Insidious onset of Pisa syndrome after rasagiline therapy in a patient with Parkinson’s disease

A summary index derived from Kinect to evaluate postural abnormalities severity in Parkinson’s Disease patients

Postural abnormalities are common disabling motor complications affecting patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). We proposed a summary index for postural abnormalities (IPA) based on Kinect depth camera and explored the clinical value of this indicator. Seventy individuals with PD and thirty age-matched healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled. All participants were tested using a Kinect-based system with IPA automatically obtained by algorithms. Significant correlations were detected between IPA and the Movement Disorder Society-Sponsored Revision of the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) total score (rs = 0.369, p = 0.002), MDS-UPDRS-III total score (rs = 0.431, p < 0.001), MDS-UPDRS-III 3.13 score (rs = 0.573, p < 0.001), MDS-UPDRS-III-bradykinesia score (rs = 0.311, p = 0.010), the 39-item Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39) (rs = 0.272, p = 0.0027) and the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) score (rs = −0.350, p = 0.006). The optimal cut-off value of IPA for distinguishing PD from HCs was 12.96 with a sensitivity of 97.14%, specificity of 100.00%, area under the curve (AUC) of 0.999 (0.997–1.002, p < 0.001), and adjusted AUC of 0.998 (0.993–1.000, p < 0.001). The optimal cut-off value of IPA for distinguishing between PD with and without postural abnormalities was 20.14 with a sensitivity, specificity, AUC and adjusted AUC of 77.78%, 73.53%, 0.817 (0.720–0.914, p < 0.001), and 0.783 (0.631–0.900, p < 0.001), respectively. IPA was significantly correlated to the clinical manifestations of PD patients, and could reflect the global severity of postural abnormalities in PD with important value in distinguishing PD from HCs and distinguishing PD with postural abnormalities from those without.

Postural Abnormalities in Parkinson's Disease: An Epidemiological and Clinical Multicenter Study

INTRODUCTION

The overall frequency of postural abnormalities (PA) in Parkinson's disease (PD) is unknown. We evaluated the overall prevalence of PA and assessed the association with demographic and clinical variables.

METHODS

For this multicenter, cross-sectional study, consecutive PD outpatients attending 7 tertiary Italian centers were enrolled. Patients were evaluated and compared for the presence of isolated PA such as camptocormia, Pisa syndrome, and anterocollis and for combined forms (ie, camptocormia + Pisa syndrome) together with demographic and clinical variables.

RESULTS

Of the total 811 PD patients enrolled, 174 (21.5%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 18.6%-24.3%) presented PA, 144 of which had isolated PA and 30 had combined PA. The prevalence of camptocormia was 11.2% (95% CI, 9%-13.3%), Pisa syndrome 8% (95% CI, 6.2%-9.9%), and anterocollis 6.5% (95% CI, 4.9%-8.3%). Patients with PA were more often male and older with longer disease duration, more advanced disease stage, more severe PD symptoms, a bradykinetic/rigid phenotype, and poorer quality of life. They were initially treated with levodopa, and more likely to be treated with a combination of levodopa and dopamine agonist, took a higher daily levodopa equivalent daily dose, and had more comorbidities. Falls and back pain were more frequent in PD patients with PA than in those without PA. Multiple logistic regression models confirmed an association between PA and male gender, older age, Hoehn and Yahr stage, and total Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale score.

CONCLUSIONS

PA are frequent and disabling complications in PD, especially in the advanced disease stages.

Pisa syndrome in Parkinson's disease: An integrated approach from pathophysiology to management

Pisa syndrome was first described in 1972 in patients treated with neuroleptics. Since 2003, when it was first reported in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), Pisa syndrome has progressively drawn the attention of clinicians and researchers. Although emerging evidence has partially clarified its prevalence and pathophysiology, the current debate revolves around diagnostic criteria and assessment and the effectiveness of pharmacological, surgical, and rehabilitative approaches. Contrary to initial thought, Pisa syndrome is common among PD patients, with an estimated prevalence of 8.8% according to a large survey. Furthermore, it is associated with the following specific patient features: more severe motor phenotype, ongoing combined pharmacological treatment with levodopa and dopamine agonists, gait disorders, and such comorbidities as osteoporosis and arthrosis. The present literature on treatment outcomes is scant, and the uneven effectiveness of specific treatments has produced conflicting results. This might be because of the limited knowledge of Pisa syndrome pathophysiology and its variable clinical presentation, which further complicates designing randomized clinical trials on this condition. However, because some forms of Pisa syndrome are potentially reversible, there is growing consensus on the importance of its early recognition and the importance of pharmacological adjustment and rehabilitation. © 2016 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.