Review
Clinical Neurology
Nirosen Vijiaratnam, Thomas Foltynie
Summary: The recent validation of the alpha-synuclein seed amplification assay as a biomarker for the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease has provided a basis for a proposed staging system in clinical studies. However, further challenges exist in finding biomarkers for disease modifying agents, including optimizing distinction between different alpha-synucleinopathies and predicting clinical benefit. The use of additional biomarkers, such as CSF proteins and imaging techniques, may enhance trial planning and assessment of interventions.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Tiago A. Mestre, Michael P. McDermott, Raquel Lobo, Joaquim J. Ferreira, Anthony E. E. Lang
Summary: This study evaluated the "lessebo effect" in disease modification trials in Parkinson's disease and found that it did not exist in these trials. However, the use of placebo instead of an active comparator was a limitation. Prospective measurement of expectation of benefit could help assess the various impacts of placebo use.
MOVEMENT DISORDERS
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Masahiro Ohara, Kosei Hirata, Mark Hallett, Taiki Matsubayashi, Qingmeng Chen, Satoko Kina, Kaoru Shimano, Akihiro Hirakawa, Takanori Yokota, Takaaki Hattori
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the effect of long-term levodopa treatment on the sequence effect (SE) in gait conditions among Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. The study found that long-term levodopa treatment only improved the SE in single-task straight walking, but had no effect on the SE in circular walking. Additionally, for patients with right-side dominance, long-term levodopa treatment exacerbated the SE in circular walking.
PARKINSONISM & RELATED DISORDERS
(2023)
Review
Cell Biology
Hao Song, Juanli Chen, Jin Huang, Peng Sun, Yanming Liu, Li Xu, Chuanfei Wei, Xin Mu, Xianjie Lu, Wei Wang, Nan Zhang, Miwei Shang, Mei Mo, Wei Zhang, Hui Zhao, Fabin Han
Summary: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder caused by genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors. Recent advance in genomics and epigenetics have revealed epigenetic mechanisms in PD. These epigenetic modifications include DNA methylation, post-translational histone modifications, chromatin remodeling, and RNA-based mechanisms, which regulate cellular functions in almost all cells. Epigenetic alterations are involved in multiple aspects of neuronal development and neurodegeneration in PD.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Catherine Le Berre, Amanda Ricciuto, Laurent Peyrin-Biroulet, Dan Turner
Summary: Short- and long-term treatment targets in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) have shifted from symptom control to endoscopic healing and patient-centered parameters. The impact of early treatment on IBD remains unclear, highlighting the need for prospective disease-modification trials. The SPIRIT consensus has defined the targets for these trials to evaluate the long-term effects of early treatment on quality of life, disability, complications, neoplastic lesions, and mortality.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Gen Li, Pei Huang, Shishuang Cui, Yachao He, Yuyan Tan, Shengdi Chen
Summary: Long-term Tai Chi training in patients with Parkinson's disease showed maintenance of improvement in motor and non-motor symptoms, reducing the need for increasing antiparkinsonian therapies. The annual increase in levodopa equivalent daily dosage was significantly lower in the Tai Chi group, indicating the benefits of Tai Chi training on PD symptoms and complications.
JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY NEUROSURGERY AND PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Dagmar H. Hepp, Thecla A. van Wageningen, Kirsten L. Kuiper, Karin D. van Dijk, Linda P. Oosterveld, Henk W. Berendse, Wilma D. J. van de Berg
Summary: An altered immune response has been found in Parkinson's disease, with specific blood proteins associated with disease severity. Over time, the expression levels of inflammation-associated proteins may increase and are correlated with the severity of motor and cognitive symptoms.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Puyu Li, Ningdi Luo, Sainan Sun, Yuanyuan Li, Dingding Shen, Xue Zhu, Liche Zhou, Haiyan Zhou, Jun Liu
Summary: The NET-PD study is a clinical trial assessing the long-term neuroprotective effect of intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. With a sample size of 60 PD patients, the study aims to clarify the clinical improvement and dynamic neuronal changes in PD patients using clinical assessment and multi-modal markers.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Thomas Cole-Hunter, Jiawei Zhang, Rina So, Evangelia Samoli, Shuo Liu, Jie Chen, Maciej Strak, Kathrin Wolf, Gudrun Weinmayr, Sophia Rodopolou, Elizabeth Remfry, Kees de Hoogh, Tom Bellander, Jorgen Brandt, Hans Concin, Emanuel Zitt, Daniela Fecht, Francesco Forastiere, John Gulliver, Barbara Hoffmann, Ulla A. Hvidtfeldt, Karl-Heinz Jockel, Laust H. Mortensen, Matthias Ketzel, Diego Yacaman Mendez, Karin Leander, Petter Ljungman, Elodie Faure, Pei-Chen Lee, Alexis Elbaz, Patrik K. E. Magnusson, Gabriele Nagel, Goran Pershagen, Annette Peters, Debora Rizzuto, Roel C. H. Vermeulen, Sara Schramm, Massimo Stafoggia, Klea Katsouyanni, Bert Brunekreef, Gerard Hoek, Youn-Hee Lim, Zorana J. Andersen
Summary: In this study, the link between long-term exposure to ambient air pollution, specifically PM2.5, and mortality from Parkinson's Disease (PD) was investigated in seven European cohorts. The results suggest that long-term exposure to PM2.5 may contribute to PD mortality, even at levels below current EU air pollution limits.
ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Isabell Katharina Rumrich, Julian Lin, Antti Korhonen, Lise Marie Frohn, Camilla Geels, Jorgen Brandt, Sirpa Hartikainen, Otto Hanninen, Anna-Maija Tolppanen
Summary: This study conducted a nested case-control study in Finland and found that low-level particulate matter air pollution was not significantly associated with an increased risk of incident PD. However, weak inverse associations were observed with specific particle components, indicating the need for further investigation.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Annalisa Gessani, Francesco Cavallieri, Valentina Fioravanti, Isabella Campanini, Andrea Merlo, Giulia Di Rauso, Benedetta Damiano, Sara Scaltriti, Elisa Bardi, Maria Giulia Corni, Francesca Antonelli, Francesca Cavalleri, Maria Angela Molinari, Sara Contardi, Elisa Menozzi, Alessandro Fraternali, Annibale Versari, Giuseppe Biagini, Valerie Fraix, Serge Pinto, Elena Moro, Carla Budriesi, Franco Valzania
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the long-term effects of bilateral subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS) on speech in advanced Parkinson's Disease (PD) patients. The results showed that speech intelligibility stayed at the same level as preoperative values in the long-term follow-up. However, there was a significant acute improvement of speech intelligibility in the postoperative assessment.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Fernando L. Pagan, Barbara Wilmarth, Yasar Torres-Yaghi, Michaeline L. Hebron, Sanjana Mulki, Dalila Ferrante, Sara Matar, Jaeil Ahn, Charbel Moussa
Summary: The study showed that nilotinib is safe and well tolerated in Parkinson's disease patients. Clinical data indicated that nilotinib 300mg had stable effects on Parkinson's symptoms, while the 150mg dose showed significant declines. Starting with the 150mg dose late in the disease progression worsened symptoms, and quality of life decreased with 150mg but remained stable with 300mg.
MOVEMENT DISORDERS
(2021)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Tove Henriksen, Harry Staines
Summary: The study evaluated reasons for discontinuation of subcutaneous apomorphine infusion (SCAI) in Parkinson's disease patients, finding that main factors included adverse events, death, and treatment dissatisfaction. For the first 6 years of treatment, somnolence and hallucinations were the predominant side effects leading to discontinuation.
JOURNAL OF PERSONALIZED MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Hana Brozova, Isabelle Barnaure, Evzen Ruzicka, Jan Stochl, Ron Alterman, Michele Tagliati
Summary: The study aimed to compare the short and long-term effects of subthalamic nucleus (STN) deep brain stimulation (DBS) on gait dysfunction and other cardinal symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD). The results showed that short-term improvement of gait abnormalities appears to significantly decline after 5 years of STN DBS in PD patients, while effectiveness for other symptoms remains stable. This suggests that non-dopaminergic mechanisms or deleterious effects of high frequency STN stimulation might play a role in the decline of gait function over time.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Alfonso Fasano, Rocio Garcia-Ramos, Tanya Gurevich, Robert Jech, Lars Bergmann, Olga Sanchez-Solino, Juan Carlos Parra, Mihaela Simu
Summary: A multinational retrospective study found that long-term use of levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG) can improve motor and nonmotor symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease, while potentially reducing the need for additional medications.
JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
(2023)