, as the disease progresses, various complications can be observed. Non-motor symptoms (NMS) may arise simply from the disease itself and are highly destructive to quality of life. These symptoms include mood disorders, cognitive dysfunction, pain, sensory dysfunction, and dysautonomia. Though it is undisputed that many NMS may appear years or even decades prior to the clinical diagnosis of PD, the focus of this review will be the overt motor phase of the condition. As such, the focus of this paper is to review the major NMS found in PD patients status post-diagnosis, their etiology, as well as treatment options available for the individual NMS.

The heterogeneity of non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease

In addition to motor symptoms, patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) may experience non-motor symptoms (NMS), more often with more advanced disease stage. However, the clinical feature of the NMS and potential risk factors that affect NMS in idiopathic PD patients remain unclear. 493 PD patients diagnosed with PD via the UK. Parkinson's Disease Society Brain Bank Clinical Diagnostic Criteria and 93 healthy control subjects (CN) were recruited in the current study. Questionnaires were used to assess the NMS, motor symptoms, cognitive function, and disease severity in both groups. Levodopa daily dose was calculated in PD patients. Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to identify the risk factors that potentially affect NMS in PD patients. The results showed that, the NMS occurrence and positive endorsement rate of PD patients were significantly higher compared to CN subjects. Multiple stepwise regression analysis found the motor symptom was the only factor that affected NMS in PD patients within five years of the disease course, whereas motor symptoms, cognitive function, disease severity and Levodopa daily dose significantly affected NMS if the disease course was more than five years. These findings demonstrated that NMS are affected by several risk factors at different stages of PD. The distribution of difference NMS is associated with the severity of motor symptoms and the dosage of anti-PD medications in Chinese PD patients.

Autonomic dysfunction according to disease progression in Parkinson's disease

BACKGROUND

Although autonomic dysfunction is common in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), few data are available regarding its pattern and quantitative severity with increasing Hoehn and Yahr (H&Y) stage. We conducted autonomic function tests to quantify autonomic dysfunction in PD patients and to elucidate its possible relationship with disease progression.

METHODS

We performed autonomic function tests including Valsalva ratio, heart rate response to deep breathing, quantitative sudomotor axon reflex test, and head-up tilt test in 66 patients with PD. We compared clinical characteristics and results of autonomic function tests between stages, and correlated the proportion of abnormal patients in each test with their H&Y stage. In addition, logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the contribution of increasing H&Y stage to impairments of each domain of the autonomic nervous system.

RESULTS

We found that PD patients with higher disease stage tended to have impairments in cardiovagal and sudomotor domains of the autonomic nervous system. Cardiovagal function was the domain most influenced by disease progression. Our findings also demonstrated that the pattern of sudomotor impairment in PD was similar to that in patients with peripheral autonomic neuropathy.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study demonstrates that autonomic dysfunction is not only common in early stage PD but it increases in severity with increasing disease stage. Given that the patterns of sudomotor impairments in PD are similar to those in peripheral neuropathy, our data support a previous hypothesis that pathophysiology of PD involves both the central and peripheral nervous systems.

Autonomic involvement in Parkinson's disease: pathology, pathophysiology, clinical features and possible peripheral biomarkers

Autonomic nervous system involvement occurs at early stages in both Parkinson's disease (PD) and incidental Lewy body disease (ILBD), and affects the sympathetic, parasympathetic, and enteric nervous systems (ENS). It has been proposed that alpha-synuclein (α-SYN) pathology in PD has a distal to proximal progression along autonomic pathways. The ENS is affected before the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV), and distal axons of cardiac sympathetic nerves degenerate before there is loss of paravertebral sympathetic ganglion neurons. Consistent with neuropathological findings, some autonomic manifestations such as constipation or impaired cardiac uptake of norepinephrine precursors, occur at early stages of the disease even before the onset of motor symptoms. Biopsy of peripheral tissues may constitute a promising approach to detect α-SYN neuropathology in autonomic nerves and a useful early biomarker of PD.

Autonomic dysfunction in neurodegenerative dementias

Syncope associated to orthostatic hypotension (OH), urinary incontinence and constipation is common symptoms in demented patients, mainly in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and in Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD). Alzheimer's disease (AD) and fronto temporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) show less autonomic dysfunction. Urinary symptoms are a prominent component of normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH). There are non invasive tests including standard cardiovascular tests, 123 I-metaiodobenzylguanide (MIBG) cardiac scintigraphy, urodynamic tests, gastrointestinal motility studies, sweating reflexes and pupillary responses that assess autonomic dysfunction in these patients. The study of autonomic symptoms and abnormal tests in patients with dementia is useful to prevent morbidity due falls, severe constipation and to avoid side effects of drugs that interfere with autonomic function.

Clinical differentiation of primary from secondary hyperhidrosis

BACKGROUND

Hyperhidrosis (HH) is excessive sweating that may be primary (idiopathic) or secondary to medication or disease. Clinical features supporting primary or secondary etiology have not been well documented.

OBJECTIVE

To identify clinical and demographic features predictive of a diagnosis of primary versus secondary HH.

METHODS

A retrospective chart review was conducted over a 13-year period (1993-2005) of all patients (children and adults) seen at a university-based outpatient dermatology department with an International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision diagnosis code for HH (N = 415).

RESULTS

Three hundred eighty-seven patients (93.3%) had primary HH (PHH); 28 patients (6.7%) had secondary HH (SHH). SHH patients were older (39.0 ± 18.6 years vs 27.3 ± 12.3 years) with more frequent onset at age older than 25 years (55% for SHH vs12.1% for PHH; odds ratio [OR] 8.7; 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.5-21.4; P < .00001 for each). SHH was more often unilateral/asymmetric (OR: 51; 95% CI: 12.6-208), generalized (vs focal; OR: 18; 95% CI: 7.3-47.6), and present nocturnally (OR: 23.2; 95% CI: 4.3-126; P < .00001 for each). Of SHH cases, endocrine disease accounted for 57% (including diabetes mellitus [11], hyperthyroidism [4], and hyperpituitarism [1]). Neurologic disease accounted for 32% (including peripheral nerve injury [3], Parkinson's disease [2], reflex sympathetic dystrophy [2], spinal injury [1] and Arnold-Chiari malformation [1]). Malignancy (pheochromocytoma), respiratory disease, and psychiatric disease were each represented once. Compared to other secondary causes, asymmetric HH favored neurologic disease (OR: 63; 95% CI: 4.9-810); P = .0002).

LIMITATIONS

Results were obtained from a single, university-based population.

CONCLUSIONS

On the basis of these data, the diagnostic criteria for PHH were assessed statistically. Criteria include: excessive sweating of 6 months or more in duration, with 4 or more of the following: primarily involving eccrine-dense (axillae/palms/soles/craniofacial) sites; bilateral and symmetric; absent nocturnally; episodes at least weekly; onset at 25 years of age or younger; positive family history; and impairing daily activities. These criteria discriminate well between PHH and SHH (sensitivity: 0.99; specificity: 0.82; positive predictive value: 0.99; negative predictive value: 0.852) and may facilitate optimal clinical management.

Multi-organ autonomic dysfunction in Parkinson disease

Both pathologic and clinical studies of autonomic pathways have expanded the concept of Parkinson disease (PD) from a movement disorder to a multi-level widespread neurodegenerative process with non-motor features spanning several organ systems. This review integrates neuropathologic findings and autonomic physiology in PD as it relates to end organ autonomic function. Symptoms, pathology and physiology of the cardiovascular, skin/sweat gland, urinary, gastrointestinal, pupillary and neuroendocrine systems can be probed by autopsy, biopsy and non-invasive electrophysiological techniques in vivo which assess autonomic anatomy and function. There is mounting evidence that PD affects a chain of neurons in autonomic pathways. Consequently, autonomic physiology may serve as a window into non-motor PD progression and allow the development of mechanistically based treatment strategies for several non-motor features of PD. End-organ physiologic markers may be used to inform a model of PD pathophysiology and non-motor progression.

Clinical consequences of reinnervation disorders after focal peripheral nerve lesions

Axonal regeneration and organ reinnervation are the necessary steps for functional recovery after a nerve lesion. However, these processes are frequently accompanied by collateral events that may not be beneficial, such as: (1) Uncontrolled branching of growing axons at the lesion site. (2) Misdirection of axons and target organ reinnervation errors, (3) Enhancement of excitability of the parent neuron, and (4) Compensatory activity in non-damaged nerves. Each one of those possible problems or a combination of them can be the underlying pathophysiological mechanism for some clinical conditions seen as a consequence of a nerve lesion. Reinnervation-related motor disorders are more likely to occur with lesions affecting nerves which innervate muscles with antagonistic functions, such as the facial, the laryngeal and the ulnar nerves. Motor disorders are better demonstrated than sensory disturbances, which might follow similar patterns. In some instances, the available examination methods give only scarce evidence for the positive diagnosis of reinnervation-related disorders in humans and the diagnosis of such condition can only be based on clinical observation. Whatever the lesion, though, the restitution of complex functions such as fine motor control and sensory discrimination would require not only a successful regeneration process but also a central nervous system reorganization in order to integrate the newly formed peripheral nerve structure into the prepared motor programs and sensory patterns.

Treatment of dysautonomia in extrapyramidal disorders

Although extrapyramidal diseases are commonly thought to solely affect the extrapyramidal motor system, nonmotor symptoms such as behavioural abnormalities, dysautonomia, sleep disturbances and sensory dysfunctions are also frequently observed. Autonomic dysfunction as an important clinical component of extrapyramidal disease (idiopathic Parkinson's disease, multiple system atrophy, progressive supranuclear palsy, dementia with Lewy bodies) is often not formally assessed and thus frequently misdiagnosed. Symptoms of autonomic dysfunction in general impact more on quality of life than motor symptoms. Appropriate symptom-oriented diagnosis and symptomatic treatment as part of an interdisciplinary approach can greatly benefit the patient. Unfortunately, double-blind, randomized, controlled studies are scarce with the consequence that most recommendations are not based on the highest level of evidence. This review elaborates a limited overview on the treatment of cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, urogenital and sudomotor autonomic dysfunction in various extrapyramidal syndromes.

Lesions outside the CNS in Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is not a simple movement disorder induced just by loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. Apparently, the substantia nigra is not the only or the first brain region damaged in PD. Moreover, older and recent studies have shown that the degenerative process in PD is much more extensive and affects not only the central nervous system (CNS) but also the peripheral autonomic nervous system and the organs outside the brain that the latter innervates. These include mainly the gastrointestinal tract, the heart, kidneys, urogenital system, and skin. Additional extra-CNS organs that are involved in PD include the eye and the adrenal gland. This article reviews the anatomical, physiological, and clinical features of extracerebral manifestations of PD, and describes their relevance to the etiology and pathogenesis of the disease. It establishes this illness as a systemic CNS and peripheral disorder that warrants new hypotheses regarding its causation and progression.

Parkinson phenotype in aged PINK1-deficient mice is accompanied by progressive mitochondrial dysfunction in absence of neurodegeneration

BACKGROUND

Parkinson's disease (PD) is an adult-onset movement disorder of largely unknown etiology. We have previously shown that loss-of-function mutations of the mitochondrial protein kinase PINK1 (PTEN induced putative kinase 1) cause the recessive PARK6 variant of PD.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Now we generated a PINK1 deficient mouse and observed several novel phenotypes: A progressive reduction of weight and of locomotor activity selectively for spontaneous movements occurred at old age. As in PD, abnormal dopamine levels in the aged nigrostriatal projection accompanied the reduced movements. Possibly in line with the PARK6 syndrome but in contrast to sporadic PD, a reduced lifespan, dysfunction of brainstem and sympathetic nerves, visible aggregates of alpha-synuclein within Lewy bodies or nigrostriatal neurodegeneration were not present in aged PINK1-deficient mice. However, we demonstrate PINK1 mutant mice to exhibit a progressive reduction in mitochondrial preprotein import correlating with defects of core mitochondrial functions like ATP-generation and respiration. In contrast to the strong effect of PINK1 on mitochondrial dynamics in Drosophila melanogaster and in spite of reduced expression of fission factor Mtp18, we show reduced fission and increased aggregation of mitochondria only under stress in PINK1-deficient mouse neurons.

CONCLUSION

Thus, aging Pink1(-/-) mice show increasing mitochondrial dysfunction resulting in impaired neural activity similar to PD, in absence of overt neuronal death.

Evaluation of sympathetic skin response in Parkinson's disease

There is no clear definition on the role of sympathetic skin response (SSR) in the evaluation of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). We recorded the SSR of the palms of 64 controls and 46 patients with PD to electrical stimulation of the median nerve at the wrist. We analyzed onset latency and peak-to-peak amplitude. A study of parasympathetic function (R-R interval analysis) was also undertaken. We found that patients with PD had more absent SSRs than controls. The mean amplitude of the SSR was significantly reduced in both lower and upper limbs of PD patients in comparison with control subjects (p<0.001). The onset latency was longer in the lower limbs of these patients in respect to the control group (p<0.003). There was a significant inverse correlation between SSR amplitudes and age, severity and late onset of the disease. There was no association of these parameters with dysautonomic symptoms or R-R interval variation. In conclusion, there is a significant association between altered SSR and PD and an inverse correlation in this group of patients between SSR values and older age, greater severity and later onset of disease. Therefore, the study of SSR may provide valuable information on cholinergic sympathetic function in patients with PD.