Loss of Heart Rate Variability in Parkinson's Disease Shown by the Poincare Plots during Rhytmic Breathing (P05.196)

Cardiovascular alterations in rats with Parkinsonism induced by 6-OHDA and treated with Domperidone

After Alzheimer, Parkinson disease (PD) is the most frequently occurring progressive, degenerative neurological disease. It affects both sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems in a variable fashion. Cardiovascular symptoms are present in almost all stages of PD and narrower heart rate variability is the earliest sign. Administration of Levodopa to PD patients has proven to provide some degree of neurological protection. This drug, however, causes side effects including nausea and vomiting, lessened by the administration of domperidone. Autopsies in PD patients led some researchers to suggest the involvement of the ventricular arrhythmia induced by domperidone. The aim of the present study was to determine the impact of the adjusted human maximal dose of domperidone, on cardiological features of Wistar rats. domperidone was administered to both 6-hydroxydopamine Parkinsonism models and regular Wistar rats. Quantitative analysis of ranges of heart beat variation showed significant abnormal distribution in both groups receiving domperidone as compared with respective sham counterparts. However, qualitative analysis of Poincaré plots showed that 6-hydroxydopamine Parkinsonism models receiving domperidone had the narrowest full range of heart beat and the worst distribution heart beat ranges as compared with all study groups corroborating with previous suggestion that domperidone administration to PD patients is likely to play a role in sudden unexpected death in this group of patients.

Cardiovascular variability in Mexican patients with Parkinson's disease

Cardiovascular variability (CVV) has been evaluated in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) in other countries and exhibit ethnic differences. Objective We investigated heart rate variability (HRV) and blood pressure variability (BPV) in Mexican patients with PD. Method We further compared HRV and BPV between this group and young healthy controls (YHC) in order to estimate, for the first time in our country, the magnitude of the difference. Twenty patients were examined. Time- and frequency-domain CVV parameters were studied during supine rest (SR), active standing (AS) and controlled breathing. These measurements were compared to those of 20 YHC. Results In the three conditions tested, our study showed a decrease in almost all HRV parameters in PD patients; on the contrary, decreased BPV parameters were found less frequently and only during SR and AS. Conclusion Our results indicate that HRV is impaired in PD. Some BPV parameters are also diminished.