The impact of motor and non motor symptoms on health state values in newly diagnosed idiopathic Parkinson's disease

Health-related quality of life in Parkinson's disease: systematic review and meta-analysis of EuroQol (EQ-5D) utility scores

INTRODUCTION

Evaluating the Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) holds significant importance in clinical and research settings. The EQ-5D is a widely recognized tool for comprehensive measurement of HRQoL using utility values. This study aims to systematically review and synthesize EQ-5D utility values from existing literature on patients with PD and their caregivers.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic search for studies that provided EQ-5D utility scores for patients with PD, using PubMed-Medline, Scopus, and Embase and selected the studies. The selected studies underwent systematic review, including an assessment of their quality. We performed a meta-analysis using a random-effect model and conducted a meta-regression analysis to investigate sources of heterogeneity among the studies.

RESULTS

The search result of 13,417 articles that were reviewed, 130 studies with 33,914 participants were selected for systematic review, and 79 studies were included for meta-analysis. The pooled EQ-5D utility values and visual analog score (VAS) among PD were 62.72% (60.53-64.93, I2 = 99.56%) and 0.60 (0.55-0.65, I2 = 99.81%), respectively. The pooled scores for caregivers' EQ-VAS and EQ-5D utility were 70.10% (63.99-76.20, I2 = 98.25%) and 0.71 (0.61-0.81, I2 = 94.88%), respectively. Disease duration (P < 0.05) showed a negative correlation with EQ-5D utility values on meta-regression.

CONCLUSION

The pooled utility values of PD and their caregivers help to understand their HRQoL and aid in conducting health economics research. The negative association between disease duration and utility values highlights the evolving nature of HRQoL challenges, suggesting the need for appropriate long-term disease management.

Gastrointestinal Dysfunction Impact on Life Quality in a Cohort of Russian Patients with Parkinson’s Disease I-III H&Y Stage

Background

There are still no clearly proven methods to slow down or stop the progression of Parkinson's disease (PD). Thus, improving the quality of life (QoL) of patients with PD becomes of primary importance. Autonomic dysfunction and its symptoms are known to worsen the quality of life in PD, but the degree of this influence is underinvestigated. Particularly, impacts of the separate significant gastrointestinal symptoms, such as dyspepsia, constipation, and abdominal pain, in PD should be more precisely evaluated with the help of specific scales.

Objective

To assess the impacts of gastrointestinal dysfunction and its symptoms on PD patient's QoL using PDQ-39.

Methods

111 PD patients in the I-III Hoehn and Yahr (H&Y) stage were enrolled in the study. The following scales were applied: UPDRS III, PDQ-39, GSRS, GDSS, MMSE, BDI, STAI-S, and STAI-T.

Results

The linear regression model showed that the PDQ-39 SI depended on summary assessments GSRS-SI (β = 0.333, p < 0.001), BDI (β = 0.463, p < 0.001), and UPDRS III (β = 0.163, p < 0.05). The use of the stepwise method, adding GSRS-SI and UPDRS III scores to the BDI predictor, improved the model (R2 increased from 0.454 to 0.574). The investigation of GSRS domain's influence revealed that PDQ-39 SI had a significant correlation with almost all of them, but the regression analysis showed significant QoL impacts of only two factors: constipation and abdominal pain (β = 0.288, p < 0.01 and β = 0.243, p < 0.05 accordingly).

Conclusions

Our results suggest a considerable negative influence of depression and gastrointestinal dysfunction (especially constipation and abdominal pain) on QoL of patients with PD. Their impact on QoL in patients with I-III H&Y stages of PD is more significant than that of motor symptoms. Therefore, the correction of depression and gastrointestinal dysfunction should be prioritized in PD therapy.

Association of Motor and Nonmotor Symptoms With Health-Related Quality of Life in a Large Online Cohort of People With Parkinson Disease

Background and Objectives

There is growing interest in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) as a comprehensive view of the patient's well-being, guiding concept for the treating clinician, and therapeutic trial outcome measure for patients with Parkinson disease (PwPD). The key determinants of HRQOL have not been investigated in large populations of PwPD. Our objective was to evaluate correlates of HRQOL in a large, online cohort of PwPD.

Methods

As part of an ongoing online cohort study, we performed a cross-sectional analysis at enrollment of 23,058 PwPD. We conducted univariate and stepwise multivariate linear regression analyses of HRQOL as measured by the EQ-5D-5L tool. In addition, we performed an interaction analysis to evaluate heterogeneity of the effect of motor symptoms on HRQOL and Spearman correlation analysis to evaluate the association of nonmotor symptoms with HRQOL.

Results

In the multivariate linear regression model, participants with moderate or severe depression, more severe motor symptoms, and a higher burden of medical comorbidities had the most substantially decreased HRQOL as measured by the EQ index (β −0.11, −0.18, −0.02, −0.01, respectively; p < 0.001 for all). An interaction analysis showed that more severe motor symptoms had a higher effect on individuals with female sex, lower educational level, lower income, more severe depression, or more severe cognitive impairment (p ≤ 0.01 for interaction terms). Neuropsychiatric symptoms and falls had the most negative associations with HRQOL (ρ −0.31 to 0.37; p < 0.0001).

Discussion

Potentially treatable motor and nonmotor symptoms, particularly neuropsychiatric symptoms, account for a large amount of the variation in HRQOL in PwPD. Motor symptoms may have differential effects on HRQOL in different demographic and clinical subpopulations, highlighting important areas for future health disparities research. Our findings provide targets for clinician intervention and future research on symptom management to optimize HRQOL in PD.

Classification of Evidence

This study provides Class II evidence that motor and neuropsychiatric symptoms are associated with HRQOL in PwPD.

Aberrant Structure MRI in Parkinson’s Disease and Comorbidity with Depression Based on Multinomial Tensor Regression Analysis

Background: Depression is a prominent and highly prevalent nonmotor feature in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). The neural and pathophysiologic mechanisms of PD with depression (DPD) remain unclear. The current diagnosis of DPD largely depends on clinical evaluation. Methods: We proposed a new family of multinomial tensor regressions that leveraged whole-brain structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data to discriminate among 196 non-depressed PD (NDPD) patients, 84 DPD patients, 200 healthy controls (HC), and to assess the special brain microstructures in NDPD and DPD. The method of maximum likelihood estimation coupled with state-of-art gradient descent algorithms was used to predict the individual diagnosis of PD and the development of DPD in PD patients. Results: The results reveal that the proposed efficient approach not only achieved a high prediction accuracy (0.94) with a multi-class AUC (0.98) for distinguishing between NDPD, DPD, and HC on the testing set but also located the most discriminative regions for NDPD and DPD, including cortical regions, the cerebellum, the brainstem, the bilateral basal ganglia, and the thalamus and limbic regions. Conclusions: The proposed imaging technique based on tensor regression performs well without any prior feature information, facilitates a deeper understanding into the abnormalities in DPD and PD, and plays an essential role in the statistical analysis of high-dimensional complex MRI imaging data to support the radiological diagnosis of comorbidity of depression with PD.

Etiologies of insomnia in Parkinson's disease - Lessons from human studies and animal models

Sleep disorders are integral to Parkinson's disease (PD). Insomnia, an inability to maintain stable sleep, affects most patients and is widely rated as one of the most debilitating facets of this disease. PD insomnia is often perceived as a multifactorial entity - a consequence of several of the disease symptoms, comorbidities and therapeutic strategies. Yet, this view evolved against a backdrop of a relative scarcity of works trying to directly dissect the underlying neural correlates and mechanisms in animal models. The last years have seen the emergence of a wealth of new evidence regarding the neural underpinnings of insomnia in PD. Here, we review early and recent reports from patients and animal models evaluating the etiology of PD insomnia. We start by outlining the phenomenology of PD insomnia and continue to analyze the evidence supporting insomnia as emanating from four distinct subdivisions of etiologies - the symptoms and comorbidities of the disease, the medical therapy, the degeneration of non-dopaminergic cell groups and subsequent alterations in circadian rhythms, and the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the brainstem and its resulting effect on the basal ganglia. Finally, we review emerging neuromodulation-based therapeutic avenues for PD insomnia.

The Effect of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Combined with Visual Cueing Training on Motor Function, Balance, and Gait Ability of Patients with Parkinson's Disease

Background and Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on motor function, balance and gait ability in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Materials and Methods: For the experiment, 30 patients with PD were randomly assigned to the experimental group (n = 15) and the control group (n = 15). Visual cueing training was commonly applied to both groups, the experimental group applied tDCS simultaneously with visual training, and the control group applied sham tDCS simultaneously with visual training. All subjects were pre-tested before the first intervention, post-tested after completing all 4 weeks of intervention, and followed-up tested 2 weeks after the completing intervention. The tests used the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) for motor function assessment, Functional Gait Assessment (FGA) for balance assessment, Freezing of Gait Questionnaire (FOG-Q) and the GAITRite system for gait ability assessment. Among the data obtained through the GAITRite system, gait velocity, cadence, step time, double support time, and stride length were analyzed. Results: The experimental group showed a significant decrease in UPDRS and a significant increase in FGA and cadence after the intervention. In addition, UPDRS and cadence showed a significant difference in the follow-up test compared to the pre-intervention test. Conclusions: This study suggests that the application of tDCS to the supplementary motor area of PD patients is useful as an adjuvant therapy for rehabilitation training of PD patients.

Patient Utilities in Health States Based on Hoehn and Yahr and Off-Time in Parkinson's Disease: A Swedish Register-Based Study in 1823 Observations

BACKGROUND

Cost-effectiveness models in Parkinson's disease often include health states based on Hoehn and Yahr (H&Y) and time in 'off'. Few studies have investigated utilities in these health states.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was firstly to explore utilities in health states based on H&Y and off-time, and secondly to investigate to what extent H&Y and off-time correlated with EQ-5D dimensions.

METHODS

Patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease in the National Parkinson's Disease Patient Registry (PARKreg) in Sweden with observations of EQ-5D-3L, H&Y and off-time were included. Correlations with EQ-5D dimensions were analyzed. The relationship between the EQ-5D-3L and H&Y and off-time were estimated by a linear mixed-model with random intercept.

RESULTS

Among patients in PARKreg, 1823 observations fulfilled inclusion criteria. The dimensions 'self-care', 'mobility' and 'usual activities' correlated moderately with H&Y (r_s = 0.45, r_s = 0.46, r_s = 0.45). Weak correlations were found for 'anxiety/depression' and 'pain/discomfort' (r_s = 0.24, r_s = 0.22) (p values < 0.001). All dimensions correlated weakly with off-time. The fitted model included H&Y, time in 'off', and sex. All H&Y stages were found to be significant and had large and monotonous impact on EQ-5D. Off-time was not significant, but improved the model goodness of fit. Predicted values ranged from 0.733 to - 0.106.

CONCLUSION

This study provides utilities for health states reflecting the current modeling practice of interventions targeting motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease. Future research should investigate patient utilities in health states that also capture non-motor symptoms of the disease, as the management of and options for treatments targeting these symptoms increases.

A method for measuring time spent in bradykinesia and dyskinesia in people with Parkinson's disease using an ambulatory monitor

Background

Fluctuations in motor function in Parkinson’s Disease (PD) are frequent and cause significant disability. Frequently device assisted therapies are required to treat them. Currently, fluctuations are self-reported through diaries and history yet frequently people with PD do not accurately identify and report fluctuations. As the management of fluctuations and the outcomes of many clinical trials depend on accurately measuring fluctuations a means of objectively measuring time spent with bradykinesia or dyskinesia would be important. The aim of this study was to present a system that uses wearable sensors to measure the percentage of time that bradykinesia or dyskinesia scores are above a target as a means for assessing levels of treatment and fluctuations in PD.

Methods

Data in a database of 228 people with Parkinson’s Disease and 157 control subjects, who had worn the Parkinson’s Kinetigraph ((PKG, Global Kinetics Corporation™, Australia) and scores from the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) and other clinic scales were used. The PKG’s provided score for bradykinesia and dyskinesia every two minutes and these were compared to a previously established target range representing a UPDRS III score of 35. The proportion of these scores above target over the 6 days that the PKG was worn were used to derive the percent time in bradykinesia (PTB) and percent time in dyskinesia (PTD). As well, a previously describe algorithm for estimating the amplitude of the levodopa response was used to determine whether a subject was a fluctuator or non-fluctuator.

Results

Using this approach, a normal range of PTB and PTD based on Control subject was developed. The level of PTB and PTD experienced by people with PD was compared with their levels of fluctuation. There was a correlation (Pearson’s ρ = 0.4) between UPDRS II scores and PTB: the correlation between Parkinson Disease Questionnaire scores and UPDRS Total scores and PTB and slightly lower. PTB and PTD fell in response to treatment for bradykinesia or dyskinesia (respectively) with greater sensitivity than clinical scales.

Conclusions

This approach provides an objective assessment of the severity of fluctuations in Parkinson’s Disease that could be used in in clinical trials and routine care.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12984-021-00905-4.

Aberrant functional connectivity and activity in Parkinson's disease and comorbidity with depression based on radiomic analysis

INTRODUCTION

The current diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD) comorbidity with depression (DPD) largely depends on clinical evaluation. However, the modality may tend to lack precision in detecting PD with depression. A radiomic approach that combines functional connectivity and activity with clinical scores has the potential to achieve accurate and differential diagnosis between PD and DPD.

METHODS

In this study, we aimed to employ the radiomic approach to extract large-scale features of functional connectivity and activity for differentiating among DPD, PD with no depression (NDPD), and healthy controls (HC). We extracted 6,557 features of five types from all subjects including clinical characteristics, resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC), amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF), regional homogeneity (ReHo), and voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC). Lasso, random forest, and support vector machine (SVM) were implemented for feature selection and dimension reduction based on the training sets, and the prediction performance for different methods in the testing sets was compared.

RESULTS

The results showed that nineteen features were selected for the group of DPD versus HC, 34 features were selected for the group of NDPD versus HC, and 17 features were retained for the group of DPD versus NDPD. In the testing sets, Lasso prediction achieved the accuracies of 0.95, 0.96, and 0.85 for distinguishing between DPD and HC, NDPD and HC, and DPD and NDPD, respectively. Random forest achieved the accuracies of 0.90, 0.82, and 0.90 for distinguishing between DPD and HC, NDPD and HC, and DPD and NDPD, respectively, while SVM yielded the accuracies of 1, 0.86 and 0.65 for distinguishing between DPD and HC, NDPD and HC, and DPD and NDPD, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

By identifying aberrant functional connectivity and activity as potential biomarkers, the radiomic approach facilitates a deeper understanding and provides new insights into the pathophysiology of DPD to support the clinical diagnosis with high prediction accuracy.

Depression and anxiety among patients with Parkinson’s disease: frequency, risk factors, and impact on quality of life

Background

Depression and anxiety are non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD) that are often overlooked and underrated. This study aimed to highlight the frequency and risk factors of depression and anxiety among subjects with PD.

Methods

Sixty-four patients with PD who were diagnosed according to United Kingdom Parkinson’s Disease Society (UKPDS) Brain Bank Criteria and 50 sex- and age-matched healthy control subjects are evaluated for depression and anxiety. PD severity and staging were assessed using Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) and Hoehn and Yahr scale. Depression and anxiety were diagnosed using DSM-IV TR criteria and scored using Hamilton Depression and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scales (HAM-D and HAM-A). The World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL)-BREF was used to assess impact of depression and anxiety on quality of life.

Results

31.25% of patients with PD had depression while 40.6% of patients had anxiety disorder. Depression was higher in females and patients with history of depression and low socioeconomic status (SES). Anxiety was common in young patients and those who had history of anxiety. Overlap between depression and anxiety was recorded in 23.4%. Total UPDRS and Hoehn and Yahr scale accounted for 33.4% of variance for depression. Total UPDRS and earlier age of onset accounted for 39% of variance for anxiety. Advanced disease stage and severity were independent predictors for depression while disease severity and younger age of onset were the main predictors for anxiety. Depression and anxiety have a negative impact on the overall quality of life of PD patients especially on physical and psychosocial domains.

Conclusion

Depression and anxiety are relatively common in PD. Female gender, low SES, and history of depression were the main risk factors for developing depression. Young age and history of anxiety were risk factors for anxiety. Both had negative impact on quality of life.

Effects of Parkinson's on employment, cost of care, and quality of life of people with condition and family caregivers in the UK: a systematic literature review

Background

Parkinson’s is an incurable, neuro-degenerative condition with multiple symptoms substantially impacting on living conditions and quality of life (QoL) for people with Parkinson’s (PwP), most whom are older adults, and their families. The study aimed to undertake a literature review of studies conducted in the UK that quantify the direct or indirect impact of Parkinson’s on people with the condition, their families, and society in terms of out-of-pocket payments and financial consequences.

Methods

Literature was searched for Parkinson’s-related terms plus condition impact (eg, financial, employment, pension, housing, health care costs, and QoL) in the UK setting. The strategy probed several electronic databases with all retrieved papers screened for relevancy. The instruments used to measure patient-related outcomes were then examined for their relevancy in justifying the results.

Results

The initial search retrieved 2,143 papers of which 79 were shortlisted through title and abstract screening. A full-text reading indicated 38 papers met the inclusion and quality criteria. Summary data extracted from the articles on focus, design, sample size, and questionnaires/instruments used were presented in four themes: (a) QoL and wellbeing of PwP, (b) QoL and wellbeing of caregivers and family members, (c) employment and living conditions, and (d) direct and indirect health care and societal cost.

Conclusion

UK results substantiated global evidence regarding the deterioration of QoL of PwP as the condition progressed, utilizing numerous measures to demonstrate change. Many spouses and family accept care responsibilities, affecting their QoL and finances too. The review highlighted increased health care and privately borne costs with condition progression, although UK evidence was limited on societal costs of Parkinson’s in terms of loss of employment, reduced work hours, premature retirement of PwP and caregivers that directly affected their household budget.

Does nutritional status affect Parkinson's Disease features and quality of life?

Objectives

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between nutritional status and Parkinson's Disease (PD) features in association with depression, anxiety and quality of life in people with PD.

Materials and methods

This study was conducted on 96 patients with idiopathic PD to whom the following scales were applied: Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), 39-item PD questionnaire (PDQ-39), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Score (HADS), Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA). The scales and measurements were applied to patients at their first assessment. Patients with malnutrition or at risk of malnutrition were assessed by the dietitian and nutrition nurse. These patients received nutritional support through personalized diet recommendations and appropriate enteral nutritional products, considering factors such as age, comorbidity, socioeconomic and cultural conditions. At the end of 6 weeks, the scales and measurements applied during the first visit were again applied to the patients.

Results

A significant and inverse correlation was determined between mental (Spearman r:-0.510, p<0.001), activities of daily living (Spearman r:-0.520, p<0.001), motor (Spearman r:-0.480, p<0.001), complications (Spearman r:-0.346, p<0.001) UPDRS subdivisions and total scores (Spearman r:-0.644, p<0.001) and total MNA score. A significant and inverse correlation was found between all PDQ-39 subdomains and total MNA score (p<0.05). The highest inverse correlations were found in mobility (Spearman r:-0.690, p<0.001) and stigma (Spearman r:-0.570, p<0.001). Both depression (Spearman r:-0.631, p<0.001) and anxiety (Spearman r:-0.333, p<0.001) scores were determined to be inversely correlated with total MNA score. At the 6-week control visit, significantly lower scores were found in all subdivisions and in the total UPDRS score, PDQ-39 score and in the patients' anxiety and depression scores (p<0.05). MNA scores were found to be significantly higher in the assessment performed after 6 weeks of support for patients who had abnormal nutritional status at inception (p<0.001).

Conclusion

PD motor and nonmotor functions, disease duration and severity are related to nutritional status. Quality of life was also shown to be affected by changes in the nutritional status. These results show that nutritional status assessment should be a standard approach in the PD treatment and follow-up processes.

Viewpoint and practical recommendations from a movement disorder specialist panel on objective measurement in the clinical management of Parkinson's disease

Motor aspects of Parkinson's disease, such as fluctuations and dyskinesia, can be reliably evaluated using a variety of "wearable" technologies, but practical guidance on objective measurement (OM) and the optimum use of these devices is lacking. Therefore, as a first step, a panel of movement disorder specialists met to provide guidance on how OM could be assessed and incorporated into clinical guidelines. A key aspect of the incorporation of OM into the management of Parkinson's disease (PD) is defining cutoff values that separate "controlled" from "uncontrolled" symptoms that can be modified by therapy and that relate to an outcome that is relevant to the person with PD (such as quality of life). Defining cutoffs by consensus, which can be subsequently tested and refined, is the first step to optimizing OM in the management of PD. OM should be used by all clinicians that treat people with PD but the least experienced may find the most value, but this requires guidance from experts to allow non-experts to apply guidelines. While evidence is gained for devices that produce OM, expert opinion is needed to supplement the evidence base.

Relationships between activity and well-being in people with parkinson's disease

OBJECTIVES

The complex symptomatology of Parkinson' disease (PD) usually goes along with reduced physical activity. Previous studies have indicated positive effects of activating therapies on patients' well-being. This study, therefore, examined how activity in daily life is related to patients' subjective condition.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Twenty-one PD patients rated their condition every two hours during two routine days and documented the duration and type of their activities (based on the PRISCUS-Physical Activity Questionnaire) during the respective time intervals. They were furthermore assessed regarding motor and nonmotor symptoms, personality factors, and coping strategies.

RESULTS

Patients spent on average 8.59 ± 2.93 hr per day at physical rest and 5.47 ± 2.93 hr physically active. We found highly significant associations between positive condition ratings (such as happiness, motivation, and concentration) and the duration of subsequent physical activities (adj.r²  = .689) as well as between the duration of these activities and a subsequent improvement in the subjective condition (adj.r²  = .545). This was strongest in patients using active coping strategies and showing agreeable and conscientious personality traits (adj.r²  = .380). Nonmotor symptom severity was weakly inversely related to the daily amount of activities (adj.r²  = .273), whereas no significant association with motor symptom severity was found.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest a feedback process between a positive subjective condition and physical activities in PD patients. This appears to depend on the use of active coping strategies and nonmotor symptoms rather than on motor symptom severity. The results should encourage physicians to address the importance of everyday physical activities and to provide patients with behavioral advice.

Long-term Efficacy of Safinamide on Parkinson's Disease Chronic Pain

Introduction

Chronic pain is an important yet overlooked non-motor symptom of Parkinson’s disease (PD), caused by an imbalance of the dopaminergic and glutamatergic systems. Safinamide has a multimodal mechanism of action, dopaminergic (reversible MAO-B inhibition) and non-dopaminergic (modulation of the abnormal glutamate release), that might be beneficial for both motor and non-motor symptoms.

Objectives

To investigate the long-term (2-year) efficacy of safinamide on PD chronic pain and to confirm the positive effects observed after 6 months of treatment.

Methods

This is a post hoc analysis of the data from the 2-year study 018, focused on the reduction of concomitant pain treatments and on the scores of pain-related items of the Parkinson’s disease quality of life questionnaire (PDQ-39).

Results

Safinamide, compared with placebo, significantly improved the PDQ-39 items 37 (“painful cramps or spasm,” p = 0.0074) and 39 (“unpleasantly hot or cold,” p = 0.0209) and significantly reduced the number of concomitant pain treatments by 26.2% (p = 0.005). A significantly greater proportion of patients in the safinamide group was not using pain drugs after 2 years of treatment (p = 0.0478).

Conclusions

The positive effects of safinamide on PD chronic pain were maintained in the long term. Further investigations are desirable to confirm their clinical relevance.

Funding

Zambon SpA.

Clinical characteristics and quality of life in Chinese patients with Parkinson's disease beyond 20 years

Background The number of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with disease duration of more than 20 years (long disease duration PD, LPD) is on the rise. Objectives This study aims to describe the clinical profiles and the quality of life (QoL) of LPD patients from a cohort of the Chinese population. Methods We compared 71 LPD subjects to 60 PD patients who died less than 20 years after the onset of PD (control PD, CPD). A regression model was constructed to assess the determinants for 20 years survival and the QoL of LPD patients. Results Compared to CPD patients, LPD patients exhibited a younger age at disease onset, higher total levodopa equivalent daily dose applications, more frequent motor complications, lower annual change in Unified PD Rating Scale (UPDRS) III score, as well as lower scores for 'sleep/fatigue' and 'mood/apathy' domains and higher score for 'sexual dysfunction' domain in the Non-Motor Symptom Scale (NMSS) (p < 0.05). Multivariate regression analyses indicated that a younger age at disease onset (OR = 0.520, 95%CI = 0.295-0.919, p = 0.024), lower annual change in UPDRS III score (OR = 0.009, 95%CI = 0.001-0.246, p = 0.005) and lower 'cardiovascular' score (OR = 0.552, 95%CI = 0.319-0.955, p = 0.034) were associated with 20-year survival, while UPDRS III (β = 0.320, p < 0.001) and NMSS (β = 0.549, p < 0.001) scores were associated with the PD Questionnaire 39 score in LPD. Conclusions The age at disease onset, rate of PD deterioration, and cardiovascular symptoms are the potential determinants for 20-year survival with PD. Both motor and non-motor disturbances contribute to the reduced QoL of LPD patients.

A systematic review of the literature on disorders of sleep and wakefulness in Parkinson's disease from 2005 to 2015

Sleep disorders are among the most common non-motor manifestations in Parkinson's disease (PD) and have a significant negative impact on quality of life. While sleep disorders in PD share most characteristics with those that occur in the general population, there are several considerations specific to this patient population regarding diagnosis, management, and implications. The available research on these disorders is expanding rapidly, but many questions remain unanswered. We thus conducted a systematic review of the literature published from 2005 to 2015 on the following disorders of sleep and wakefulness in PD: REM sleep behavior disorder, insomnia, nocturia, restless legs syndrome and periodic limb movements, sleep disordered breathing, excessive daytime sleepiness, and circadian rhythm disorders. We discuss the epidemiology, etiology, clinical implications, associated features, evaluation measures, and management of these disorders. The influence on sleep of medications used in the treatment of motor and non-motor symptoms of PD is detailed. Additionally, we suggest areas in need of further research.

Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia in Parkinson's disease: a case series

Chronic insomnia is common in patients with Parkinson's disease. There are limited data to guide its treatment in this patient population, especially in regards to non-pharmacologic interventions, some of which are highly effective in the non-Parkinson's disease population. The aim of this study is to describe a series of Parkinson's disease patients who underwent cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTi). Parkinson's disease patients who had undergone a baseline and at least one follow-up CBTi session were identified. Electronic medical records and pre-treatment and post-treatment patient sleep diaries were reviewed. Sleep measures of interest included wake time after sleep onset, sleep efficiency, sleep onset latency, and total sleep time. Pre-treatment and post-treatment values were compared within subjects using paired t-test. Five patients were included. Patients attended an average of eight sessions of CBTi (range 5-12). Significant increases in sleep efficiency (p = 0.02) and decreases in number of awakenings per night (p = 0.02) were found. Our data provide preliminary evidence that cognitive behavioral therapy is an effective treatment for insomnia in Parkinson's disease, and is well tolerated and well received by patients. Given the limited data supporting use of medications to treat chronic insomnia in Parkinson's disease, combined with their risks, randomized trials to demonstrate the efficacy of CBTi in Parkinson's disease are warranted.

Measurement of Nonmotor Symptoms in Clinical Practice

Nonmotor symptoms constitute a prominent part of Parkinson's disease manifestations. They are present since the first phases of the disease, increase their number and severity with disease progression, and importantly impact on patients' health and quality of life, caregivers' burden, and social resources. Research on Parkinson's disease has traditionally focused on the motor aspects of the disease, but an increasing interest in the nonmotor manifestations has risen in the past decade. The availability of assessment instruments for detecting and measuring these symptoms has allowed understanding of their importance and course over time, as well as estimation of therapeutic effects on them. In this chapter, a review of the basic characteristics of nonmotor symptom assessments used in clinical practice and research are presented.

No relevant association of kinematic gait parameters with Health-related Quality of Life in Parkinson's disease

BACKGROUND

Health-related Quality of Life (HrQoL) is probably the most important outcome parameter for the evaluation and management of chronic diseases. As this parameter is subjective and prone to bias, there is an urgent need to identify objective surrogate markers. Gait velocity has been shown to be associated with HrQoL in numerous chronic diseases, such as Parkinson's disease (PD). With the development and wide availability of simple-to-use wearable sensors and sophisticated gait algorithms, kinematic gait parameters may soon be implemented in clinical routine management. However, the association of such kinematic gait parameters with HrQoL in PD has not been assessed to date.

METHODS

Kinematic gait parameters from a 20-meter walk from 43 PD patients were extracted using a validated wearable sensor system. They were compared with the Visual Analogue Scale of the Euro-Qol-5D (EQ-5D VAS) by performing a multiple regression analysis, with the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) model as a framework.

RESULTS

Use of assistive gait equipment, but no kinematic gait parameter, was significantly associated with HrQoL.

CONCLUSION

The widely accepted concept of a positive association between gait velocity and HrQoL may, at least in PD, be driven by relatively independent parameters, such as assistive gait equipment.

Strategies to maintain quality of life among people with Parkinson's disease: what works?

Among chronic neurodegenerative disorders, Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the most difficult and challenging to tackle as several motor and nonmotor features influence the patients' quality of life (QoL) and daily activities. Assessing patients QoL with valid instruments and gathering knowledge about the determinants that affect QoL in individuals with PD are the basis of an efficient caring strategy. In addition to the known motor symptoms, nonmotor disorders must also be comprehensively tracked and targeted for treatment to enhance QoL. A holistic strategy to maintain QoL in people with PD should consist of a multidisciplinary, personalized and patient-centered approach with timely administration of palliative care and efficient involvement of caregivers and family members.

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for idiopathic Parkinson's disease

BACKGROUND

Idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD) is a neurodegenerative disorder, with the severity of the disability usually increasing with disease duration. IPD affects patients' health-related quality of life, disability, and impairment. Current rehabilitation approaches have limited effectiveness in improving outcomes in patients with IPD, but a possible adjunct to rehabilitation might be non-invasive brain stimulation by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to modulate cortical excitability, and hence to improve these outcomes in IPD.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effectiveness of tDCS in improving motor and non-motor symptoms in people with IPD.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the following databases (until February 2016): the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL; the Cochrane Library ; 2016 , Issue 2), MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, AMED, Science Citation Index, the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), Rehabdata, and Inspec. In an effort to identify further published, unpublished, and ongoing trials, we searched trial registers and reference lists, handsearched conference proceedings, and contacted authors and equipment manufacturers.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included only randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and randomised controlled cross-over trials that compared tDCS versus control in patients with IPD for improving health-related quality of life , disability, and impairment.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently assessed trial quality (JM and MP) and extracted data (BE and JM). If necessary, we contacted study authors to ask for additional information. We collected information on dropouts and adverse events from the trial reports.

MAIN RESULTS

We included six trials with a total of 137 participants. We found two studies with 45 participants examining the effects of tDCS compared to control (sham tDCS) on our primary outcome measure, impairment, as measured by the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). There was very low quality evidence for no effect of tDCS on change in global UPDRS score ( mean difference (MD) -7.10 %, 95% confidence interval (CI -19.18 to 4.97; P = 0.25, I² = 21%, random-effects model). However, there was evidence of an effect on UPDRS part III motor subsection score at the end of the intervention phase (MD -14.43%, 95% CI -24.68 to -4.18; P = 0.006, I² = 2%, random-effects model; very low quality evidence). One study with 25 participants measured the reduction in off and on time with dyskinesia, but there was no evidence of an effect (MD 0.10 hours, 95% CI -0.14 to 0.34; P = 0.41, I² = 0%, random-effects model; and MD 0.00 hours, 95% CI -0.12 to 0.12; P = 1, I² = 0%, random- effects model, respectively; very low quality evidence).Two trials with a total of 41 participants measured gait speed using measures of timed gait at the end of the intervention phase, revealing no evidence of an effect ( standardised mean difference (SMD) 0.50, 95% CI -0.17 to 1.18; P = 0.14, I² = 11%, random-effects model; very low quality evidence). Another secondary outcome was health-related quality of life and we found one study with 25 participants reporting on the physical health and mental health aspects of health-related quality of life (MD 1.00 SF-12 score, 95% CI -5.20 to 7.20; I² = 0%, inverse variance method with random-effects model; very low quality evidence; and MD 1.60 SF-12 score, 95% CI -5.08 to 8.28; I² = 0%, inverse variance method with random-effects model; very low quality evidence, respectively). We found no study examining the effects of tDCS for improving activities of daily living. In two of six studies, dropouts , adverse events, or deaths occurring during the intervention phase were reported. There was insufficient evidence that dropouts , adverse effects, or deaths were higher with intervention (risk difference (RD) 0.04, 95% CI -0.05 to 0.12; P = 0.40, I² = 0%, random-effects model; very low quality evidence).We found one trial with a total of 16 participants examining the effects of tDCS plus movement therapy compared to control (sham tDCS) plus movement therapy on our secondary outcome, gait speed at the end of the intervention phase, revealing no evidence of an effect (MD 0.05 m/s, 95% CI -0.15 to 0.25; inverse variance method with random-effects model; very low quality evidence). We found no evidence of an effect regarding differences in dropouts and adverse effects between intervention and control groups (RD 0.00, 95% CI -0.21 to 0.21; Mantel-Haenszel method with random-effects model; very low quality evidence).

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

There is insufficient evidence to determine the effects of tDCS for reducing off time ( when the symptoms are not controlled by the medication) and on time with dyskinesia ( time that symptoms are controlled but the person still experiences involuntary muscle movements ) , and for improving health- related quality of life, disability, and impairment in patients with IPD. Evidence of very low quality indicates no difference in dropouts and adverse events between tDCS and control groups.

Using Canadian Primary Care Sentinel Surveillance Network data to examine depression in patients with a diagnosis of Parkinson disease: a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Parkinson disease is a complex neurodegenerative disorder, and a comorbidity of depression is common. We aimed to describe demographic and health characteristics of patients with Parkinson disease and examine sex differences in antidepressant prescriptions for those with comorbid depression using electronic medical records.

METHODS

We analyzed Canadian Primary Care Sentinel Surveillance Network data for patients 18 years and older with a diagnosis of Parkinson disease who had at least 1 primary care encounter between Sep. 30, 2012, and Sep. 30, 2014. We used regression modelling to determine sex differences in antidepressant prescriptions. An advisory group of clinicians helped determine the common list of medications and interpreted the results.

RESULTS

We identified a total of 1815 patients (54.9% male) with Parkinson disease during the study period. The mean age of patients was 74.6 years. Most (82.0%) lived in urban areas. Patients had a mean number of 15.5 primary care encouters over the 2-year study period. Almost 40% of patients had a concurrent diagnosis of depression. More than half of the patients had received a depression diagnosis within 1 year of their Parkinson diagnosis. Eight out of every 10 patients had a prescription for at least 1 medication for depression, the most frequently prescribed being selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). No sex differences were found in the number or type of medications.

INTERPRETATION

Our findings support Canadian Parkinson Guidelines for Routine Screening of Comorbid Depression, but more evidence and decision-support tools are needed to examine the efficacy of antidepressants and assist clinicians in evaluating the frequent SSRI prescriptions in this population.

Heterogeneous Determinants of Quality of Life in Different Phenotypes of Parkinson's Disease

OBJECTIVES

Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is considered a very important outcome indicator in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). A broad list of motor and non-motor features have been shown to affect HRQoL in PD, however, there is a dearth of information about the complexity of interrelationships between determinants of HRQoL in different PD phenotypes. We aimed to find independent determinates and the best structural model for HRQoL, also to investigate the heterogeneity in HRQoL between PD patients with different phenotypes regarding onset-age, progression rate and dominant symptom.

METHODS

A broad spectrum of demographic, motor and non-motor characteristics were collected in 157 idiopathic PD patients, namely comorbidity profile, nutritional status, UPDRS (total items), psychiatric symptoms (depression, anxiety), fatigue and psychosocial functioning through physical examination, validated questionnaires and scales. Structural equation model (SEM) and multivariate regressions were applied to find determinants of Parkinson's disease summary index (PDSI) and different domains of HRQoL (PDQ-39).

RESULTS

Female sex, anxiety, depression and UPDRS-part II scores were the significant independent determinants of PDSI. A structural model consisting of global motor, global non-motor and co-morbidity indicator as three main components was able to predict 89% of the variance in HRQoL. In older-onset and slow-progression phenotypes, the motor domain showed smaller contribution on HRQoL and the majority of its effects were mediated through non-motor features. Comorbidity component was a significant determinant of HRQoL only among older-onset and non-tremor-dominant PD patients. Fatigue was not a significant indicator of non-motor component to affect HRQoL in rapid-progression PD.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings showed outstanding heterogeneities in the pattern and determinants of HRQoL among PD phenotypes. These factors should be considered during the assessments and developing personalized interventions to improve HRQOL in PD patients with different phenotypes or prominent feature.

Delineating nonmotor symptoms in early Parkinson's disease and first-degree relatives

Nonmotor symptoms (NMS) are an important prodromal feature of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, their frequency, treatment rates, and impact on health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) in the early motor phase is unclear. Rates of NMS in enriched at‐risk populations, such as first‐degree PD relatives, have not been delineated. We assessed NMS in an early cohort of PD, first‐degree PD relatives and control subjects to address these questions. In total, 769 population‐ascertained PD subjects within 3.5 years of diagnosis, 98 first‐degree PD relatives, and 287 control subjects were assessed at baseline across the following NMS domains: (1) neuropsychiatric; (2) gastrointestinal; (3) sleep; (4) sensory; (5) autonomic; and (6) sexual. NMS were much more common in PD, compared to control subjects. More than half of the PD cases had hyposmia, pain, fatigue, sleep disturbance, or urinary dysfunction. NMS were more frequent in those with the postural instability gait difficulty phenotype, compared to the tremor dominant (mean total number of NMS 7.8 vs. 6.2; P < 0.001). PD cases had worse HRQoL scores than controls (odds ratio: 4.1; P < 0.001), with depression, anxiety, and pain being stronger drivers than motor scores. NMS were rarely treated in routine clinical practice. First‐degree PD relatives did not significantly differ in NMS, compared to controls, in this baseline study. NMS are common in early PD and more common in those with postural instability gait difficulty phenotype or on treatment. Despite their major impact on quality of life, NMS are usually under‐recognized and untreated. © 2015 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

The heterogeneity of non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease

In addition to motor symptoms, patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) may experience non-motor symptoms (NMS), more often with more advanced disease stage. However, the clinical feature of the NMS and potential risk factors that affect NMS in idiopathic PD patients remain unclear. 493 PD patients diagnosed with PD via the UK. Parkinson's Disease Society Brain Bank Clinical Diagnostic Criteria and 93 healthy control subjects (CN) were recruited in the current study. Questionnaires were used to assess the NMS, motor symptoms, cognitive function, and disease severity in both groups. Levodopa daily dose was calculated in PD patients. Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to identify the risk factors that potentially affect NMS in PD patients. The results showed that, the NMS occurrence and positive endorsement rate of PD patients were significantly higher compared to CN subjects. Multiple stepwise regression analysis found the motor symptom was the only factor that affected NMS in PD patients within five years of the disease course, whereas motor symptoms, cognitive function, disease severity and Levodopa daily dose significantly affected NMS if the disease course was more than five years. These findings demonstrated that NMS are affected by several risk factors at different stages of PD. The distribution of difference NMS is associated with the severity of motor symptoms and the dosage of anti-PD medications in Chinese PD patients.

Nonmotor symptoms in early- and advanced-stage Parkinson's disease patients on dopaminergic therapy: how do they correlate with quality of life?

To determine the impact of nonmotor symptoms (NMS) on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) we examined 100 Parkinson's disease (PD) patients on dopaminergic medications. An “early-stage” (ES) and an “advanced-stage” (AS) groups were formed. HRQoL was established by the questionnaire PDQ-8, number of NMS by NMSQuest, and severity and frequency of NMS by the assessment scale NMSS. The total NMS averaged 11.3 (ES = 9.6, AS = 12.8). The NMSS domain correlation profiles for ES and AS did not fundamentally differ; however, the domains attention/memory and mood/apathy correlated moderately to strongly with HRQoL in ES, while the sleep/fatigue domain correlated moderately with HRQoL in AS. Weakly correlating domains were sleep/fatigue in ES and cardiovascular, attention/memory, and mood/apathy domains in AS. In view of these findings we strongly recommend systematic, active screening and therapy for neuropsychiatric disorders (mood, cognitive and sleep disorders, and fatigue) at the initial diagnosis and throughout the entire course of PD.

The cost-effectiveness of deep brain stimulation in combination with best medical therapy, versus best medical therapy alone, in advanced Parkinson's disease

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a complex progressive movement disorder leading to motor and non-motor symptoms that become increasingly debilitating as the disease advances, considerably reducing quality of life. Advanced treatment options include deep brain stimulation (DBS). While clinical effectiveness of DBS has been demonstrated in a number of randomised controlled trials (RCT), evidence on cost-effectiveness is limited. The cost-effectiveness of DBS combined with BMT, versus BMT alone, was evaluated from a UK payer perspective. Individual patient-level data on the effect of DBS on PD symptom progression from a large 6-month RCT were used to develop a Markov model representing clinical progression and capture treatment effect and costs. A 5-year time horizon was used, and an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was calculated in terms of cost per quality-adjusted life-years (QALY) and uncertainty assessed in deterministic sensitivity analyses. Total discounted costs in the DBS and BMT groups over 5 years were £68,970 and £48,243, respectively, with QALYs of 2.21 and 1.21, giving an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of £20,678 per QALY gained. Utility weights in each health state and costs of on-going medication appear to be the key drivers of uncertainty in the model. The results suggest that DBS is a cost-effective intervention in patients with advanced PD who are eligible for surgery, providing good value for money to health care payers.

Orthostatic hypotension in Parkinson’s disease

SUMMARY Orthostatic hypotension (OH) is a frequent non-motor symptom in Parkinson’s disease (PD), affecting between 22.9 and 38.4% of patients. In PD, OH is related to an increased risk of falls, and possibly to cognitive dysfunction and increased mortality. These data emphasize the importance of its prompt recognition and treatment. OH is related to pre- and post-ganglionic adrenergic denervation, but other factors, such as drugs, heat, meals or alcohol intake, might also induce or aggravate it. Evidence about the efficacy and safety of pharmacological or nonpharmacological strategies for OH treatment in PD is weak. Nonpharmacological measures include liberal addition of salt to the diet, exercise, compression stockings or physical maneuvers. Severe cases may be treated with midodrine or fludrocortisone. Some results suggest that droxidopa and fipamezole may be effective treatments. We finish this review article by discussing the most important unanswered questions about PD-related OH, which may be the focus of future research.

Health-related quality of life in Parkinson's disease patients in northeastern Sicily, Italy: (An ecological perspective)

Parkinson's disease has a negative impact on health-related quality of life in Parkinson's disease patients. Depression, cognitive impairment, coping strategies, dyskinesia, gait disorders and complications of dopaminergic drugs are the variables that most affect health-related quality of life. The ecological model of human development focuses attention on both individual and social environmental factors as targets for health interventions. From this perspective, the aim of this cross-sectional survey was to evaluate the influence of gender, family size and perceived autonomy on health-related quality of life in Parkinson's disease patients in northeastern Sicily, Italy. Ninety Parkinson's disease patients, attending the Movement Disorders Clinic at IRCCS Centro Neurolesi "Bonino-Pulejo" (Messina), were consecutively enrolled. The Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale motor subscale (UPDRS-III) scores, the Parkinson Disease Questionnaire-39 Item scores (as a disease-specific measure of health-related quality of life), scores on the Short Form (36) Health Survey Questionnaire (as a generic measure), and answers to a brief checklist were recorded. A total of 85 Parkinson's disease patients (49% males and 51% females; mean age 70.8 ± 8.6 years; mean UPDRS-III 24.15 ± 6.55; mean disease duration 5.52 ± 4.65 years) completed the booklet of questionnaires. In the multivariate regression analysis, we included clinical and social variables as independent predictors of health-related quality of life. Our results suggest a potential compounding effect of ecological intrapersonal and interpersonal levels on health-related quality of life outcomes. Gender, self-evaluated autonomy and family size significantly impacted health-related quality of life. If quality of life is used as an indicator of treatment outcomes, an ecological perspective of the case history will be important to disclose relevant prognostic information and trigger personalized health care interventions.

Parkinson's disease related pain: a review of recent findings

In this review we summarize progress in research on Parkinson's disease-related pain as reported in articles published in the Journal of Neurology in the years 2011 and 2012.