Sleep improvement with levodopa/carbidopa intestinal gel infusion in Parkinson disease

The interplay between mitochondrial dynamics and autophagy: From a key homeostatic mechanism to a driver of pathology

The complex relationship between mitochondrial dynamics and autophagy illustrates how two cellular housekeeping processes are intimately linked, illuminating fundamental principles of cellular homeostasis and shedding light on disparate pathological conditions including several neurodegenerative disorders. Here we review the basic tenets of mitochondrial dynamics i.e., the concerted balance between fusion and fission of the organelle, and its interplay with macroautophagy and selective mitochondrial autophagy, also dubbed mitophagy, in the maintenance of mitochondrial quality control and ultimately in cell viability. We illustrate how conditions of altered mitochondrial dynamics reverberate on autophagy and vice versa. Finally, we illustrate how altered interplay between these two key cellular processes participates in the pathogenesis of human disorders affecting multiple organs and systems.

Sleep "ON", sleep better! Positive effects of levodopa on sleep behaviour in people with Parkinson's disease

People with Parkinson's disease experience reduced sleep quality compared with their peers. Levodopa may have a direct effect on sleep macrostructure or may improve sleep by enhancing nocturnal motor performance. Therefore, it is important to understand the acute effects of withdrawing levodopa on sleep measures in Parkinson's disease. The purpose of this study was to compare the estimated objective and subjective sleep measures of people with Parkinson's disease sleeping under (ON-night) versus without (OFF-night) the effects of the last daily dopaminergic medication before going to bed. A total of 23 people with Parkinson's disease were instructed to wear an actigraphy device for 4 consecutive nights to objectively measure the sleep behaviour. Subjective sleep measure was assessed each morning using a Likert scale. Participants slept for 3 nights on ON-night and 1 night on OFF-night. They were instructed not to take their last dose of levodopa before going to bed in OFF-night. Sleeping in ON- versus OFF-night increased total sleep time (7.8%, p = 0.032) and sleep efficiency (3.7%, p = 0.019), and decreased duration and number of wakes after sleep onset (22.3%, p = 0.050; and 29.2%, p = 0.013, respectively). However, subjective sleep analysis indicated no significant differences between the two conditions. From a clinical point of view, our results suggest that sleeping on ON-night resulted in an improvement in estimated objective sleep measures compared with sleeping on OFF-night. From a methodological point of view, our findings emphasize the importance of relying on objective sleep measurements to accurately assess OFF-night sleep behaviour in people with Parkinson's disease.

Neurological Insights into Sleep Disorders in Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common multidimensional neurological disorder characterized by motor and non-motor features and is more prevalent in the elderly. Sleep disorders and cognitive disturbances are also significant characteristics of PD. Sleep is an important physiological process for normal human cognition and physical functioning. Sleep deprivation negatively impacts human physical, mental, and behavioral functions. Sleep disturbances include problems falling asleep, disturbances occurring during sleep, abnormal movements during sleep, insufficient sleep, and excessive sleep. The most recognizable and known sleep disorders, such as rapid-eye-movement behavior disorder (RBD), insomnia, excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), restless legs syndrome (RLS), sleep-related breathing disorders (SRBDs), and circadian-rhythm-related sleep-wake disorders (CRSWDs), have been associated with PD. RBD and associated emotional disorders are common non-motor symptoms of PD. In individuals, sleep disorders and cognitive impairment are important prognostic factors for predicting progressing neurodegeneration and developing dementia conditions in PD. Studies have focused on RBD and its associated neurological changes and functional deficits in PD patients. Other risks, such as cognitive decline, anxiety, and depression, are related to RBD. Sleep-disorder diagnosis is challenging, especially in identifying the essential factors that disturb the sleep-wake cycle and the co-existence of other concomitant sleep issues, motor symptoms, and breathing disorders. Focusing on sleep patterns and their disturbances, including genetic and other neurochemical changes, helps us to better understand the central causes of sleep alterations and cognitive functions in PD patients. Relations between α-synuclein aggregation in the brain and gender differences in sleep disorders have been reported. The existing correlation between sleep disorders and levels of α-synuclein in the cerebrospinal fluid indicates the risk of progression of synucleinopathies. Multidirectional approaches are required to correlate sleep disorders and neuropsychiatric symptoms and diagnose sensitive biomarkers for neurodegeneration. The evaluation of sleep pattern disturbances and cognitive impairment may aid in the development of novel and effective treatments for PD.

Levodopa/carbidopa intestinal gel via percutaneous endoscopic transgastric jejunostomy in advanced Parkinson's disease: hitting two birds with one stone?

Here we focus on people with advanced PD undergoing percutaneous endoscopic transgastric jejunostomy (PEG-J) ("one stone") for LCIG infusion therapy for managing severe motor fluctuations ("first bird") and discuss its implications for improving accompanying symptoms of cardiovascular, urinary, and gastrointestinal autonomic failure ("second bird").

Long-term effects of intrajejunal levodopa infusion on sleep in people with advanced Parkinson's disease

Background

Sleep disturbances are commonly encountered in people with advanced Parkinson's disease (PD). In these stages, levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG) is recommended for improving motor symptoms, some non-motor dysfunctions, and quality of life in these patients. This study aimed to assess the effects of LCIG on sleep in PD in a longitudinal study.

Study design

An open-label observational study in patients with advanced PD undergoing LCIG treatment was carried out.

Measures and outcomes

In total, 10 consecutive advanced people with PD were evaluated at the baseline and after 6 months and 1 year, respectively, of LCIG infusion. Sleep parameters were assessed with several validated scales. We assessed the evolution of sleep parameters under LCIG infusion over time and the effects on sleep quality.

Results

Significant improvement following LCIG was observed in PSQI total score (p = 0.007), SCOPA-SLEEP total score (p = 0.008), SCOPA-NS subscale (p = 0.007), and AIS total score (p = 0.001) at 6 months and 1 year, compared to the baseline. The PSQI total score at 6 months correlated significantly with the Parkinson's Disease Sleep Scale, version 2 (PDSS-2) "disturbed sleep" item at 6 months (p = 0.28; R = 0.688), while the PSQI total score at 12 months significantly correlated with the PDSS-2 total score at 1 year (p = 0.025, R = 0.697) and with the AIS total score at 1 year (p = 0.015, R = 0.739).

Conclusion

LCIG infusion demonstrated beneficial effects on sleep parameters and sleep quality, which were constant over time for up to 12 months.

Advanced Parkinson's Disease Treatment Simplification and Long-Term Outcomes with Levodopa Carbidopa Intestinal Gel: COSMOS Romanian Subanalysis

The aim of the COmedication Study assessing Mono- and cOmbination therapy with levodopa-carbidopa inteStinal gel (COSMOS) was to assess the use of levodopa/carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG) as monotherapy in patients with advanced Parkinson’s disease (APD) in routine clinical practice. COSMOS was an international observational study with one cross-sectional visit and retrospective data collection. In Romania, 95 adult patients with APD on LCIG treatment for at least 12 months were enrolled and stratified according to their LCIG therapy after 12 months: monotherapy (without any add-on PD medication), monotherapy with night PD medication and LCIG + add-on medication. Compared to the moment of LCIG initiation, the percentage of patients on monotherapy increased at three months after LCIG initiation and remained constant up to 12 months, when 30.5% of the patients were on LCIG monotherapy and 11.6% were on monotherapy with night medication. “Off” time and “On” time with dyskinesia decreased from LCIG initiation to patient visit in all groups. LCIG monotherapy with or without night medication may provide a simplified treatment option for selected APD patients, with long-term efficacy similar to that of LCIG plus add-on medication.

DUOGLOBE: One-Year Outcomes in a Real-World Study of Levodopa Carbidopa Intestinal Gel for Parkinson's Disease

Background

Levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG) is an established treatment for improving motor and some non-motor symptoms (NMS) in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease (PD). Prospective long-term data in routine clinical practice are limited.

Objective

Assess LCIG effectiveness and safety in patients with advanced PD after 12 months during real-world routine clinical practice.

Methods

Duodopa/Duopa in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease-a global observational study evaluating long-term effectiveness (DUOGLOBE) (NCT02611713) is an ongoing, prospective, multinational, observational study of LCIG-naïve patients treated as part of routine clinical practice; 3 years of follow-up are planned. The primary outcome is the change in patient-reported off time. Other assessments include the Unified Dyskinesia Rating Scale (UDysRS), Non-Motor Symptoms Scale (NMSS), Parkinson's Disease Sleep scale (PDSS-2), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), health-related quality of life (HR-QoL), caregiver burden, and serious adverse events (SAEs). Outcomes from baseline to month (M) 12 are presented.

Results

In this 12-month follow-up, patients (N = 195) had baseline characteristics similar to other LCIG studies. Significant improvements (mean change to M12) were observed in off time (-3.9 ± 3.6 hr/day, P < 0.001), dyskinesia assessed using the UDysRS (-9.6 ± 22.5, P < 0.001), NMSS (-23.1 ± 41.4, P < 0.001), sleep and sleepiness symptoms on the PDSS-2 (-6.5 ± 12.2, P < 0.001) and ESS (-1.0 ± 5.7, P < 0.05), HR-QoL (-9.0 ± 21.6, P < 0.001), and caregiver burden (-1.9 ± 6.7, P = 0.008). Overall, 40.5% (n = 79) of patients experienced SAEs; fall (n = 6; 3.1%) and urinary tract infection (n = 6; 3.1%) were SAEs reported in ≥3% of patients.

Conclusions

These 12-month outcome data show sustained, long-term improvements and support the real-world effectiveness of LCIG in patients with advanced PD. Safety was consistent with previous studies.

Antiparkinsonian drugs as potent contributors to nocturnal sleep in patients with Parkinson's disease

Objective

To clarify whether antiparkinsonian drugs contribute to nocturnal sleep disturbances in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD).

Background

Although the major antiparkinsonian drugs L-dopa and dopamine agonists (DAs) have been found to affect sleep, little is known about the effects of specific drugs on sleep in PD patients.

Methods

The study participants consisted of 112 PD patients (median age 72.5 years [inter-quartile range: IQR 65–79]; mean disease duration 8.44 years [standard deviation: 7.33]; median Hoehn and Yahr stage 3 [IQR 2–3.75]) taking one of three types of non-ergot extended-release DAs (rotigotine 32; pramipexole 44; ropinirole 36) with or without L-dopa (median daily total dosage of antiparkinsonian drugs 525.5 mg [IQR 376.25–658] levodopa equivalent dose [LED]). Participants were assessed using the PD Sleep Scale-2 (PDSS-2).

Results

For the whole PD patient cohort, the PDSS-2 sleep disturbance domain score and the scores for item 1 assessing sleep quality and item 8 assessing nocturia were positively correlated with daily total dosage of antiparkinsonian drugs and dosage of L-dopa, but not with the dosage of DAs. Sub-analysis according to DA treatment revealed that DA dosage was not correlated with item 1 or 8 score in any of the subgroups. The LED ratio of rotigotine to the total dosage of antiparkinsonian drugs was inversely correlated with the item 1 score.

Conclusions

These data suggest that antiparkinsonian drugs, in particular L-dopa, adversely affect nocturnal sleep in PD patients, especially in terms of sleep quality and nocturia. Thus, adjusting both the total dosage of antiparkinsonian drugs and the dose-ratio of L-dopa might be key actions for alleviating poor sleep quality in patients with PD. Among DAs, we found a clear positive correlation between the dose-ratio of rotigotine and sleep quality. Thus, partial L-dopa replacement with rotigotine could improve sleep quality in patients with PD.

Effects of Levodopa on quality of sleep and nocturnal movements in Parkinson's Disease

BACKGROUND

Sleep disturbances are common in Parkinson's Disease (PD), with nocturnal akinesia being one of the most burdensome. Levodopa is frequently used in clinical routine to improve nocturnal akinesia, although evidence is not well proven.

METHODS

We assessed associations of Levodopa intake with quality of sleep and perception of nocturnal akinesia in three PD cohorts, using the Parkinson's Disease Sleep Scale (PDSS-2) in two cohorts and a question on nocturnal immobility in one cohort. In one cohort also objective assessment of mobility during sleep was performed, using mobile health technology.

RESULTS

In an independent analysis of all three cohorts (in total n = 1124 PD patients), patients taking Levodopa CR reported a significantly higher burden by nocturnal akinesia than patients without Levodopa. Higher Levodopa intake and MDS-UPDRS part IV scores (indicating motor fluctuations) predicted worse PDSS-2 and higher subjective nocturnal immobility scores, while disease duration and severity were not predictive. Levodopa intake was not associated with objectively changed mobility during sleep.

CONCLUSION

Our results showed an association of higher Levodopa intake with perception of worse quality of sleep and nocturnal immobility in PD, indicating that Levodopa alone might not be suitable to improve subjective feeling of nocturnal akinesia in PD. In contrast, Levodopa intake was not relevantly associated with objectively measured mobility during sleep. PD patients with motor fluctuations may be particularly affected by subjective perception of nocturnal mobility. This study should motivate further pathophysiological and clinical investigations on the cause of perception of immobility during sleep in PD.

Intrajejunal Infusion of Levodopa/Carbidopa for Advanced Parkinson's Disease: A Systematic Review

Advanced Parkinson's disease is inconsistently defined, and evidence is lacking in relation to device‐aided therapies. To update existing reviews of intrajejunal infusion of levodopa/carbidopa (LCIG), we performed a literature search for relevant articles (to November 3, 2020) using PubMed supplemented by hand searching. Retrieved articles were categorized by relevance to identified research questions, including motor complications and symptoms; nonmotor symptoms; functioning, quality of life, and caregiver burden; optimal timing of treatment initiation and administration duration; discontinuation; and complications. Most eligible studies (n = 56) were open‐label, observational studies including relatively small patient numbers. LCIG consistently reduces OFF time and increased ON time without troublesome dyskinesia with varying effects regarding ON time with troublesome dyskinesia and the possibility of diphasic dyskinesia. More recent evidence provides some increased support for the benefits of LCIG in relation to nonmotor symptoms, quality of life, activities of daily living, and reduced caregiver burden. Patient age does not appear to significantly impact the effectiveness of LCIG. Discontinuation rates with LCIG (~17%–26%) commonly relate to device‐related issues, although the ability to easily discontinue LCIG may represent a potential benefit. LCIG may be a favorable option for patients with advanced Parkinson's disease who show predominant nonmotor symptoms and vulnerability to complications of other advanced therapy modalities. Larger, well‐controlled studies, including precise investigation of cost effectiveness, would further assist treatment selection. © 2021 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society

Therapeutic Strategies to Treat or Prevent Off Episodes in Adults with Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease is a chronic, neurodegenerative disease, which manifests with a mixture of motor, cognitive and behavioural symptoms. Levodopa is the most effective antiparkinsonian treatment to date, although chronic use engenders a mixture of complications in a substantial proportion of patients. Amongst these is the occurrence of episodes of worsening symptoms-'off' phenomena. These episodes can manifest with either motor or non-motor symptoms or a combination of these features and have been found to have profound impacts on patients' quality of life. Although preventative measures are poorly evidenced, avoiding excessive total daily levodopa intake in selected populations that are deemed to be of a higher risk for developing these episodes warrants further exploration. Methods to improve levodopa bioavailability and delivery to the brain are currently available and are of value in addressing these episodes once they have become established. These include modifications to levodopa formulations as well as the use of complimentary agents that improve levodopa bioavailability. The deployment of device-assisted approaches is a further dimension that can be considered in addressing these debilitating episodes. This review summarises the clinical manifestations of 'off' phenomena and the current approaches to treat them. Although we briefly discuss clinical advances on the horizon, the predominant focus is on existing, established treatments.

LCIG in treatment of non-motor symptoms in advanced Parkinson's disease: Review of literature

BACKGROUND

For managing nonmotor symptoms (NMS) in advanced Parkinson's disease (PD), levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG) infusion is of interest as it shows lesser plasma fluctuations of both drugs as compared to oral levodopa-carbidopa (LC).

OBJECTIVES

To highlight LCIG effect in NMS among advanced PD patients and appraise the currently available literature.

METHODS

PubMed screening (till 2020) of 184 articles was done, of which 51 were selected. Among them, 23 original articles relevant to the research question were included, of which 6 were then excluded after careful reading of full articles. The 17 relevant studies of the review provide Grade C level of evidence of efficacy.

RESULTS

LCIG is beneficial in improving or relieving various NMS especially (mood, cognition/memory, sleep, gastrointestinal symptoms, urinary symptoms, and quality of life questionnaires) in patients with advanced PD. Amelioration of motor functions or direct relations may lead to improvement in NMS PD patients using LCIG. Adverse events noted in patients treated with LCIG include pneumoperitoneum, abdominal pain, stoma infection, reversible peripheral neuropathy, local tube problems, impulse control disorder, and weight loss. Serious adverse events were mostly found to be unrelated to LCIG.

CONCLUSIONS

LCIG provides an uninterrupted intestinal levodopa infusion by percutaneous endoscopic gastrojejunostomy (PEG-J). It effectively decreases plasma fluctuations of levodopa and reduces motor instability and NMS burden in advanced PD. However, adequate dose modification and individualization of therapy are essential for optimal effect.

The TANDEM investigation: efficacy and tolerability of levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel in (LCIG) advanced Parkinson's disease patients

The TANDEM investigation was carried out in 17 Italian Movement Disorder centers on behalf of a joint initiative of neurologist members of the Italian Academy for Parkinson's disease and Movement Disorders (LIMPE-DISMOV Academy) and gastroenterologist members of the Italian Society of Digestive Endoscopy (SIED) to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG) in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease (PD) in routine medical care. Motor scores in "ON" and OFF" state (UPDRS-III), complications of therapy (UPDRS-IV), activities of daily living, sleep disorders and quality of life were evaluated at baseline and at two follow-up assessments (FUV1 and FUV2) within the initial 12-month LCIG treatment. In 159 patients (55% males) with a mean age of 69.1 ± 6.6 years and a diagnosis of PD since 13.6 ± 5.5 years, the UPDRS-III total score (in "OFF") decreased from baseline (45.8 ± 13.2) to FUV1 (41.0 ± 17.4; p < 0.001) and FUV2 (40.5 ± 15.5; p < 0.001), the UPDRS-IV total score decreased from baseline (8.8 ± 2.9) to FUV1 (5.1 ± 3.4; p < 0.001) and FUV2 (5.5 ± 3.2; p < 0.001). The percentage of patients exhibiting freezing, dystonia, gait/walking disturbances, falls, pain and sleep disorders was significantly reduced. Twenty-eight device complications were reported and 11 (6.9%) patients prematurely terminated the study. LCIG after 12-month treatment led to sustained improvement of time spent in "OFF", complications of therapy, PD-associated symptoms and sleep disorders. LCIG tolerability was consistent with the established safety profile of LCIG.

Acute levodopa dosing around-the-clock ameliorates REM sleep without atonia in hemiparkinsonian rats

Rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep without atonia (RSWA), a marker of REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD), is frequently comorbid with Parkinson's disease (PD). Although rodent models are commonly used for studying PD, the neurobiological and behavioral correlates of RBD remain poorly understood. Therefore, we developed a behavior-based criteria to identify RSWA in the hemiparkinsonian rat model of PD. Video recordings of rats were analyzed, to develop a criteria consisting of behavioral signs that occurred during polysomnographically confirmed epochs of sleep-wake stages. The sleep-slouch, a postural shift of the body or head caused only by gravity, was identified as a unique behavioral sign of REM sleep onset and was altered in hemiparkinsonian rats during RSWA. There was a significant correlation between the behavior-based criteria and polysomnograms for all sleep-wake stages in control but not hemiparkinsonian rats indicating a deterioration of sleep-wake architecture in parkinsonism. We then tested the efficacy of levodopa in ameliorating RSWA using intermittent and around-the-clock (ATC) dosing regimens. ATC levodopa dosing at 4 mg/kg for 48 h caused a significant reduction of RSWA as measured by polysomnography and the behavioral-based criteria along with an amelioration of forelimb motor deficits. Our findings show that the phenomenological correlates of RSWA can be reliably characterized in the hemiparkinsonian rat model. ATC levodopa administration ameliorates RSWA in this model without deleterious consequences to the overall sleep-wake architecture and therapeutic benefits for parkinsonian motor deficits. These findings suggest that further study may allow for the application of a similar approach to treat RBD in PD patients.

Motor and non-motor outcomes in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease treated with levodopa/carbidopa intestinal gel: final results of the GREENFIELD observational study

Introduction

The GREENFIELD observational study assessed the effect of levodopa/carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG) on motor and non-motor symptoms, and the related impact on patient quality of life and caregiver burden up to 8 years.

Methods

Final results of a large Italian cohort of patients who started LCIG in routine care between 2007 and 2014 are presented. Comparison between baseline (before LCIG) and follow-up visits on yearly basis (visit 2/3) is reported. Primary endpoint was Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS-IV) Item 39; secondary endpoints were UPDRS I and II, dyskinesia items, PD Quality of Life Questionnaire-39, Parkinson’s Disease Sleep Scale-2, Gait and Falls Questionnaire, Questionnaire on Impulsive Disorders, and Relative Stress Scale.

Results

Overall, 145 patients from 14 centers were assessed with a mean time since LCIG start of 2.8 ± 1.7 years at visit 2. The mean UPDRS-IV item 39 score showed significant reductions compared to baseline (mean score 2.0 ± 0.81) at visit 2 (mean score 0.9 ± 0.69; − 55%; p < 0.001) and at visit 3 (mean score 1.0 ± 0.75; − 50%; p < 0.001). At visit 3, significant reductions were observed for dyskinesia duration score (− 28%; p < 0.001), dyskinesia disability (− 40%; p < 0.001), and painful dyskinesia (− 50%; p < 0.001). Overall, 40 (27.6%) patients experienced 49 serious adverse events which were considered related to PEG/J procedure or to device in 16.3% of the cases.

Conclusions

The results of this study support the long-term efficacy of LCIG on PD symptoms as well as on activities of daily living. The adverse events were consistent with the established LCIG safety profile.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1007/s00415-019-09337-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Sleep Quality and Levodopa Intestinal Gel Infusion in Parkinson's Disease: A Pilot Study

Background

Sleep problems in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease (PD) have a deleterious impact on quality of life.

Objective

To assess the effect of levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG) infusion on sleep quality in advanced PD patients.

Methods

Seven patients participated in a prospective pilot study. Before and after 6 months of LCIG infusion, an overnight polysomnography was performed and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, fatigue scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Beck Depression Inventory, and the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale were administered.

Results

PSG showed low sleep efficiency. REM sleep without atony was found in 5 patients. After 6 months of LCIG infusion, the percentage of REM sleep decreased as well as the number of arousals especially due to reduction of spontaneous arousals and periodic leg movements during REM sleep, but differences were not statistically significant. Also, scores of all study questionnaires showed a tendency to improve.

Conclusion

The results show a trend toward an improvement of sleep quality after 6 months of LCIG infusion, although differences as compared to pretreatment values were not statistically significant. The sleep architecture was not modified by LCIG. Further studies with larger study samples are needed to confirm these preliminary findings.

Update on the clinical application of deep brain stimulation in sleep dysfunction of Parkinson's disease

Sleep dysfunctions, including rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder, sleep fragmentation, excessive daytime sleepiness and various other dysfunctions, can seriously affect quality of life in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Emerging evidence suggests that deep brain stimulation (DBS) exerts a substantial effect when used to treat sleep dysfunctions, which are common nonmotor symptoms experienced by patients with PD. However, far less is known about the specific mechanisms underlying the effects of DBS on sleep processes and the factors that potentially influence these effects. These issues therefore need to be further clarified. Intriguingly, a number of recent studies have evaluated the effects of applying DBS to various brain targets on sleep in patients with PD. Deeper research into the efficacy of applying DBS to each brain target may help determine which region should be targeted during surgery in PD patients. Furthermore, compared with pharmacological therapy, DBS had more beneficial effects on sleep symptoms, and appropriate management involving the joint application of dopamine replacement therapy and DBS might accelerate the effects of treatment. Here, we review the potential roles DBS may play and provide clinical guidance for the use of DBS in treating sleep dysfunctions in PD patients.

Levodopa-Carbidopa Intestinal Gel in Parkinson's Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Levodopa has been widely used and regarded as the most effective therapy for Parkinson's disease (PD), but long-term treatment with oral levodopa may result in motor fluctuations and involuntary movements (dyskinesias). There is evidence to suggest that Continuous infusion of levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG) can effectively manage motor and non-motor complications in PD, but clinical studies investigating this have yielded inconsistent results. This systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to examine the efficacy and safety of LCIG for patients with PD.

Methods: A systematic search was conducted to retrieve published data in the EMBASE, PubMed, and the Cochrane Library up to March 2018. Both efficiency and safety of LCIG were analyzed using pooled standardized mean differences (SMDs) or odds ratio (ORs) with 95% confidence interval (CIs).

Results: Eight trials with 384 PD patients were included in the present study. Compared with the control group, LCIG significantly decreased off-time (SMD, −1.19; 95% CI, −2.25 to −0.12; p = 0.003) and increased on-time without troublesome dyskinesia (SMD, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.20 to 0.90; p = 0.002). However, no significant difference of LCIG was found in on-time with troublesome dyskinesia. There were no significant differences in UPDRS, Hoehn & Yahr and PDQ-39 scores. Besides, no significant differences in the drop-out and adverse effects.

Conclusions: Continuous delivery of LCIG may offer a promising option for PD patients. More randomized double-blind controlled studies with large sample sizes were needed to further confirm the efficacy and safety of LCIG for PD patients.

Getting a good night sleep? The importance of recognizing and treating nocturnal hypokinesia in Parkinson's disease

When Parkinson's disease (PD) patients are asked about the quality of their sleep, their answers are dominated by difficulties associated with impaired mobility in bed, medically referred to as nocturnal hypokinesia. Nocturnal hypokinesia is symptomatic from the mid-stage of the disease, affecting up to 70% of PD patients, and contributes to poor sleep quality, and increased carer burden. Here we explore four areas of nocturnal hypokinesia that are relevant to clinical practice, namely: manifestations and definition; clinical assessment and objective monitoring; etiologies and contributing factors; and evidence-based therapeutic approaches. In addition, we provide an operational definition of what constitutes nocturnal hypokinesia and outline different methods of assessment, ranging from clinical interviews and rating scales to objective night-time monitoring with inertial sensors. Optimal management of nocturnal hypokinesia in PD begins with recognizing its manifestation by inquiring about cardinal symptoms and contributing factors from, not only patients, but also carers, followed by formal assessment, and the application of individualized evidence-based treatment. Night-time dopaminergic treatment is the primary therapy; however, careful clinical judgment is required to balance the benefits with the potential adverse events related to nocturnal dopaminergic stimulation. Future studies are needed to explore the practicality of home-based objective assessment of nocturnal hypokinesia, new therapeutic options not limited to dopaminergic medications, and non-pharmacologic approaches, including training on compensatory strategies and bedroom adaptations.

Can suitable candidates for levodopa/carbidopa intestinal gel therapy be identified using current evidence?

Advanced Parkinson's disease (APD) is characterized by increased functional disability, caused by motor complications, the presence of axial symptoms, and emergent disease- and drug-related non-motor symptoms. One of the advanced therapies available is intrajejunal infusion of levodopa/carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG); however, patient selection for this treatment is sometimes difficult, particularly because of overlapping indications with other alternatives. In recent years, strong evidence has supported the use of LCIG in treating motor fluctuations associated with APD, and several clinical studies provide emerging evidence for additional benefits of LCIG treatment in certain patients. This article provides an overview of the published literature on the benefits, limitations, and drawbacks of LCIG in relation to PD symptoms, the psychosocial impact of the disease, and the quality of life of patients, with the aim of determining candidates for whom treatment with LCIG would be beneficial. According to current evidence, patients with APD (defined as inability to achieve optimal control of the disease with conventional oral treatment), a relatively well-preserved cognitive-behavioral status, and good family/caregiver would count as suitable candidates for LCIG treatment. Contraindications in the opinion of the authors are severe dementia and active psychosis.

A Viewpoint on Wearable Technology-Enabled Measurement of Wellbeing and Health-Related Quality of Life in Parkinson's Disease

In this viewpoint, we discuss how several aspects of Parkinson’s disease (PD) – known to be correlated with wellbeing and health-related quality of life–could be measured using wearable devices (‘wearables’). Moreover, three people with PD (PwP) having exhaustive experience with using such devices write about their personal understanding of wellbeing and health-related quality of life, building a bridge between the true needs defined by PwP and the available methods of data collection. Rapidly evolving new technologies develop wearables that probe function and behaviour in domestic environments of people with chronic conditions such as PD and have the potential to serve their needs. Gathered data can serve to inform patient-driven management changes, enabling greater control by PwP and enhancing likelihood of improvements in wellbeing and health-related quality of life. Data can also be used to quantify wellbeing and health-related quality of life. Additionally these techniques can uncover novel more sensitive and more ecologically valid disease-related endpoints. Active involvement of PwP in data collection and interpretation stands to provide personally and clinically meaningful endpoints and milestones to inform advances in research and relevance of translational efforts in PD.

Treatment of Nonmotor Symptoms in Parkinson's Disease

Nonmotor symptoms (NMS) are integral to Parkinson's disease (PD) and the management can often be challenging. In spite of the growing evidence that NMS have a key impact on the quality of life of patients and caregivers, most clinical trials still focus on motor symptoms as primary outcomes. As a consequence strong evidence-based treatment recommendations for NMS occurring in PD are spare. In this chapter, the current data addressing the treatment of major NMS such as sleep, cognitive and autonomic dysfunction, and depression and anxiety are described.

Multifactorial sleep disturbance in Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder, ranking only behind Alzheimer's disease and affecting 2% of the population over the age of 65. Pathophysiologically, PD is characterized by selective degeneration of the dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) and striatal dopamine depletion. Patients may also exhibit mild-to-severe degeneration of other central and peripheral nervous tissues. The most dramatic symptoms of the disease are profound dopamine-responsive motor disturbances, including bradykinesia, akinesia, rigidity, resting tremor, and postural instability. PD patients commonly present with debilitating non-motor symptoms, including cognitive impairment, autonomic nervous system dysfunction, and sleep disturbance. Of these, sleep disturbance is the most consistently reported, and likely represents a disorder integrative of PD-related motor impairment, autonomic nervous system dysfunction, iatrogenic insult, and central neurodegeneration. The pathophysiology of PD may also indirectly disrupt sleep by increasing susceptibility to sleep disorders, including sleep disordered breathing, periodic limb movements, and REM behavior disorder. In this review, we will discuss these systems representing a multifactorial etiology in PD sleep disturbance.

A polysomnographic study in parkinsonian patients treated with intestinal levodopa infusion

Sleep disorders are very common in advanced Parkinson's disease (PD) and have a significant negative impact on the quality of life of patients. Questionnaire-based studies suggest that sleep quality might improve following levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG) infusion. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of LCIG infusion and subsequent oral medication changes on polysomnography (PSG) and sleep symptoms in advanced PD patients. Eleven PD patients underwent PSG at baseline and after 3.8 ± 1.2 months of LCIG treatment. LCIG infusion therapy was halted during PSG. Patients were assessed with the Unified-PD-rating-Scale and completed the PD-Sleep-Scale-version-2 (PDSS-2), the Epworth Sleepiness Scale and the RBD single question. Subjective sleep quality improved in all patients. PSG showed a reduction of the number of awakenings in sleep, a trend towards a lower apnea-hypopnea index and no change in sleep latency, total sleep time and sleep efficiency. There was a positive correlation between the number of awakenings and PDSS-2 scores for "difficulty staying asleep", "muscle cramps of arms or legs" and "urge to move arms or legs". Motor complications and activities of daily living improved with LCIG. Subjective sleep quality improved significantly and the PSG study showed a less fragmented sleep pattern in advanced PD patients treated with LCIG infusion.

Open-Label Study of Sleep Disturbances in Patients with Parkinson's Disease Treated with Rasagiline

BACKGROUND

The prevalence of sleep disturbances among patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) is estimated to occur in 37% to 98% of patients. Sleep disturbances have been associated with a reduced quality of life for patients with PD. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of rasagiline treatment on the severity of sleep disturbances among patients with idiopathic PD.

METHODS

In this open-label, multicentre study, 110 adult patients with idiopathic PD were treated with rasagiline either as monotherapy or as adjunct therapy. The primary endpoint was the change in severity of sleep disturbances, assessed with the PD Sleep Scale from baseline to month 2. Exploratory endpoints included change in daytime sleepiness, assessed with the Epworth Sleep Scale, treatment satisfaction measured with the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication, patient's overall improvement or deterioration over time measured with the Clinical Global Impression of Improvement, tolerability, and safety.

FINDINGS

Patients treated with rasagiline as mono- or adjunct therapy showed a statistically significant improvement in sleep quality after 2 months. There was no change in daytime sleepiness. Overall, patients were satisfied with rasagiline treatment with a mean Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication [standard deviation] total score at month 2 of 68% [16.1]. At the end of study, 64 patients (65.9%) were judged, by the investigator, as being at least minimally improved from baseline on the Clinical Global Impression of Improvement. Rasagiline was safe and well-tolerated.

INTERPRETATION

Rasagiline as mono- or adjunct-therapy may improve sleep experience in patients with PD in the short term.

Levodopa/carbidopa intestinal gel can improve both motor and non-motor experiences of daily living in Parkinson's disease: An open-label study

BACKGROUND

Levodopa/carbidopa intestinal gel therapy (LCIG) can efficiently improve several motor and non-motor symptoms of advanced Parkinson's disease (PD). The recently developed Movement Disorder Society-sponsored Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) improved the original UPDRS making it a more robust tool to evaluate therapeutic changes. However, previous studies have not used the MDS-UPDRS and the Unified Dyskinesia Rating Scale (UDysRS) to assess the efficacy of LCIG.

OBJECTIVES

Our aim was to determine if the MDS-UPDRS and UDysRS could detect improvement in the experiences of daily living following 1-year LCIG treatment.

METHODS

In this prospective, multicenter, open-label study, 34 consecutive patients undergoing LCIG treatment were enrolled. Patients were examined twice: prior to LCIG initiation and 12 months later. Impact of PD-related symptoms and dyskinesia was assessed by the MDS-UPDRS and UDysRS.

RESULTS

Non-motor Experiences of Daily Living part of MDS-UPDRS improved from 20 (median, interquartile-range, IQR:14-23) to 16 points (median, IQR:12-20, p = 0.044) and the Motor Experiences of Daily Living ameliorated from 24 (median, IQR:20-29) to 18 points (median, IQR:13-25, p = 0.025). Health-related quality of life, measured by PDQ-39, also improved from 35.4 (median, IQR:26.9-50.3) to 27.0 (median, IQR:21.3-31.4) points (p = 0.003). The total score of UDysRS decreased from 47 (median, IQR:36-54) to 34 (median, IQR:21-45) points (p = 0.003).

CONCLUSIONS

As far as the authors are aware of, our paper is the first to evaluate the impact of LCIG on dyskinesia by the means of UDysRS. Changes in MDS-UPDRS and UDysRS confirm that LCIG treatment can efficiently improve experiences of daily living in advanced PD.

Current Pharmaceutical Treatments and Alternative Therapies of Parkinson's Disease

Over the decades, pharmaceutical treatments, particularly dopaminergic (DAergic) drugs have been considered as the main therapy against motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD). It is proposed that DAergic drugs in combination with other medications, such as monoamine oxidase type B inhibitors, catechol-O-methyl transferase inhibitors, anticholinergics and other newly developed non-DAergic drugs can make a better control of motor symptoms or alleviate levodopa-induced motor complications. Moreover, non-motor symptoms of PD, such as cognitive, neuropsychiatric, sleep, autonomic and sensory disturbances caused by intrinsic PD pathology or drug-induced side effects, are gaining increasing attention and urgently need to be taken care of due to their impact on quality of life. Currently, neuroprotective therapies have been investigated extensively in pre-clinical studies, and some of them have been subjected to clinical trials. Furthermore, non-pharmaceutical treatments, including deep brain stimulation (DBS), gene therapy, cell replacement therapy and some complementary managements, such as Tai chi, Yoga, traditional herbs and molecular targeted therapies have also been considered as effective alternative therapies to classical pharmaceutics. This review will provide us updated information regarding the current drugs and non-drugs therapies for PD.

Quantitative demonstration of the efficacy of night-time apomorphine infusion to treat nocturnal hypokinesia in Parkinson's disease using wearable sensors

BACKGROUND

Nocturnal hypokinesia/akinesia is one of the common night-time symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), negatively affecting quality of life of patients and caregivers. The recognition of this problem and treatment options are limited in clinical practice.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the efficacy of nocturnal apomorphine infusion, using a wearable sensor, in patients who are already on daytime continuous subcutaneous apomorphine infusion and still suffer from nocturnal hypokinesia.

METHODS

Nocturnal parameters in 10 PD patients before and during nocturnal infusion were assessed over two nights at their homes, using a wearable sensor (trunk). Nocturnal parameters included number, velocity, acceleration, degree, and duration of rolling over, and number of times they got out of bed. Correlations with validated clinical rating scales were performed.

RESULTS

Following nocturnal apomorphine infusion (34.8 ± 6.5 mg per night), there were significant improvements in the number of turns in bed (p = 0.027), turning velocity (p = 0.046), and the degree of turning (p = 0.028) in PD patients. Significant improvements of Modified Parkinson's Disease Sleep Scale (p = 0.005), the axial score of Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (p = 0.013), and Nocturnal Akinesia Dystonia and Cramp Scale (p = 0.014) were also observed.

CONCLUSION

Our study was able to demonstrate quantitatively the efficacy of nocturnal apomorphine infusion in PD patients with nocturnal hypokinesia and demonstrated the feasibility of using wearable sensors to yield objective and quantifiable outcomes in a clinical trial setting. More studies are needed to determine the long-term efficacy of this treatment in a large prospective cohort of PD patients.

Non-oral dopaminergic therapies for Parkinson's disease: current treatments and the future

Dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract has now been recognized to affect all stages of Parkinson’s disease (PD). The consequences lead to problems with absorption of oral medication, erratic treatment response, as well as silent aspiration, which is one of the key risk factors in developing pneumonia. The issue is further complicated by other gut abnormalities, such as small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and an altered gut microbiota, which occur in PD with variable frequency. Clinically, these gastrointestinal abnormalities might be associated with symptoms such as nausea, early-morning “off”, and frequent motor and non-motor fluctuations. Therefore, non-oral therapies that avoid the gastrointestinal system seem a rational option to overcome the problems of oral therapies in PD. Hence, several non-oral strategies have now been actively investigated and developed. The transdermal rotigotine patch, infusion therapies with apomorphine, intrajejunal levodopa, and the apomorphine pen strategy are currently in clinical use with a few others in development. In this review, we discuss and summarize the most recent developments in this field with a focus on non-oral dopaminergic strategies (excluding surgical interventions such as deep brain stimulation) in development or to be licensed for management of PD.

Melatoninergic System in Parkinson's Disease: From Neuroprotection to the Management of Motor and Nonmotor Symptoms

Melatonin is synthesized by several tissues besides the pineal gland, and beyond its regulatory effects in light-dark cycle, melatonin is a hormone with neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. Melatonin acts as a free-radical scavenger, reducing reactive species and improving mitochondrial homeostasis. Melatonin also regulates the expression of neurotrophins that are involved in the survival of dopaminergic neurons and reduces α-synuclein aggregation, thus protecting the dopaminergic system against damage. The unbalance of pineal melatonin synthesis can predispose the organism to inflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease (PD). The aim of this review is to summarize the knowledge about the potential role of the melatoninergic system in the pathogenesis and treatment of PD. The literature reviewed here indicates that PD is associated with impaired brain expression of melatonin and its receptors MT₁ and MT₂. Exogenous melatonin treatment presented an outstanding neuroprotective effect in animal models of PD induced by different toxins, such as 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP), rotenone, paraquat, and maneb. Despite the neuroprotective effects and the improvement of motor impairments, melatonin also presents the potential to improve nonmotor symptoms commonly experienced by PD patients such as sleep and anxiety disorders, depression, and memory dysfunction.

New Pharmacological Approaches to Treating Non-Motor Symptoms of Parkinson's Disease

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Non-motor symptoms in patients with Parkinson's Disease (PD) are better predictors of quality of life changes, caregiver burden, and mortality than motor symptoms. Levodopa has limited, and sometimes detrimental, effects on these symptoms. In this review we discuss recent evidence on pharmacological treatments for non-motor symptoms.

RECENT FINDINGS

Breakthroughs have been made in the treatment of psychosis and sleep dysfunction. Pimavanserin has become the first FDA approved drug for PD psychosis. There is also new research supporting cholinesterase inhibitors for sleep disorders in PD. Other studies, including several novel treatments, have shown mixed results for apathy, depression, and fatigue.

SUMMARY

Further research is needed to develop treatments for non-motor symptoms in PD. Preclinical and postmortem studies indicate that non-motor symptoms in PD may arise from pathology in non-dopamine systems. Although sometimes used off-label, therapies that target such systems have been under-utilized in treating non-motor symptoms and warrant further clinical investigation.

Long-term effectiveness of levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel in 177 Spanish patients with advanced Parkinson's disease

AIM

To assess long-term effectiveness and tolerability of levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG) in Spanish patients with advanced Parkinson's disease.

PATIENTS & METHODS

This was an observational, multicenter, cross-sectional, retrospective study.

RESULTS

Data of 177 patients were analyzed. LCIG treatment led to a reduction in the percentage of daily 'off' time (16.2 vs 47.6% before LCIG), an increase in the percentage of daily 'on' time without disabling dyskinesia (55.6 vs 21.6%). Most patients experienced improvements in freezing of gait, tremor, dizziness, fatigue or flat mood. Adverse events related to levodopa, gastrostomy and technical issues were reported in 36.2, 42.4 and 43.5% of patients, respectively.

CONCLUSION

This study confirms the long-term effectiveness and safety profile of LCIG in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease.

Motor outcomes in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease treated with levodopa/carbidopa intestinal gel in Italy: an interim analysis from the GREENFIELD observational study

Several levodopa/carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG) studies showed a significant reduction of OFF time and a significant increase of ON time, as well as a reduction of dyskinesia, and improvement of non-motor symptoms and quality of life. However, few studies have been conducted in a large population for more than 3 years. Interim outcomes from GREENFIELD observational study on a large Italian cohort of advanced PD patients who started LCIG in routine care between 2007 and 2014, still on treatment at the enrollment, are presented. Comparison between baseline (before LCIG start) and visit 1 (at enrollment) is reported. Primary endpoint was Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) IV Item 39; secondary endpoints were UPDRS I and II, as outcome of quality of life. Overall, 145 of 148 enrolled patients from 14 Movement Disorder Centers in Italy were evaluable with a mean LCIG treatment period of 1.38 ± 1.66 years at enrollment. Compared with baseline, the mean score regarding daily time spent in OFF (UPDRS IV Item 39) at visit 1 significantly decreased from 2.1 ± 0.8 to 0.9 ± 0.7 (57 % reduction vs baseline, P < 0.0001); UPDRS IV improved by 39 % (P < 0.0001); scores for dyskinesia duration and disability were reduced by 28 % (1.8 ± 1.0-1.3 ± 0.9; P < 0.0001) and 33 % (1.5 ± 1.1 to 1.0 ± 1.0; P < 0.0001), respectively; and the scores for painful dyskinesia and early morning dystonia were reduced by 56 % (0.9 ± 1.0-0.4 ± 0.7; P < 0.0001) and 25 % (0.4 ± 0.5-0.3 ± 0.5; P < 0.001), respectively. The preliminary results of this interim analysis support the efficacy of LCIG on motor complications and activities of daily living.

New clinical trials for nonmotor manifestations of Parkinson's disease

Nonmotor manifestations in Parkinson's disease (PD) encompass a range of clinical features, including neuropsychiatric problems, autonomic dysfunction, sleep disorders, fatigue, and pain. Despite their importance for patients' quality of life, the evidence base for their treatment is relatively sparse. Nevertheless, the last few years have seen a number of new trials starting that specifically address nonmotor features as an outcome measure in clinical trials. Large randomized, controlled trials in the last 3 years reported improvement of psychosis with the new selective serotonin 5-HT2A inverse agonist pimavanserin and of postural hypotension with the oral norepinephrine precursor droxidopa. Smaller new randomized, controlled trials support the effectiveness of Deep Brain Stimulation and opiates for pain, of rivastigmine for apathy and piribedil for apathy post-DBS, group cognitive behavioral therapy for depression and/or anxiety, continuous positive airway pressure for sleep apnea in PD and doxepin for insomnia, and of solifenacin succinate and transcutaneous tibial nerve stimulation for urinary symptoms. A number of new smaller or open trials as well as post-hoc analyses of randomized, controlled trials have suggested usefulness of other treatments, and new randomized, controlled trials are currently ongoing.

Carbidopa levodopa enteral suspension

INTRODUCTION

The search for consistent, effective treatments in Parkinson's disease (PD) is ongoing. The importance of continuous dopaminergic stimulation (CDS) is understood to underlie best medical therapy for PD by providing closer replication of physiological patterns of dopamine release in healthy brains.

AREAS COVERED

An overview of interventions to improve motor fluctuations in PD is presented. Significant improvements in off-time are achieved by providing continuous therapy using targeted deep brain stimulation (DBS), subcutaneous apomorphine infusion and carbidopa/levodopa enteral suspension (Duopa). Duopa is a newly approved treatment in the US for advanced PD that delivers levodopa pumped to the intestinal tract through a percutaneous gastrostomy with jejunum tube extension (PEG-J tube). Trials with carbidopa/levodopa enteral suspension show improvement in motor fluctuations, reduction in plasma levodopa variation and improvement in overall "on" time compared with oral immediate release formulation of carbidopa/levodopa.

EXPERT OPINION

The degree of improvement in number of off hours per day on carbidopa/levodopa enteral suspension infusion rivals that seen with DBS and apomorphine infusion and makes this new treatment a valuable option in advanced fluctuating PD patients, especially those who are neither candidates for DBS or who do not have access to apomorphine infusion therapy or who have failed either or both therapies.

Minimal Clinically Important Difference on Parkinson's Disease Sleep Scale 2nd Version

Background and Aims. The aim of the present study was to determine the estimates of minimal clinically important difference for Parkinson's Disease Sleep Scale 2nd version (PDSS-2) total score and dimensions. Methods. The subject population consisted of 413 PD patients. At baseline, MDS-UPDRS, Hoehn-Yahr Scale, Mattis Dementia Rating Scale, and PDSS-2 were assessed. Nine months later the PDSS-2 was reevaluated with the Patient-Reported Global Impression Improvement Scale. Both anchor-based techniques (within patients' score change method and sensitivity- and specificity-based method by receiver operating characteristic analysis) and distribution-based approaches (effect size calculations) were utilized to determine the magnitude of minimal clinically important difference. Results. According to our results, any improvements larger than −3.44 points or worsening larger than 2.07 points can represent clinically important changes for the patients. These thresholds have the effect size of 0.21 and −0.21, respectively. Conclusions. Minimal clinically important differences are the smallest change of scores that are subjectively meaningful to patients. Studies using the PDSS-2 as outcome measure should utilize the threshold of −3.44 points for detecting improvement or the threshold of 2.07 points for observing worsening.

Is excessive daytime sleepiness a separate manifestation in Parkinson's disease?

BACKGROUND

Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is common in Parkinson's disease (PD), but its role and relation to other PD features is less well understood.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate potential predictors of EDS in PD and to explore how EDS relates to other motor and non-motor PD features.

METHODS

118 consecutive persons with PD (54% men; mean age, 64) were assessed regarding EDS using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and a range of motor and non-motor symptoms. Variables significantly associated with ESS scores in bivariate analyses were used in multiple regression analyses with ESS scores as the dependent variable. Principal component analysis (PCA) was conducted to explore the interrelationships between ESS scores and other motor and non-motor PD aspects.

RESULTS

Among 114 persons with complete ESS data, significant independent associations were found between ESS scores and axial/postural/gait impairment, depressive symptoms, and pain (R2, 0.199). ESS scores did not load significantly together with any other PD features in the PCA.

CONCLUSIONS

Only a limited proportion of the variation in EDS could be accounted for by other symptoms, and EDS did not cluster together with any other PD features in PCAs. This suggests that EDS is a separate manifestation differing from, for example, poor sleep quality and fatigue.

Long-term response to continuous duodenal infusion of levodopa/carbidopa gel in patients with advanced Parkinson disease: The Barcelona registry

INTRODUCTION

Continuous infusion of levodopa/carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG) is an effective treatment for patients with advanced Parkinson Disease (PD) that cannot be further improved by oral therapy.

METHODS

We conducted an observational, prospective, and multicenter study to collect, in a large sample of PD treated with LCIG, long-term information about the outcome and safety of the treatment. The assessments were performed before LCIG, 1, 3, 6 months after, and ever since, every 6 months.

RESULTS

We studied 72 patients with a mean observation time of 22 months and a maximum of 48 months. During follow-up 28 patients discontinued the treatment, especially for lack of efficacy or adverse events related to the drug. We obtained a significant improvement of motor and non-motor fluctuations, mean off time and some non-motor symptoms. A significant increase in the percentage of time with dyskinesias was found in patients having less than 50% of the day with dyskinesias before LCIG. However, patients having already many dyskinesias before LCIG experienced a significant decrease of the troublesome dyskinesias, meaning that outcomes might be different depending on specific clinical characteristics. Adverse effects were in general minor but one case of intestinal perforation and one of abdominal cellulite were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

We confirmed that LCIG is a very effective treatment option for advanced PD; however considering the findings that dyskinesia can increase and the potential for serious side effects, we suggest the necessity for development of guidelines that better define the profile of responders.

Transdermal Rotigotine Improves Sleep Fragmentation in Parkinson's Disease: Results of the Multicenter, Prospective SLEEP-FRAM Study

Sleep disturbances occur frequently in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of rotigotine on sleep fluctuations in a sample of PD patients with self-reported complaints of nocturnal awakenings. This prospective, open-label, observational, and multicenter study enrolled consecutive outpatients with PD and administered rotigotine (mean dose 8.9 mg/day) for 3 months. The primary endpoint was the change from baseline in sleep fragmentation, assessed using the sleep maintenance subscale score of the Parkinson's Disease Sleep Scale (PDSS). The newly designed Parkinson's Disease Sleep Fragmentation Questionnaire (PD-SFQ) was used to measure other sleep parameters. A total of 62 patients were enrolled (mean age 70.2 years; 66% male). At 3 months, rotigotine significantly improved sleep fragmentation from baseline on the PDSS-2 sleep maintenance subscale (from 3.4 ± 0.9 to 1.9 ± 1.4; P < 0.0001). Rotigotine also significantly improved nocturnal motor symptoms (P < 0.0001), restless legs-like symptoms (P < 0.005), and nocturia (P = 0.004). Rotigotine significantly improved self-reported complaints of sleep fragmentation in PD patients and could be a useful treatment to improve this specific sleep problem in PD. However, these results are based on a small and clinically heterogeneous sample so they must be taken cautiously.

Tremor and clinical fluctuation are related to sleep disorders in Chinese patients with Parkinson's disease

Objective

To study the relationship between sleep disturbances and symptoms in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD).

Methods

The Parkinson’s Disease Sleep Scale-Chinese Version (PDSS-CV) was used to evaluate the sleep disturbances of PD patients in a cross sectional study. The Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) parts II-IV, and the Hoehn & Yahr (H&Y) stage were used to determine the level of motor function in PD and the severity of PD. The Spearman correlation and a multiple regression analysis were used to identify the relationship between sleep disturbances and symptoms of PD. The quantities derived from the UPDRS and the H&Y stage and disease duration were compared between groups of patients either with or without sleep disturbances identified by the PDSS. This study was conducted from December 2011 to March 2012 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, in Guangzhou.

Results

A total of 136 PD patients were included in this study. The overall total PDSS score in PD patients was 107.58 ± 23.35 points (range: 30–146). There were significant differences in the disease duration, the H&Y stage, and the UPDRS section subscores between groups of patients either with or without sleep disturbances (Kruskal-Wallis Test, p <0.05). There were significant negative correlations between PDSS scores and the UPDRS subscores, the H&Y stage and the disease duration (Spearman correlation, p < 0.05). The multiple regression analysis indicated that sleep disturbances identified by the PDSS were only associated with daily life activity, tremor intensity and clinical fluctuation (R² = 0.22, F(3,132) = 12.4, p < 0.001). The correlations were also significant when the contribution of the other two factors was excluded using partial correlations.

Conclusions

The level of daily life activity and the occurrences of tremor and clinical fluctuation are likely to be important factors that lead to PD patients’ sleep disturbances. This study may elucidate an important clue for the relationship between sleep disturbances and PD symptoms.

Rating scales and questionnaires for assessment of sleep disorders in Parkinson's disease: what they inform about?

Sleep disorders are very prevalent in Parkinson's disease (PD) and include a diversity of disturbances. Rating scales and questionnaires are widely used to assess the presence and severity of the sleep disorders. The objective is to review rating scales and questionnaires used for assessment of sleep disorders in PD. To this purpose, a description and update of the sleep scales reviewed by the ad hoc Movement Disorder Society task force (MDS-TF) and other sleep disorder assessments was performed. Two specific (Parkinson's Disease Sleep Scale and Scales for Outcomes in PD Sleep) and two generic scales (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Epworth Sleepiness Scale) were "Recommended" by the MDS-TF as they were used in PD patients, by researchers others than their developers and properly validated. Two other generic scales (Inappropriate Sleep Composite Score and Stanford Sleepiness Scale), "Suggested" due to incomplete validation, are also reviewed. Other instruments included in this review are three comprehensive PD-specific instruments for assessing multiple domains in addition to sleep problems (e.g., Non-Motor Symptoms Questionnaire, Non-Motor Symptoms Scale, MDS-UPDRS), and three generic instruments focused on particular disturbances (e.g., International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group Rating Scale, REM behavioral disorders questionnaires), although these latter lack formal validation in PD populations. The "Recommended" instruments cover satisfactorily the needs for screening and evaluation of the nocturnal sleep disorders and daytime sleepiness in PD patients. It would be convenient to validate or complete the validation in PD populations of those instruments that cannot be recommended due to the lack of information on their clinimetric attributes.