Self-reported functioning and well-being in patients with Parkinson's disease: comparison of the short-form health survey (SF-36) and the Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39)

Psychometric properties of the Parkinson's disease Questionnaire-39 and its short form Parkinson's disease Questionnaire-8: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Parkinson's disease (PD) affects Quality of Life (QoL), since it is responsible for cognitive impairment, non-motor, and motor symptoms. Outcome measures are fundamental for evaluating treatment's effect on QoL over time. This systematic review aimed to identify the psychometric properties of PDQ-39 and PDQ-8 in the different populations in which they were validated. The electronic databases systematically searched are MEDLINE (via PubMed), CINAHL, SCOPUS, and Web of Science; the research was conducted in July 2023. The psychometric properties considered were those of the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) checklist. Risk of bias was assessed using the COSMIN checklist. The search identified 1306 articles. 398 duplicates were eliminated; 908 articles were analyzed reading title and abstract; 799 were finally excluded because used PDQ-39 and PDQ-8 as outcome measures or were not dealing with psychometric properties; 66 articles were excluded after reading the full text. 43 articles were included in the review; meta-analysis showed all the Cronbach's alpha values were statistically significant for all the subscales of PDQ-39 and PDQ-8. PDQ-39 demonstrated to be a specific HRQoL questionnaire that is correlated with generic HRQoL questionnaires, in fact in many studies included in the review, correlations with SF-36 were found. In the last studies about psychometric properties of PDQ-8 emerged that it is a practical and informative instrument that can be easily used in clinical settings, especially in busy ones, but also in large-scale studies in which a brief instrument would be preferred.

Quality of life assessment when considering the introduction of device-assisted therapies in advanced Parkinson's disease: A retrospective observational cross-sectional study

INTRODUCTION

Device-aided therapy (DAT) is an established treatment for improving the quality of life (QOL) in individuals with advanced Parkinson's disease (APD). Criteria for starting DAT, including motor and non-motor symptoms, have been proposed. However, it remains unclear whether QOL differences among patients with APD influence DAT introduction. Therefore, we aimed to investigate QOL differences between patients with and without DAT introduction.

METHODS

This retrospective observational cross-sectional study included 245 patients with PD who were followed up between January 1, 2020, and June 30, 2022. We defined cases that underwent DAT introduction after evaluation as "planned-DAT" and those that did not as "not-planned-DAT." We performed between-group comparisons of the PD questionnaire-39 (PDQ-39) summary index (SI) in patients with APD who met the 5-2-1 criteria (≥5 times the oral levodopa dose/day, ≥2 h of "off" symptoms/day, and ≥ 1 h of troublesome dyskinesia/day).

RESULTS

Seventy-nine patients met the inclusion criteria for APD (median age: 68 [61.0-73.0] years; 62.8% [N = 52] women). The PDQ-39 SI scores were higher in the planned-DAT group (N = 12) than in the not-planned-DAT group (N = 67) (29.2 [22.1-33.6] vs. 19.0 [10.3-49.6] points, P < 0.05). After propensity-score matching according to age and sex, the PDQ-39 SI scores remained higher in the planned-DAT (N = 9) than in the not-planned-DAT group (N = 18) (40.0 [25.4-60.0] vs. 18.5 [7.9-46.8] points, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that QOL assessment using PDQ-39 can be used to identify patients eligible for DAT.

Directional versus ring-mode deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's disease: protocol of a multi-centre double-blind randomised crossover trial

BACKGROUND

The effectiveness of Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) therapy for Parkinson's disease can be limited by side-effects caused by electrical current spillover into structures adjacent to the target area. The objective of the STEEred versus RING-mode DBS for Parkinson's disease (STEERING) study is to investigate if directional DBS for Parkinson's disease results in a better clinical outcome when compared to ring-mode DBS.

METHODS

The STEERING study is a prospective multi-centre double-blind randomised crossover trial. Inclusion criteria are Parkinson's disease, subthalamic nucleus DBS in a 'classic' ring-mode setting for a minimum of six months, and optimal ring-mode settings have been established. Participants are categorised into one of two subgroups according to their clinical response to the ring-mode settings as 'responders' (i.e., patient with a satisfactory effect of ring-mode DBS) or 'non-responder' (i.e., patient with a non-satisfactory effect of ring-mode DBS). A total of 64 responders and 38 non-responders will be included (total 102 patients). After an optimisation period in which an optimal directional setting is found, participants are randomised to first receive ring-mode DBS for 56 days (range 28-66) followed by directional DBS for 56 days (28-66) or vice-versa. The primary outcome is the difference between ring-mode DBS and directional DBS settings on the Movement Disorders Society Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale - Motor Evaluation (MDS-UPDRS-ME) in the off-medication state. Secondary outcome measures consist of MDS-UPDRS-ME in the on-medication state, MDS-UPDRS Activities of Daily Living, MDS-UPDRS Motor Complications-Dyskinesia, disease related quality of life measured with the Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire 39, stimulation-induced side-effects, antiparkinsonian medication use, and DBS-parameters. Participants' therapy preference is measured at the end of the study. Outcomes will be analysed for both responder and non-responder groups, as well as for both groups pooled together.

DISCUSSION

The STEERING trial will provide insights into whether or not directional DBS should be standardly used in all Parkinson's disease DBS patients or if directional DBS should only be used in a case-based approach.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

This trial was registered on the Netherlands Trial Register, as trial NL6508 ( NTR6696 ) on June 23, 2017.

Contributory Factors to Caregiver Burden in Parkinson's Disease

Background

Although there is growing recognition of the relevancy of informal caregivers there is scarce information on the contributory factors of caregiver burden in Parkinson's Disease (PD).

Objective

To identify the main associated factors to caregivers' burden in people caring for a person with PD.

Methods

We analyzed the data set from a multinational online survey the Parkinson's real-world impact assesSMent (PRISM) focusing on medication use, comorbidities, health-related quality of life, relationship changes and the use of healthcare and supportive care resources by people with PD and their carers. Structured questionnaires including the Parkinson's disease quality of life questionnaire (PDQ-39), non-motor symptoms questionnaire (NMSQuest) and the Questionnaire for impulsive-compulsive disorder in Parkinson's disease (QUIP) were applied. Caregiver burden was assessed by the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI).

Results

In a cohort of 245 dyads (patient and respective caregiver), caregivers reported a mild to moderate burden. Carers' perception of PD impact in partnership, financial burden, hours of care, patient's age, hypersexuality and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) were found to be significant contributory factors to caregiver burden. Taken together these variables explained 66.8% of the variance in the Interpretation of the ZBI total score.

Conclusions

Caring for a person with PD entails substantial burden, particularly when the caregiver perceives greater changes in partnership dynamics, dedicates more time to caregiving tasks, has financial burden, and when the patient is older, reports worst HRQoL and has sexual compulsive urges.

Upregulation of APAF1 and CSF1R in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells of Parkinson's Disease

Increased oxidative stress and neuroinflammation play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). In this study, the expression levels of 52 genes related to oxidative stress and inflammation were measured in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of the discovery cohort including 48 PD patients and 25 healthy controls. Four genes, including ALDH1A, APAF1, CR1, and CSF1R, were found to be upregulated in PD patients. The expression patterns of these genes were validated in a second cohort of 101 PD patients and 61 healthy controls. The results confirmed the upregulation of APAF1 (PD: 0.34 ± 0.18, control: 0.26 ± 0.11, p < 0.001) and CSF1R (PD: 0.38 ± 0.12, control: 0.33 ± 0.10, p = 0.005) in PD patients. The expression level of APAF1 was correlated with the scores of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS, r = 0.235, p = 0.018) and 39-item PD questionnaire (PDQ-39, r = 0.250, p = 0.012). The expression level of CSF1R was negatively correlated with the scores of the mini-mental status examination (MMSE, r = -0.200, p = 0.047) and Montréal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA, r = -0.226, p = 0.023). These results highly suggest that oxidative stress biomarkers in peripheral blood may be useful in monitoring the progression of motor disabilities and cognitive decline in PD patients.

Essential tremor-Parkinson's disease syndrome: clinical characteristics and subtypes using cluster analysis

BACKGROUND

Essential tremor (ET) and Parkinson's disease (PD) are common movement disorders. ET-PD syndrome is characterized by the occurrence of PD in patients with a previous history of ET, which may be an independent phenotype distinct from PD. This study aims to identify clinical characteristics and subtypes in ET-PD.

METHODS

A total of 93 newly diagnosed ET-PD patients and 93 newly diagnosed PD patients matched for age, sex, education, and disease duration of PD were selected using propensity score matching analysis. The K-means cluster analysis was performed for 11 variables derived from the ET-PD group, and cluster profiles were established through statistical analysis of demographic and clinical variables.

RESULTS

The ET-PD group consisted of a high number of patients with a family history of ET exhibiting evident tremor with milder hypokinesia and postural instability symptoms, as compared to the PD group. Through the cluster analysis, two clusters of ET-PD patients were identified. The ET-PD cluster 1 ( n  = 34) had a shorter ET duration before PD onset, lower number of patients with a family history of ET, higher unified PD rating scale instability scores, higher non-motor symptoms scores (non-motor symptoms scale D1 scores, Hamilton depression scale scores, Hamilton anxiety scale scores, and PD sleep scale-2 scores), and higher Chinese version of the PD questionnaire-39 scores relative to the ET-PD cluster 2 ( n  = 59).

CONCLUSION

ET-PD patients had significantly different characteristics for motor symptoms as compared to PD patients, and may be distinctly divided into two clinical subtypes, namely, the ET-PD complex type and the ET-PD simple type.

Motor progression marker for newly diagnosed drug-naïve patients with Parkinson's disease: A resting-state functional MRI study

The effective early prediction of clinical outcomes of Parkinson's disease (PD) is of great significance in the implementation of appropriate interventions. We aimed to propose a method based on the use of baseline resting-state functional characteristics (i.e., fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations, fALFF) to predict motor progression in PD patients. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging was performed on 48 newly-diagnosed drug-naïve PD patients and 27 age- and sex- matched healthy controls (HCs). Two PD subgroups were defined with different annual increase of Unified PD Rating Scale Part III motor scores. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression analysis was performed to explore the baseline region-functional indicators for PD discrimination as well as the predictors for future motor deficits. Two significant models composed of baseline fALFF values from cerebral subregions were proposed. The classification model that distinguished PD patients from HCs (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.897) showed the most significant imaging characteristics in the putamen and precentral gyrus. The other prediction model that evaluated the degree of future deterioration of motor symptoms in PD patients (AUC = 0.916) showed the most significant imaging characteristics in the superior occipital gyrus and caudate nucleus. Furthermore, the increased regional function in bilateral caudate nuclei was correlated with the lower annual increase in motor deficits in all PD patients. The caudate nucleus might be the core region responsible for future motor deficits in newly-diagnosed PD patients, which may aid the development of disease progression preventive strategies in clinical practice.

Effects of Subthalamic Nucleus Deep Brain Stimulation on Depression in Patients with Parkinson's Disease

Objective: In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of STN-DBS on PD patients with different levels of depression and to identify predictors of the effects of STN-DBS on PD depression. Methods: We retrospectively collected data for 118 patients with PD depression who underwent STN-DBS at Beijing Tiantan Hospital. Neuropsychological, motor, and quality of life assessments were applied preoperatively and postoperatively. All patients were divided into two groups according to their HAM-D24 total scores (group I: mild depression; group Ⅱ: moderate depression). A mixed repeated-measure analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to investigate whether there were differences in depression scores before and after STN-DBS between the two groups. The changes in depression scores were also compared between groups using ANCOVA, adjusting for gender and preoperative HAMA scores. Logistic regression was performed to identify predictors of STN-DBS’s effects on PD depression. Results: Both groups showed significant improvement in depression symptoms after STN-DBS. Compared with patients in group I, patients in group Ⅱ showed greater reductions in their HAM-D24 total scores (p = 0.002) and in HAM-D24 subitems including cognitive disturbances (p = 0.026) and hopelessness symptoms (p = 0.018). Logistic regression indicated that gender (female) (p = 0.014) and preoperative moderate depression (p < 0.001) patients had greater improvements in depression after STN-DBS. Conclusions: Patients with moderate depression showed better improvement than patients with mild depression. Gender (female) and preoperative HAMA scores are predictors of STN-DBS’s effects on PD depression.

Evaluating the Different Stages of Parkinson's Disease Using Electroencephalography With Holo-Hilbert Spectral Analysis

Electroencephalography (EEG) can reveal the abnormalities of dopaminergic subcortico-cortical circuits in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). However, conventional time-frequency analysis of EEG signals cannot fully reveal the non-linear processes of neural activities and interactions. A novel Holo-Hilbert Spectral Analysis (HHSA) was applied to reveal non-linear features of resting state EEG in 99 PD patients and 59 healthy controls (HCs). PD patients demonstrated a reduction of β bands in frontal and central regions, and reduction of γ bands in central, parietal, and temporal regions. Compared with early-stage PD patients, late-stage PD patients demonstrated reduction of β bands in the posterior central region, and increased θ and δ2 bands in the left parietal region. θ and β bands in all brain regions were positively correlated with Hamilton depression rating scale scores. Machine learning algorithms using three prioritized HHSA features demonstrated "Bag" with the best accuracy of 0.90, followed by "LogitBoost" with an accuracy of 0.89. Our findings strengthen the application of HHSA to reveal high-dimensional frequency features in EEG signals of PD patients. The EEG characteristics extracted by HHSA are important markers for the identification of depression severity and diagnosis of PD.

An Activity Recognition Framework for Continuous Monitoring of Non-Steady-State Locomotion of Individuals with Parkinson’s Disease

Fundamental knowledge in activity recognition of individuals with motor disorders such as Parkinson’s disease (PD) has been primarily limited to detection of steady-state/static tasks (e.g., sitting, standing, walking). To date, identification of non-steady-state locomotion on uneven terrains (stairs, ramps) has not received much attention. Furthermore, previous research has mainly relied on data from a large number of body locations which could adversely affect user convenience and system performance. Here, individuals with mild stages of PD and healthy subjects performed non-steady-state circuit trials comprising stairs, ramp, and changes of direction. An offline analysis using a linear discriminant analysis (LDA) classifier and a Long-Short Term Memory (LSTM) neural network was performed for task recognition. The performance of accelerographic and gyroscopic information from varied lower/upper-body segments were tested across a set of user-independent and user-dependent training paradigms. Comparing the F1 score of a given signal across classifiers showed improved performance using LSTM compared to LDA. Using LSTM, even a subset of information (e.g., feet data) in subject-independent training appeared to provide F1 score > 0.8. However, employing LDA was shown to be at the expense of being limited to using a subject-dependent training and/or biomechanical data from multiple body locations. The findings could inform a number of applications in the field of healthcare monitoring and developing advanced lower-limb assistive devices by providing insights into classification schemes capable of handling non-steady-state and unstructured locomotion in individuals with mild Parkinson’s disease.

Alterations of Sphingolipid and Phospholipid Pathways and Ornithine Level in the Plasma as Biomarkers of Parkinson's Disease

The biomarkers of Parkinson’s disease (PD) remain to be investigated. This work aimed to identify blood biomarkers for PD using targeted metabolomics analysis. We quantified the plasma levels of 255 metabolites in 92 PD patients and 60 healthy controls (HC). PD patients were sub-grouped into early (Hoehn–Yahr stage ≤ 2, n = 72) and advanced (Hoehn–Yahr stage > 2, n = 20) stages. Fifty-nine phospholipids, 3 fatty acids, 3 amino acids, and 7 biogenic amines, demonstrated significant alterations in PD patients. Six of them, dihydro sphingomyelin (SM) 24:0, 22:0, 20:0, phosphatidylethanolamine-plasmalogen (PEp) 38:6, and phosphatidylcholine 38:5 and 36:6, demonstrated lowest levels in PD patients in the advanced stage, followed by those in the early stage and HC. By contrast, the level of ornithine was highest in PD patients at the advanced stage, followed by those at the early stage and HC. These biomarker candidates demonstrated significant correlations with scores of motor disability, cognitive dysfunction, depression, and quality of daily life. The support vector machine algorithm using α-synuclein, dihydro SM 24:0, and PEp 38:6 demonstrated good ability to separate PD from HC (AUC: 0.820). This metabolomic analysis demonstrates new plasma biomarker candidates for PD and supports their role in participating PD pathogenesis and monitoring disease progression.

Pain coping strategies and their association with quality of life in people with Parkinson's disease: A cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE

To develop multidimensional approaches for pain management, this study aimed to understand how PD patients cope with pain.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional, cohort study.

SETTING

Monocentric, inpatient, university hospital.

PARTICIPANTS

52 patients with Parkinson's disease (without dementia) analysed.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES

Motor function, nonmotor symptoms, health-related quality of life (QoL), and the Coping Strategies Questionnaire were assessed. Elastic net regularization and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) were used to study the association among coping, clinical parameters, and QoL.

RESULTS

Most patients cope with pain through active cognitive (coping self-statements) and active behavioral strategies (increasing pain behaviors and increasing activity level). Active coping was associated with lower pain rating. Regarding QoL domains, active coping was associated with better physical functioning and better energy, whereas passive coping was associated with poorer emotional well-being. However, as demonstrated by MANOVA, the impact of coping factors (active and passive) on the Short Form 36 domains was negligible after correction for age, motor function, and depression.

CONCLUSION

Passive coping strategies are the most likely coping response of those with depressive symptoms, whereas active coping strategies are the most likely coping response to influence physical function. Although coping is associated with pain rating, the extent that pain coping responses can impact on QoL seems to be low.

The Parkinson's Real-World Impact Assessment (PRISM) Study: A European Survey of the Burden of Parkinson's Disease in Patients and their Carers

Background:

A greater understanding of the everyday experiences of people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and their carers may help improve clinical practice.

Objective:

The Parkinson’s Real-world Impact assesSMent (PRISM) study evaluated medication use, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and the use of healthcare resources by people with PD and their carers.

Methods:

PRISM is an observational cross-sectional study, in which people with PD and their carers completed an online survey using structured questionnaires, including the Parkinson’s Disease Quality of Life Questionnaire (PDQ-39), Non-Motor Symptoms Questionnaire (NMSQuest) and Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI).

Results:

Data were collected from 861 people with PD (mean age, 65.0 years; mean disease duration, 7.7 years) and 256 carers from six European countries. People with PD reported a large number of different co-morbidities, non-motor symptoms (mean NMSQuest score, 12.8), and impaired HRQoL (median PDQ-39 summary score, 29.1). Forty-five percent of people with PD reported at least one impulse control behaviour. Treatment patterns varied considerably between different European countries. Levodopa was taken in the last 12 months by 85.9% of participants, and as monotherapy by 21.8%. Carers, who were mostly female (64.8%) and the partner/spouse of the person with PD (82.1%), reported mild to moderate burden (mean ZBI total score, 26.6).

Conclusions:

The PRISM study sheds light on the lives of people with PD and those who care for them, re-emphasising the many challenges they face in everyday life. The study also provides insights into the current treatment of PD in Europe.

Virtual Rehabilitation in Parkinson Disease: A Dopamine Transporter Imaging Study

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to verify the effect of a virtual rehabilitation protocol for patients with Parkinson disease, primarily assessing striatal dopamine transporters and secondarily motor symptoms and quality of life.

DESIGN

Nineteen patients with Parkinson disease underwent an 8-wk virtual rehabilitation protocol using XBOX 360S. Evaluation of dopamine transporters was performed by single-photon emission computed tomography using TRODAT-1 as the radioligand. Participants were clinically assessed using the Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale to quantify motor symptoms. Moreover, the Parkinson Disease Questionnaire and Short-Form Health Status Survey were used to assess quality of life and the Berg Balance Scale to assess balance.

RESULTS

Regarding our primary outcome, dopamine transporter was significantly increased in the putamen contralateral to the clinically most affected body side (P = 0.034) considering preintervention and postintervention measurements. Furthermore, we observed significant improvement in Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (10-point reduction, P = 0.001), Parkinson Disease Questionnaire (11.3-point reduction, P = 0.001), Short-Form Health Status Survey ("Functional capacity," P = 0.001; "Pain," P = 0.006; and "Mental Health" domains, P < 0.001), and Berg Balance Scale (5-point increase, P = 0.015).

CONCLUSIONS

In our group of Parkinson disease patients, this virtual rehabilitation protocol enabled a dopamine transporter increase in the region of the putamen contralateral to the clinically most affected body side. Moreover, motor signs and quality of life were significantly improved.

Quality of life in Parkinson's disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of comparative studies

BACKGROUND

Studies regarding the impact of Parkinson's disease (PD) on quality of life (QOL) have reported conflicting results, and the underlying QOL domains require further study. In order to understand the association between PD and QOL, we conducted this meta-analysis to systematically compare QOL between PD patients and healthy controls.

METHOD

The PubMed, PsycINFO, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases were systematically searched. Data were analyzed using the random-effects model.

RESULTS

Twenty studies covering 2707 PD patients and 150,661 healthy controls were included in the study. Compared with healthy controls, PD patients had significantly poorer QOL overall and in most domains with moderate to large effects sizes. Different QOL measures varied in their association with quality of life, with the Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire-39 (PDQ-39) having the largest effect size (standard mean difference, SMD = -1.384, 95% CI: -1.607, -1.162, Z = 12.189, P < 0.001), followed by the Europe Quality of Life Questionnaire-visual analogue scale (EQ-VAS) (SMD = -1.081, 95% CI: -1.578, -0.584, Z = -4.265, P < 0.001), Europe Quality of Life Questionnaire-5D (EQ-5D) (SMD = -0.889, 95% CI: -1.181, -0.596, Z = -5.962, P < 0.001), and the Short-form Health Survey (SF) scales (physical dimension: SMD = -0.826, 95% CI: -1.529, -0.123, Z = -2.303, P = 0.021; mental dimension: SMD = -0.376, 95% CI: -0.732, -0.019, Z = -2.064, P = 0.039).

CONCLUSION

PD patients had lower QOL compared with healthy controls in most domains, especially in physical function and mental health. Considering the negative impact of poor QOL on daily life and functional outcomes, effective measures should be developed to improve QOL in this population.

"Dance Like Nobody's Watching": Exploring the Role of Dance-Based Interventions in Perceived Well-Being and Bodily Awareness in People With Parkinson's

Evidence indicates that bodily perception is negatively related to Parkinson's disease (PD); in particular, people with Parkinson's (PwP) feel dissatisfaction in their physical abilities and appearance. While established treatments exist to ameliorate motor symptoms in PD, research has yet to explore the effects of well-being-focused interventions in relation to the subjective experience of bodily concerns of PwP. This mixed methods exploratory study investigated the constructs of body appreciation in relation to well-being in PwP and the impact of participation in a dance class on body appreciation and well-being, comparing PwP with age-matched controls. Participants (n = 27 PwP, n = 14 controls) completed the Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale and the Body Appreciation Scale before and after taking part in a dance class. Well-being was positively associated with body appreciation in PwP (r _s = 0.64, p < 0.001) but not in controls. Following participation in a dance class, all participants' well-being scores increased; a greater increase in well-being scores was observed for controls. A pilot qualitative study explored bodily awareness with PwP who attended dance classes (n = 4) and other movement-based activities (n = 4). Analysis of the interview data indicated that PwP who danced showed heightened bodily awareness, including bodily limitations, in comparison with PwP who did not dance. These preliminary findings provide initial insight explaining the lack of improvements in body appreciation in PwP following a dance class. The current study highlights the need for dance interventions for PwP to consider incorporating elements that encourage a body positive attitude alongside fostering perceived well-being.

Suicidal and death ideation in patients with progressive supranuclear palsy and corticobasal syndrome

OBJECTIVE

A large proportion of patients with atypical parkinsonian syndromes suffer from depression, an antecedent of suicide. This study aimed to explore the prevalence and clinical correlates of suicidal and death ideation (SDI) in patients with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) and Corticobasal Syndrome (CBS), as well as compare the differences with patients with Parkinson's disease (PD).

METHODS

This was a case-control, cross-sectional study. SDI was diagnosed based on the assessment of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HRDS). The prevalence of SDI among patients with PD, PSP, and CBS (n = 3400, 268, and 65 respectively) were compared before and after propensity score matching (PSM). A forward binary logistic regression model was used to explore the associated factors of SDI.

RESULTS

None of the patients reported suicide attempts. The prevalence of SDI in patients with PSP and CBS were 27.2% and 29.2%, respectively, which was significantly higher than that in patients with PD before and after PSM (P < 0.05). The prevalence of SDI was not significantly different among patients with PSP with different subtypes (Richardson syndrome, Parkinsonism, and other), both before and after PSM (P > 0.05). Multivariate analysis indicated that higher gait and midline score and depression were independently associated with an increased risk of SDI in patients with PSP (P < 0.05), while higher non-motor symptoms score and depression were independently associated with the occurrence of SDI in patients with CBS (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study highlights the importance of screening SDI in patients with PSP and CBS.

Sleep Disturbances and Sleep Disordered Breathing Impair Cognitive Performance in Parkinson's Disease

Background

Sleep disturbances and impairment of cognitive function are among the most frequent non-motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease (PD) with negative implications on quality of life of patients and caregivers. Despite the fact that sleep disturbances are a major issue in PD patients, only limited data are available regarding interactions of sleep disturbances and cognitive performance.

Objective

This post hoc analysis of the RaSPar trial was therefore designed to further elucidate sleep disturbances and their impact on cognition in PD.

Methods

Twenty-six PD patients with sleep disturbances were evaluated thoroughly including assessments of patients’ subjective and objective sleep quality by interview, questionnaires, and polysomnography (PSG). Cognitive performance was assessed by Parkinson Neuropsychometric Dementia Assessment (PANDA) and Test of Attentional Performance (TAP), and associations of sleep and cognitive function were evaluated.

Results

We did not detect differences in cognitive performance between patients with and without rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD). Instead, cognitive impairment, particularly affecting cognitive domains attention, executive function/working memory, and semantic memory, was associated with impaired PSG-measured sleep quality (e.g., sleep efficiency) and sleep disordered breathing (SDB) (Apnea-Hypopnea Index > 5/h). Global cognitive performance was decreased in patients with SDB (PANDA score 23.2 ± 3.5 vs. 26.9 ± 2.2, P = 0.020, unpaired two-sided t-test).

Conclusion

Sleep apnea and other sleep disturbances impair cognitive performance in PD and should be evaluated in routine care, and treatment options such as continuous airway pressure therapy should be considered.

Increased rapid eye movement density in Chinese patients with Parkinson's disease and RBD

OBJECTIVE

Impaired rapid eye movement sleep is common among patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). However, information on rapid eye movement density (REM) among PD patients is currently lacking. The current study sought to characterize REM density in PD patients and to examine the associations between REM density sleep parameters and clinical manifestations.

PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS

We retrospectively recruited 172 PD patients. All participants were assessed with a two-night polysomnography, and REM density was calculated. Clinical assessments were completed in PD patients before polysomnography.

RESULTS

Rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) was observed in 93 patients (54.1%). The disease duration, UPDRS part III score, Hoehn and Yahr (H-Y) stage, and HAMA, HAMD, PDQ-39 scores, and REM density in the Parkinson's disease patients with rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) were significantly higher than in the patients without RBD (P < 0.05). However, NREM sleep stage 3 time (N3 time) and percentage of N3 time of total sleep time (N3%) were significantly lower in the RBD patients than in the patients without RBD (P < 0.05). The forward binary logistic regression model showed that REM density, UPDRS-III score, and N3 sleep time were associated with RBD in the PD patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results confirm the high prevalence of RBD in patients with PD. Increased REM density was the main risk factor of RBD.

Validation of an Individualized Measure of Quality of Life, Patient Generated Index, for Use with People with Parkinson's Disease

Methods

Patients with PD completed the PGI and various standard patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures. The PGI and standard PRO measures were compared at the total score, domain, and item levels. Pearson's correlations and independent t-tests were used, as well as positive and negative predictive values.

Results

The sample (n = 76) had a mean age of 69 (standard deviation 9) and were predominantly men (59%). The PGI was moderately correlated (r = -0.35) with the standardized disease-specific QOL measure Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-8). Within one severity rating, agreement between the PGI and different standard outcome measures ranged from 85 to 100% for walking, 69 to 100% for fatigue, 38 to 75% for depression, and 20 to 80% for memory/concentration.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that nominated areas of QOL on the PGI provide comparable results to standard PRO measures, and provides evidence in support of the validity of this individualized measure in PD.

What Predicts Hospital Admissions in Community-Dwelling People With Parkinsonism?

OBJECTIVES

Previous studies have looked at the reasons for hospital admission in people with parkinsonism (PwP), yet few have looked at factors that precipitate admission.

METHODS

People with parkinsonism with a diagnosis of idiopathic Parkinson disease of Hoehn and Yahr stage III-V and those with Parkinson plus syndromes were assessed for motor and nonmotor symptoms, quality of life, and functional performance. Logistic regression was used to investigate predictors of hospital admission over the subsequent 2 years.

RESULTS

Overall, 162 patients consented to be part of the study. Seventy-one PwP (43.8%) had at least 1 hospital admission, and 17 (10.5%) patients had 3 or more admissions to hospital. Poorer cognition, more nonmotor symptoms, poorer quality of life, slower timed-up-and-go test scores, and abnormal swallow predicted a subsequent hospital admission.

DISCUSSION

Our study emphasizes the importance of nonmotor symptoms in predicting admission. A cost-benefit analysis of early intervention to prevent admission should be considered.

Movement disorders: a themed collection

Movement disorders are a diverse and challenging group of neurological conditions. Geriatricians and allied health professionals play a key role in the care of patients living with these disorders. Age and Ageing is making freely available online a collection of 15 papers that highlight the breadth and depth of this field. Perhaps unsurprisingly papers on Parkinson's disease predominate, but rarer movement disorders, including those seen following stroke and Huntington's disease, are also represented. Difficulties in diagnosis are explored, together with innovative approaches to management of both motor and non-motor symptoms. The collection includes qualitative work, longitudinal studies and clinical trials, and both the individual patient perspective and the international perspective are considered. There are papers for generalists, papers for specialists, papers for clinical commissioners and papers for researchers. Comprehensive review articles provide clarity, guidance and pragmatism. Finally, a New Horizons article encourages us to look to the future of movement disorders, which lies not only in developing novel therapies and trials but also in recognising the enormous value of palliative care and the multidisciplinary approach.

Quality of life in Parkinson's disease: A gender-specific perspective

OBJECTIVES

The epidemiology, manifestations, and course of Parkinson's disease (PD) may differ in men and women. Assessments of severity of the illness and quality of life (QoL), and the burden on their caregivers (CG) may change as the disease advances. We determined gender differences in assessment by patients with PD themselves and by their CGs.

METHODS

Married couples in whom one of the partners was a PD patient and his/her spouse served as CG were separately evaluated. The patient completed the PD QoL Questionnaire (PDQ-39), and the spouse completed the Multidimensional Caregiver Strain Index (MCSI). Comparisons were performed using statistical tests.

RESULTS

We studied 122 patient-CG pairs consisting of 86 (70.5%) male patients. Female patients reported reduced QoL due to depression and pain. Worsening of QoL in advanced PD was reported only by male patients. Female CGs felt exhaustion and damage to their health resulting from care twice as often as male CG. Social constraint and time limitations were more frequent in female CGs, whereas in male CGs it remained the same. With increasing disease severity female CGs reported that manipulations and excessive demands from their male spouses increased, while male CGs reported the same level in female patients. Male CGs, unexpectedly considered themselves more free as PD advanced in their spouses.

CONCLUSIONS

Male and female PD patients and CGs assess differently the severity and burden of the disease. Clinicians and social workers should be aware of these factors in attempting to improve QoL of PD patients and CGs.

Self-reported physical and mental health and motor functioning in elders with and without Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's Disease (PD) is a neurological disorder characterized by motor symptoms and other clinical conditions, such as cognitive impairment, negative mood, anxiety. The present study explored the impact of PD on self-reported physical and mental health, objective cognition and postural control. The relationship among these variables was examined in order to understand the impact on quality of life. Fifty-four participants, 27 with and 27 without PD, were recruited in Sardinia - an area with an atypical prevalence of PD and psychological characteristics that might mitigate the impact of PD on life quality. Participants completed objective tests of cognitive ability and postural control and self-report measures of physical and mental health. The detrimental effect of PD was evident across all outcomes. Self-reported physical and mental health were both related to postural control. Variance in perceived physical health was explained, not only by PD itself and postural control but also by participation in leisure activities. Self-report outcomes related to life quality are related not only by motor disturbances associated with PD but also with lifestyle activities. In conclusion, social contexts promoting socially-oriented activities, such as that found in Sardinia, may, therefore, mitigate some of the detrimental consequences of PD.

Gender and onset age related-differences of non-motor symptoms and quality of life in drug-naïve Parkinson's disease

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to explore the gender and onset age-related differences of non-motor symptoms (NMS) and the determinants of quality of life (QoL) in a large cohort of Chinese drug-naïve Parkinson's disease (PD) patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional analysis of 569 drug-naïve PD patients was conducted. The frequency and severity of each NMS was evaluated by Non-Motor Symptom Scale (NMSS), which consists of 9 subdomains. PD Questionnaire-39 (PDQ-39) was used to assess the QoL of PD patients. A stepwise multiple regression model was used to explore the determinants of QoL.

RESULTS

A total of 552 patients (97.0%) exhibited at least one NMS. The three most common NMS were sleep/fatigue (74%), attention/memory (62.7%) and miscellaneous (62%). The frequencies of sleep/fatigue and mood/apathy were more prevalent in women and the frequencies of urinary and sexual dysfunction were more prevalent in men (P < 0.05). Patients with late-onset PD showed higher frequencies of perceptual problems/hallucinations, attention/memory, gastrointestinal, urinary, sexual dysfunction, and miscellaneous compared to patients with early-onset PD (P < 0.05). The multiple regression analysis model indicated that female, disease duration, UPDRS III score, depression, and NMSS subcores including sleep/fatigue, mood/apathy, attention/memory, and gastrointestinal were the determinants of QoL in patients with drug-naïve PD.

CONCLUSIONS

NMS was common in untreated PD patients. They are heterogeneous in patients with drug-naïve PD, which are dramatic determinants on decreased QoL in PD. Our results are beneficial for clinical management of NMS in drug-naïve PD.

Goal management training ® home-based approach for mild cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease: a multiple baseline case report

Approximately 30% of patients with Parkinson's disease experience mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI), often affecting executive functions. Our objective was to assess tolerability, safety and preliminarily efficacy of Goal Management Training® (GMT) for PD-MCI. GMT was administered at home, for five weeks. Dysexecutive Questionnaire (DEX), Parkinson Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39), Zoo Map Test and Dementia Rating Scale-II were administered before, one and four weeks after Adapted-GMT. Reliable Change Index (RCI) was calculated. One participant completed GMT with caregiver. Executive complaints decreased (DEX RCIs between -2.10 and -1.68), PDQ-39 was maintained (RCI = -0.18). Adapted-GMT seems safe for PD-MCI, but efficacy remains doubtful.

L-Dopa response to Cortical Dysfunctions, health related quality of life and Fatigue Severity in Idiopathic Parkinson's disease

Objectives:

To determine (i) levodopa (L-Dopa) responsiveness on cortical functions, health related quality of life and fatigue severity (ii) relationship between cortical functions, health related quality of life and fatigue severity post L-Dopa treatment of patients with idiopathic Parkinson’s Disease (I-PD).

Methods:

Participants included 50 patients diagnosed with I-PD who were attending Civil and Bahawal Victoria Hospital, Bahawalpur, Pakistan during May 2016 to July 2017 and 50 healthy individuals (HI) took part in the study. Participants completed Cortical Function Assessment, Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire and Fatigue Severity Scale. Patients were tested twice on these measures: pre and post- L-Dopa treatment.

Results:

Patients with I-PD showed cortical functioning deficits, deteriorated health related quality of life and experience of severe fatigue, in contrast with HI. There was significant improvement in cortical functioning and quality of life while reduction in fatigue severity was observed after three months of L-Dopa medication in I- PD patients. Higher cortical functioning deficits correlated with deteriorated health related quality of life and severe fatigue. Cortical functioning was a significant predictor of health related quality of life and fatigue severity.

Conclusion:

L-Dopa is an effective treatment for cortical dysfunctions, health related quality of life and fatigue in I-PD. Cortical functioning is a significant marker of quality of life and fatigue in patients with I-PD.

Quality-of-life perception by Parkinson's disease patients and caregivers

BACKGROUND

The quality-of-life (QoL) perception by Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and their caregivers (CG) has not been studied in depth.

OBJECTIVE

To examine patient/proxy agreements on the PD QoL Questionnaire (PDQ-39), the Scale of Quality of Life of Care-Givers (SQLC) and the Multidimensional Caregiver Strain Index (MCSI).

METHODS

Patients with PD and their CG completed the above-mentioned questionnaires about themselves and each other. The intraclass correlations between their scores (paired t test) were compared.

RESULTS

Twelve patient-CG pairs were studied. Agreements for QoL items were strong and comparable for the total scores of the PDQ-39, SQLC and MCSI questionnaires (75.4% ± 14%; 78.1% ± 14.1% and 78.2% ± 14.3%, respectively). Agreements ranged from moderate to strong (0.57-0.88, P≤.05) for the patients' physical condition (PDQ-39 items 3, 5, 6, 8, 12-15, 23, 24, 35), mental concentration (item 31) and depression (item 17). Disagreements were apparent in 20%-25% of the pairs and were particularly significant for PDQ-39 items #33 and #25 (embarrassment of patients in public and distressing dreams or hallucinations), in which the CG gave higher scores than the patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Agreements between patients with PD and CG were generally good for most, but not all, of the PDQ-39, SQLC and MCSI domains.

Hospitalization and rehospitalization in Parkinson disease patients: Data from the National Parkinson Foundation Centers of Excellence

Background

Patients with Parkinson disease (PD) are at high risk of hospital encounters with increasing morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to determine the rate of hospital encounters in a cohort followed over 5 years and to identify associated factors.

Methods

We queried the data from the International Multicenter National Parkinson Foundation Quality Improvement study. Multivariate logistic regression with backward selection was performed to identify factors associated with hospital encounter prior to baseline visit. Kaplan-Meier estimates were obtained and Cox regression performed on time to hospital encounter after the baseline visit.

Results

Of the 7,507 PD patients (mean age 66.5±9.9 years and disease duration 8.9±6.4 years at baseline visit), 1919 (25.6%) had a history of a hospital encounter prior to their baseline visit. Significant factors associated with a history of a hospital encounter prior to baseline included race (white race: OR 0.49), utilization of physical therapy (OR 1.47), history of deep brain stimulation (OR 1.87), number of comorbidities (OR 1.30), caregiver strain (OR 1.17 per standard deviation), and the standardized Timed Up and Go Test (OR 1.21). Patients with a history of hospitalization prior to the baseline were more likely to have a re-hospitalization (HR1.67, P<0.0001) compared to those without a prior hospitalization. In addition, the time to hospital encounter from baseline was significantly associated with age and number of medications. In patients with a history of hospitalization prior to the baseline visit, time to a second hospital encounter was significantly associated with caregiver strain and number of comorbidities.

Conclusion

Hospitalization and re-hospitalization were common in this cohort of people with PD. Our results suggest addressing caregiver burden, simplifying medications, and emphasizing primary and multidisciplinary care for comorbidities are potential avenues to explore for reducing hospitalization rates.

A Cross-sectional Analysis of the Characteristics of Individuals With Parkinson Disease Who Avoid Activities and Participation Due to Fear of Falling

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Avoidance behavior can have deleterious consequences on health and quality of life for persons with Parkinson disease (PD); for this reason, it is important to identify potentially mitigable characteristics. We compared the characteristics of individuals with PD who exhibit fear of falling (FOF) avoidance behavior with those who do not.

METHODS

Fifty-nine participants with PD were classified as avoiders (n = 27) or nonavoiders (n = 32) by using the Fear of Falling Avoidance Behavior Questionnaire and compared across 5 domains: demographic characteristics; PD-specific symptoms (subtype, Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale [MDS-UPDRS], Hoehn and Yahr Scale, Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire-39 [PDQ-39]); balance and falls (fall history, Berg Balance Scale [BBS], Activities-Specific Balance Confidence [ABC] Scale, Impact of Events Scale, Consequences of Falling Questionnaire [CoFQ]); physical performance (30 Second Sit-to-Stand Test, Timed Up and Go Test, physical activity monitoring); and psychological factors (Zung Anxiety Scale, Beck Depression Inventory [BDI]).

RESULTS

There were no differences between avoiders and nonavoiders for demographic characteristics and fall history (Ps > 0.272). Avoiders had worse MDS-UPDRS (Ps < 0.014) and PDQ-39 scores (Ps < 0.028). Avoiders had poorer balance performance (BBS, P = 0.003), lower balance confidence (ABC, P < 0.001), and more fall catastrophization (CoFQ, P < 0.001). Avoiders reported more depression (P = 0.015) and anxiety (P = 0.028).

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

PD FOF avoiders had more involved symptoms and scored lower on balance and physical performance measures. In addition, they reported greater psychological stress. Several potentially mitigable characteristics of those with FOF avoidance behavior were identified.Video Abstract available for more insights from the authors (see Supplemental Digital Content 1, available at: http://links.lww.com/JNPT/A153).

A home program of strength training, movement strategy training and education did not prevent falls in people with Parkinson's disease: a randomised trial

QUESTIONS

For people with idiopathic Parkinson's disease, does a 6-week, comprehensive, home exercise program reduce falls and disability and improve health-related quality of life? Is the program cost-effective?

DESIGN

Randomised, controlled trial with concealed allocation and assessor blinding.

PARTICIPANTS

One hundred and thirty-three community-dwelling adults with Parkinson's disease.

INTERVENTION

The experimental group completed a 6-week home program comprising progressive resistance strength training, movement strategy training and falls education. The control group completed 6 weeks of non-specific life skills training. Participants in both groups received weekly therapist-guided sessions for 6 consecutive weeks and a weekly self-directed home program.

OUTCOME MEASURES

The primary outcome was the rate of falls, documented for the 12-month period immediately after therapy. Secondary outcomes were disability and health-related quality of life, assessed before and after intervention and at a 12-month follow-up.

RESULTS

A total of 2255 falls were reported by the 12-month follow-up. The proportion of fallers in the experimental and control groups was 61 and 72%, respectively, which was not statistically significantly different (RR=0.85, 95% CI 0.66 to 1.09). There was no significant between-group difference in the rate of falls (incidence rate ratio=1.58, 95% CI 0.73 to 3.43). A survival analysis of participant time to first fall did not show a significant between-group difference (log-rank test χ²=0.79, p=0.37). No significant between-group differences occurred for mobility, disability or quality of life. The mean cost of delivering the experimental intervention was AUD1596.

CONCLUSION

A home program of strength and movement strategy training and falls education does not prevent falls when applied at the dose used in this study. Arguably, the dosage of therapy was insufficient. Future trials need to explore further therapy content, repetitions and duration, in order to optimise outcomes and cost-effectiveness. [Morris ME, Taylor NF, Watts JJ, Evans A, Horne M, Kempster P, Danoudis M, McGinley J, Martin C, Menz HB (2017) A home program of strength training, movement strategy training and education did not prevent falls in people with Parkinson's disease: a randomised trial. Journal of Physiotherapy 63: 94-100].

Dysarthria in individuals with Parkinson's disease: a protocol for a binational, cross-sectional, case-controlled study in French and European Portuguese (FraLusoPark)

INTRODUCTION

Individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) have to deal with several aspects of voice and speech decline and thus alteration of communication ability during the course of the disease. Among these communication impairments, 3 major challenges include: (1) dysarthria, consisting of orofacial motor dysfunction and dysprosody, which is linked to the neurodegenerative processes; (2) effects of the pharmacological treatment, which vary according to the disease stage; and (3) particular speech modifications that may be language-specific, that is, dependent on the language spoken by the patients. The main objective of the FraLusoPark project is to provide a thorough evaluation of changes in PD speech as a result of pharmacological treatment and disease duration in 2 different languages (French vs European Portuguese).

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

Individuals with PD are enrolled in the study in France (N=60) and Portugal (N=60). Their global motor disability and orofacial motor functions is assessed with specific clinical rating scales, without (OFF) and with (ON) pharmacological treatment. 2 groups of 60 healthy age-matched volunteers provide the reference for between-group comparisons. Along with the clinical examinations, several speech tasks are recorded to obtain acoustic and perceptual measures. Patient-reported outcome measures are used to assess the psychosocial impact of dysarthria on quality of life.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The study has been approved by the local responsible committees on human experimentation and is conducted in accordance with the ethical standards. A valuable large-scale database of speech recordings and metadata from patients with PD in France and Portugal will be constructed. Results will be disseminated in several articles in peer-reviewed journals and in conference presentations. Recommendations on how to assess speech and voice disorders in individuals with PD to monitor the progression and management of symptoms will be provided.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT02753192, Pre-results.

Randomised Controlled Trials: Part 1, Design

Occupational therapists need to be able to evaluate the profession's interventions critically: to stop the ineffective, to reduce the hazardous and to promote the effective. Randomised controlled trials are a research tool for testing the efficacy of interventions with small to moderate effects. This review aims to cover the issues to be considered when designing a randomised controlled trial of complex interventions, such as occupational therapy.

Everyday Impact of Cognitive Interventions in Mild Cognitive Impairment: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Cognitive interventions in Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) seek to ameliorate cognitive symptoms in the condition. Cognitive interventions may or may not generalize beyond cognitive outcomes to everyday life. This systematic review and meta-analysis sought to assess the effect of cognitive interventions compared to a control group in MCI on generalizability outcome measures [activities of daily living (ADLs), mood, quality of life (QOL), and metacognition] rather than cognitive outcomes alone. PRISMA guidelines were followed. MEDLINE and PsychInfo were utilized as data sources to locate references related to cognitive interventions in individuals with MCI. The cognitive intervention study was required to have a control or alternative treatment comparison group to be included. Thirty articles met criteria, including six computerized cognitive interventions, 14 therapist-based interventions, and 10 multimodal (i.e., cognitive intervention plus an additional intervention) studies. Small, but significant overall median effects were seen for ADLs (d = 0.23), mood (d = 0.16), and metacognitive outcomes (d = 0.30), but not for QOL (d = 0.10). Computerized studies appeared to benefit mood (depression, anxiety, and apathy) compared to controls, while therapist-based interventions and multimodal interventions had more impact on ADLs and metacognitive outcomes than control conditions. The results are encouraging that cognitive interventions in MCI may impact everyday life, but considerably more research is needed. The current review and meta-analysis is limited by our use of only PsychInfo and MEDLINE databases, our inability to read full text non-English articles, and our reliance on only published data to complete effect sizes.

Human behavioral assessments in current research of Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is traditionally classified as a movement disorder because patients mainly complain about motor symptoms. Recently, non-motor symptoms of PD have been recognized by clinicians and scientists as early signs of PD, and they are detrimental factors in the quality of life in advanced PD patients. It is crucial to comprehensively understand the essence of behavioral assessments, from the simplest measurement of certain symptoms to complex neuropsychological tasks. We have recently reviewed behavioral assessments in PD research with animal models (Asakawa et al., 2016). As a companion volume, this article will systematically review the behavioral assessments of motor and non-motor PD symptoms of human patients in current research. The major aims of this article are: (1) promoting a comparative understanding of various behavioral assessments in terms of the principle and measuring indexes; (2) addressing the major strengths and weaknesses of these behavioral assessments for a better selection of tasks/tests in order to avoid biased conclusions due to inappropriate assessments; and (3) presenting new concepts regarding the development of wearable devices and mobile internet in future assessments. In conclusion we emphasize the importance of improving the assessments for non-motor symptoms because of their complex and unique mechanisms in human PD brains.

Festination in Chinese patients with Parkinson's disease

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the occurrence and clinical associations of festination in Chinese patients with Parkinson's disease (PD).

METHODS

A total of 480 PD patients were recruited in this cross-sectional study. Assessments scales included the Unified PD Rating Scale (UPDRS) part III, PD Questionnaire-39 (PDQ-39), Non-Motor Symptoms Scale (NMSS), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), frontal assessment battery (FAB), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) and Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA).

RESULTS

One hundred and forty PD patients (29.2%) reported festination. Festination occurred more frequently in patients with lower limbs as the site of onset and patients with longer disease duration or higher Hoehn and Yahr (H&Y) stage (P<0.05). The mean age, levodopa and entacapone use, incidences of motor complications, falls and freezing of gait, and the scores for the UPDRS part III, NMSS, HAMD and HAMA were higher in patients with festination than those without festination (P<0.05). There were no differences in the scores for the PDQ-39, MMSE, FAB and MoCA between the patients with and without festination. The binary logistic regression model indicated that UPDRS part III, lower limbs as the site of onset, freezing of gait and falls were associated with festination.

CONCLUSIONS

Festination is a relatively common disabling symptom in Chinese PD patients. Patients with lower limbs as the site of onset and more severe disability were more likely to experience festination. Festination in PD is not related to non-motor symptoms and cognitive dysfunction.

Apathy in Neurodegenerative Diseases: Recommendations on the Design of Clinical Trials

Apathy is a common feature of neurodegenerative disorders but is difficult to study in a clinical trial setting due to practical and conceptual barriers. Principal challenges include a paucity of data regarding apathy in these disorders, an absence of established diagnostic criteria, the presence of confounding factors (eg, coexisting depression), use of concomitant medications, and an absence of a gold-standard apathy assessment scale. Based on a literature search and ongoing collaboration among the authors, we present recommendations for the design of future clinical trials of apathy, suggesting Alzheimer disease and Parkinson disease as models with relevance across a wider array of neuropsychiatric disorders. Recommendations address clarification of the targeted study population (apathy diagnosis and severity at baseline), confounding factors (mood/cognition, behavior, and treatment), outcome measures, study duration, use of comparators and considerations around environment, and the role of the caregiver and patient assent. This review contributes to the search for an optimal approach to study treatment of apathy in neuropsychiatric disorders.

Outcome measurement in neurodegenerative disease: attributes, applications & interpretation

There has been a marked shift from clinically assessed to patient assessed outcomes of treatment in neurodegenerative conditions over recent decades. The use of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) provides a method with which researchers and clinicians can gain insightful and meaningful data on health status from the patients' perspective. It is imperative that high-quality PROMs are chosen based upon their measurement properties and their suitability for use in the intended clinical or research context. This review aims to give a brief overview of best practice standards for selecting PROMs, current instruments used in exemplar neurodegenerative conditions and their application in clinical trials and routine measurement.

Quantitative home-based assessment of Parkinson's symptoms: the SENSE-PARK feasibility and usability study

Background

Currently, assessment of symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease is mainly performed in the clinic. However, these assessments have limitations because they provide only a snapshot of the condition.

Methods

The feasibility and usability of an objective, continuous and relatively unobtrusive system (SENSE-PARK System), which consists of wearable sensors (three worn during the day and one worn at night), a smartphone-based App, a balance board and computer software, was tested 24/7 over 12 weeks in a study including 22 PD patients. During the first four weeks of the study, patients did not get feedback about their performance, during the last eight weeks they did. The study included seven clinical visits with standardized interviews, and regular phone contact. The primary outcome was the number of drop-outs during the study. As secondary outcomes, the Post-Study System Usability Questionnaire (PSSUQ), score and information obtained from the standardized interviews were used to evaluate the usability of the system.

Results

All patients completed the study. The participants rated the usability of the SENSE-PARK System with a mean score of 2.67 (±0.49) on the PSSUQ. The interviews revealed that most participants liked using the system and appreciated that it signaled changes in their health condition.

Conclusions

This 12 week controlled study demonstrates that the acceptance level of PD patients using the SENSE-PARK System as a home-based 24/7 assessment is very good. Particular emphasis should be given to a user-friendly design. Motivation to wear such a system can be increased by providing direct feedback about the individual health condition.

Prolactin and sex hormones levels in males with Parkinson's disease

BACKGROUND

The role that oestradiol and testosterone play in Parkinson's disease and their potential to influence the course of the disease has been covered in medical literature. The aim of this work was to compare oestradiol, testosterone, sex hormone-binding protein and prolactin blood levels in males affected with Parkinson's disease and in an age-matched control group, and to show possible dependence between concentrations of plasma hormones and the progression of symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

METHODS

The plasma levels of oestradiol, testosterone, prolactin and sex hormone-binding protein were examined in 36 patients affected with Parkinson's disease and in 69 age-matched control subjects, using chemiluminescent reactions. Patients with Parkinson's disease were examined using scales assessing their clinical state.

RESULTS

The level of prolactin was higher in the affected group. Concentrations of oestradiol and testosterone in the control group exceeded those found in patients. The level of sex hormones was positively correlated with better mood and quality of life in patients affected with Parkinson's disease; prolactin levels correlated negatively with sex steroid concentrations.

CONCLUSIONS

Lower blood levels of sex steroids and higher concentrations of prolactin and its antigonadotrophic activity in males affected with Parkinson's disease may result in a bigger susceptibility to the disease in men. The level of hormones may influence patients' cognition, mood and quality of life.