Lower urinary tract dysfunction in patients with parkinsonism and other neurodegenerative disorders

Burden of non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease: cost-of-illness and quality-of-life estimates through a scoping review

INTRODUCTION

Parkinson's Disease (PD) is a progressive, chronic neurodegenerative disease, representing significant economic and social burdens. It is typically defined by motor symptoms (MSs), however, this does not reflect the full patient burden. Non-motor symptoms (NMSs) are increasingly recognized as central characteristics of PD. However, they still lack recognition in research. Therefore, this study aims to identify relevant NMSs, their prevalence, and the effect they have on Quality-of-Life (QoL) and Cost-of-Illness (COI). Secondly, it aims to identify gaps in the current body of knowledge and propose possible ways future research could bridge those gaps.

METHODS

The study employed a scoping review, identifying 60 records for inclusion, using PubMed and Web of Science. It included studies from Spain or Italy, including data on People with Parkinson's Disease. A comparative analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel.

RESULTS

It showed that the body of evidence relevant to NMSs, their prevalence, QoL, and COI is limited, or that estimates vary to an extent where interpretation is difficult.

CONCLUSION

Most studies suffer from generalization, representation, and standardization issues, stemming from their designs and methodological decisions. Although the findings of this study should be interpreted with caution, several recommendations are made for future research.

Metabolomic Changes in Rat Serum after Chronic Exposure to Glyphosate-Based Herbicide

Glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs) have gained extensive popularity in recent decades. For many years, glyphosate has been regarded as harmless or minimally toxic to mammals due to the absence of its primary target, the shikimic acid pathway in humans. Nonetheless, mounting evidence suggests that glyphosate may cause adverse health effects in humans via other mechanisms. In this study, we described the metabolomic changes in the serum of experimental rats exposed to chronic GBH using the highly sensitive LC-MS/MS technique. We investigated the possible relationship between chronic exposure to GBH and neurological disorders. Our findings suggest that chronic exposure to GBH can alter spatial learning memory and the expression of some important metabolites that are linked to neurophysiological disorders in young rats, with the female rats showing higher susceptibility compared to the males. This indicates that female rats are more likely to show early symptoms of the disorder on exposure to chronic GBH compared to male rats. We observed that four important metabolites (paraxanthine, epinephrine, L-(+)-arginine, and D-arginine) showed significant changes and involvement in neurological changes as suggested by ingenuity pathway analysis. In conclusion, our results indicate that chronic exposure to GBH can increase the risk of developing neurological disorders.

Serial transurethral cystometry: A novel method for longitudinal evaluation of reflex lower urinary tract function in adult female rats

AIMS

The aim of the study is to develop a minimally invasive method for longitudinal evaluation of lower urinary tract function that allows for simultaneous measurements of bladder pressure and external urethral sphincter (EUS) electromyographic (EMG) activity.

METHODS

To evaluate the reliability of serial transurethral cystometry (STUC), rats (n = 12) underwent three sessions of STUC, one session a week for 3 weeks. During each session, rats were anesthetized with ketamine-xylazine (90 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg), and micturition reflex data were acquired using transurethral cystometry and percutaneous recording of EUS (EMG) activity during continuous infusion of saline into the bladder. The reliability and consistency of the STUC method were assessed using intra-class correlation (ICC) analysis and repeated measures ANOVA.

RESULTS

ICC values calculated from five successive events during the first micturition session indicate good to excellent reliability for measurements of peak bladder pressure, threshold bladder pressure, minimum bladder pressure, volume threshold, duration of EUS bursting, and number of EUS burst events. Across the three recording sessions no significant difference was observed in peak bladder pressure, threshold bladder pressure, minimum bladder pressure, volume threshold, number of EUS burst events, and duration of EUS bursting using repeated measures ANOVA.

CONCLUSION

Serial transurethral cystometry under ketamine-xylazine anesthesia with simultaneous percutaneous EUS EMG recording is a novel, reliable, accurate, and minimally invasive method for quantitative assessment of lower urinary tract (LUT) function in adult female rats over extended periods of time.

Promoting urinary continence with nonpharmacological interventions in Parkinson's disease

Background: The evidence of nonpharmacological interventions promoting urinary continence in Parkinson's disease is low and rehabilitation nurses do not give it a high priority. Aim: To examine the effects of a urinary incontinence management program on continence and quality of life in persons with Parkinson's disease in inpatient rehabilitation. The acceptance of the intervention and the knowledge of the nurses were also of interest. Methods: A nonrandomized experimental study was conducted. The data collection commenced with a control group followed by an intervention group. A structured urinary incontinence management was performed in the intervention phase. This includes incontinence assessment, care planning, individual interventions, discharge planning, and telephone support at home. Results: Urinary continence and quality of life were enhanced in both groups; however, improvements were higher in the intervention group but the differences were not significant. Knowledge of the nurses about urinary incontinence improved during the study duration. The acceptance of the intervention was high. Conclusions: A structured urinary continence management may improve urinary continence in persons suffering from Parkinson's disease. In clinical practice it is important to perform a detailed assessment to identify problems regarding urinary incontinence.

Characteristics and risk factors of lower urinary tract dysfunction in patients with Parkinson's disease: A systematic evaluation and meta-analysis

To systematically evaluate the risk factors of lower urinary tract dysfunction in patients with Parkinson's disease(PD), and to provide theoretical basis for clinical medical staff to identify the risk factors of lower urinary tract dysfunction in patients with PD. From the establishment of the database to January 2021, PubMed, the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Web of Science, other English database, were searched for literatures about the risk factors of lower urinary tract dysfunction in patients with Parkinson's disease. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, after browsing the title, abstract and full text, the high-quality literature in line with the inclusion criteria was selected, and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale（NOS）document quality evaluation tool was used to evaluate the literature quality and extract the data. The included research results were analyzed by RevMan 5.3 software. A total of 8 studies were included for Meta analysis. The results showed that 7 of the 20 related risk factors were statistically significant, and the statistically significant risk factors were duration of disease [Mean Difference (MD)= 0.59, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) (0.04, 1.14), P < 0.005], age [MD = 2.01, 95%CI (-0.36, 3.34), P < 0.005], Hoehn-Yahr (H-Y) score >2 [Odds Ratio (OR) = 1.56, 95%CI (1.09, 2.23), P < 0.001], sleep disorder [OR = 1.79, 95%CI (1.36,2.35), P < 0.001], constipation [OR = 1.88, 95%CI (1.42,2.48), P < 0.001], unified Parkinson's disease rating scale (UPDRS III) [MD= 4.43, 95%CI (2.20, 6.66), P < 0.001], Mini-mental state examination (MMSE) [MD = -1.16, 95%CI (1.23, -1.09), P < 0.001]. Age, duration of disease, H-Y score >2, sleep disorder, constipation, higher UPDRS Ⅲ score and lower MMSE score were the risk factors of lower urinary tract dysfunction in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Site-Specific Neuromodulation of Detrusor and External Urethral Sphincter by Epidural Spinal Cord Stimulation

Impairments of the lower urinary tract function including urine storage and voiding are widely spread among patients with spinal cord injuries. The management of such patients includes bladder catheterization, surgical and pharmacological approaches, which reduce the morbidity from urinary tract-related complications. However, to date, there is no effective treatment of neurogenic bladder and restoration of urinary function. In the present study, we examined neuromodulation of detrusor (Detr) and external urethral sphincter by epidural electrical stimulation (EES) of lumbar and sacral regions of the spinal cord in chronic rats. To our knowledge, it is the first chronic study where detrusor and external urethral sphincter signals were recorded simultaneously to monitor their neuromodulation by site-specific spinal cord stimulation (SCS). The data obtained demonstrate that activation of detrusor muscle mainly occurs during the stimulation of the upper lumbar (L1) and lower lumbar (L5-L6) spinal segments whereas external urethral sphincter was activated predominantly by sacral stimulation. These findings can be used for the development of neurorehabilitation strategies based on spinal cord epidural stimulation for autonomic function recovery after severe spinal cord injury (SCI).

Relations of clinical symptoms with dopamine transporter imaging in drug-naïve Parkinson's disease

OBJECTIVES

The aim of the present study was to determine the relations of clinical symptoms with nigrostriatal neuron loss in drug-naïve patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). We examined the severity of motor symptoms and freezing of gait (FOG), falls and overactive bladder (OAB) in PD patients and their relations with striatal dopamine transporter (DAT) binding.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Thirty-two untreated PD patients (14 men and 18 women with a mean age of 71.4 ± 7.2 years) were included in this study. Clinical assessments were performed by using Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) and overactive bladder symptom score (OABSS), and striatal dopamine transporter (DAT) binding was measured by¹²³I-FP-CIT SPECT.

RESULTS

The results showed that striatal DAT availability was significantly lower in the high UPDRS motor score group, high akinetic-rigid score group, FOG group, and OAB group than in the low UPDRS motor score group, low akinetic-rigid score group, non-FOG group, and non-OAB group. However, the results also showed that there was no significant difference in striatal DAT availability between the high tremor score group and low tremor score group or between the faller group and non-faller group.

CONCLUSIONS

The severity of bradykinesia and axial symptoms and the existence of FOG and OAB in untreated PD patients are related to a decrease in striatal DAT availability. Severity of tremors and occurrence of falls are not related to a decrease in striatal DAT availability. The mechanisms underlying the clinical symptoms of PD involve not only dopaminergic pathways but also non-dopaminergic pathways.

Executive Function Is Related to the Urinary Urgency in Non-demented Patients With Parkinson's Disease

Introduction: Evidence suggests urinary urgency is associated with cognitive impairment in a subtype of Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients. This study investigates if cognitive impairment independently predicts the presence of urinary dysfunction.

Methods: We report data of 189 idiopathic PD patients, excluding those with concomitant diseases or medication interacting with bladder function. A standardized questionnaire was used to define the presence of urinary urgency. All patients underwent a comprehensive motor, cognitive non-motor and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) assessment. Multivariable linear regression analysis was performed to identify independent variables characterizing urinary urgency in PD (PD-UU), which were assigned as discriminant features to estimate their individual contribution to the phenotype of the PD-UU group.

Results: Of 189 PD patients, 115 (60.8%) reported PD-UU. The linear regression analysis showed that among cognitive domains, executive function (EF; p = 0.04) had a significant negative association with PD-UU. In a second model, scores of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) significantly differentiated between study groups (p = 0.007) and also non-motor symptom (NMS) burden (p < 0.001). The third model consisted of reports of HRQoL, of which stigma was the only subscale of the Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39) differentiating between patients with and without PD-UU (p = 0.02). The linear discriminant analysis provided evidence that the combination of EF, NMS burden, nocturia, and stigma discriminated between groups with 72.4% accuracy.

Conclusion: In our large, non-demented PD cohort, urinary urgency was associated with executive dysfunction (EF), supporting a possible causative link between both symptoms. A combination of neuropsychological and non-motor aspects identified patients with PD-UU with high discriminative accuracy.

Traumatic Brain Injury-related voiding dysfunction in mice is caused by damage to rostral pathways, altering inputs to the reflex pathways

Brain degeneration, including that caused by traumatic brain injury (TBI) often leads to severe bladder dysfunction, including incontinence and lower urinary tract symptoms; with the causes remaining unknown. Male C57BL/6J mice underwent repetitive moderate brain injury (rmdTBI) or sham injury, then mice received either cis P-tau monoclonal antibody (cis mAb), which prevents brain degeneration in TBI mice, or control (IgG). Void spot assays revealed age-dependent incontinence in IgG controls 8 months after injury, while cis mAb treated or sham mice showed no dysfunction. No obvious bladder pathology occurred in any group. Urodynamic cystometry in conscious mice revealed overactive bladder, reduced maximal voiding pressures and incontinence in IgG control, but not sham or cis mAb treated mice. Hyperphosphorylated tau deposition and neural tangle-like pathology occurred in cortical and hippocampal regions only of IgG control mice accompanied with post-traumatic neuroinflammation and was not seen in midbrain and hindbrain regions associated with bladder filling and voiding reflex arcs. In this model of brain degeneration bladder dysfunction results from rostral, and not hindbrain damage, indicating that rostral brain inputs are required for normal bladder functioning. Detailed analysis of the functioning of neural circuits controlling bladder function in TBI should lead to insights into how brain degeneration leads to bladder dysfunction, as well as novel strategies to treat these disorders.

Urological dysfunctions in patients with Parkinson's disease: clues from clinical and non-invasive urological assessment

Background

Autonomic nervous system dysfunction, common in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD), causes significant morbidity and it is correlated with poor quality of life. To assess frequency of urinary symptoms in patients with PD, without conditions known to interfere with urinary function.

Methods

Non-demented PD patients were consecutively enrolled from the outpatients clinic of our department. Scales investigating motor and non-motor symptoms were carried out. Evaluation of urinary dysfunctions was carried out using the AUTonomic Scale for Outcomes in Parkinson’s disease (SCOPA-AUT) questionnaire. Patients underwent noninvasive urological studies (nUS), including uroflowmetry and ultrasound of the urinary tract.

Results

Forty-eight (20 women, 42%) out of 187 PD patients met the inclusion criteria and were enrolled in the study. Mean SCOPA-AUT score was 14.1 ± 6.9 (urinary symptoms subscore 5.2 ± 3.8). Among those evaluated by the SCOPA-AUT scale, the urinary symptoms were among the most common complaints (93.8%). At nUS mean maximum flow rate (Qmax) was 17.9 ± 9.1 ml/s, and mean postvoid residual (PVR) urine volume was 24.4 ± 44.1 ml. Ultrasound investigation documented prostate hypertrophy in 12 male patients (42.8%). Urinary items of the SCOPA-AUT (SCOPA-U subscore) correlated with measures of disease severity only in female patients.

Conclusion

Urinary symptoms and abnormal findings in nUS are common in PD. Though nigrostriatal degeneration might be responsible for urinary symptoms also in the early-intermediate stage of the disease, when urinary dysfunction occurs other medical conditions need to be excluded.

Outcomes of intradetrusor onabotulinum toxin A injection in patients with Parkinson's disease

OBJECTIVE

To assess the safety and efficacy of intradetrusor onabotulinum toxin A injections for the treatment of overactive bladder (OAB) in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD).

METHODS

All PD patients who underwent intradetrusor injections of onabotulinum toxin A (BoNT-A) for storage symptoms between 2010 and 2017 were included in a retrospective study. A 100 U dose of BoNT-A (Botox®, Allergan Irvine, CA) was used for the first injection in all patients. The primary endpoint was clinical success defined as any subjective improvement in OAB symptoms self-assessed by the patients 4 weeks after the injections.

RESULTS

Out of 24 patients analyzed, 19 reported improvement of their OAB symptoms 4 weeks after the first injection (79.2%) with complete resolution of urgency urinary incontinence in seven patients (29.1%; P < 0.001). The average post-void residual (PVR) increased significantly after the first injection from 17.6 to 125.3 mL (P < 0.001). Three of the patients had to start clean intermittent catheterization (CIC) after the first injection (12.5%). Out of 49 injections in total, only five caused incomplete bladder emptying requiring the use of CIC (10.2%). Higher pre-injection PVR was significantly associated with both a lower chance of symptomatic improvement (P = 0.04) and a higher risk of incomplete bladder emptying with institution of CIC (P = 0.047).

CONCLUSION

Intradetrusor injections of BoNT-A 100 U appeared as a safe and effective option in PD patients with OAB symptoms and a low PVR before the injection. Higher preoperative PVR was the strongest predictor of both treatment failure and postoperative urinary retention requiring CIC.

Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms, Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia, and Urinary Retention

Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) consist of a common set of urologic symptoms that can affect the elderly. The prevalence of LUTS is expected to rise owing to the continued increase of numbers of the elderly. Although benign prostatic hyperplasia is considered a common cause of LUTS, the broader potential causes of LUTS are myriad. A wide range of diagnostic modalities and treatments are available to manage patients with LUTS and their utilization should not be limited to the urologist.

Relation of overactive bladder with motor symptoms and dopamine transporter imaging in drug-naïve Parkinson's disease

OBJECTIVES

The aim of the present study was to determine the relation of urinary dysfunction with motor symptoms and nigrostriatal neuron loss in drug-naïve patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). We therefore examined the relation of overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms with motor symptoms and striatal dopamine transporter (DAT) binding measured by [123-Iodine]-fluoropropyl-2beta-carbomethoxy-3beta-(4-iodophenylnortropane) dopamine transporter single-photon emission computed tomography (¹²³I-FP-CIT SPECT).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Thirty-one untreated PD patients (12 men and 19 women with a mean age of 71.2 ± 6.7 years) were included in this study. Patients were evaluated with overactive bladder symptom score (OABSS) and divided into an OAB group and Non-OAB group. They underwent clinical assessments and ¹²³I-FP-CIT SPECT imaging. Motor symptoms were assessed using Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS).

RESULTS

The results showed that UPDRS motor score (p = 0.01) and akinetic-rigid score (p = 0.002) were higher and that striatal DAT availability (p = 0.01) was lower in the OAB group than in the Non-OAB group. However, tremor score, age, and duration of PD showed no significant differences between the OAB group and Non-OAB group.

CONCLUSIONS

Urinary dysfunction in untreated PD is related with increase in motor symptoms (especially bradykinesia and axial symptoms) and reduction of striatal DAT availability.

Acupuncture for management of lower urinary tract symptoms in Parkinson's disease: A protocol for the systematic review of randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND

Acupuncture is claimed to improve the lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). Currently, no systematic reviews are performed for acupuncture on LUTS in patients with Parkinson's diseases (PD). This review aims to evaluate the current evidence on the efficacy of acupuncture for the management of LUTS in PD.

METHODS AND ANALYSES

Eleven databases will be searched from their inception. These include PubMed, AMED, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, 6 Korean medical databases, and 1 Chinese medical database. Study selection, data extraction, and assessment will be performed independently by 2 researchers. Risk of bias will be assessed with the Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethical approval will not be required, given that this protocol is for a systematic review. The systematic review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and disseminated both electronically and in print. The review will be updated to inform and guide healthcare practice and policy.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

PROSPERO 2018 CRD42018083857.

The Influence of Parkinson Disease on Lumbar Decompression Surgery: A Retrospective Case Control Study

BACKGROUND

Parkinson disease (PD) is a major risk factor during spine surgery, and its frequency is increasing as the population ages. The study aim was to examine the influence of PD specifically on lumbar decompression surgery.

METHODS

A retrospective review was performed of all patients with PD who underwent elective lumbar decompression surgery at 2 university hospital departments between December 2003 and July 2016. For each patient, 2 controls without PD were selected randomly among those who were matched for sex and age and had a similar year of surgery (±3) and comorbidity profile. The main outcomes were complications and reoperation rate.

RESULTS

The mean follow up was 1.2 ± 1.6 years in the PD group (n = 36) and 1.4 ± 2.1 years in the control group (n = 72). The overall complication rate was 47.2% in the PD group and 19.4% in the control group (P < 0.01). The reoperation rate was 27.8% in the PD group and 9.7% in the control group (P = 0.02).

CONCLUSIONS

There is a significantly greater rate of perioperative complications in patients with PD undergoing elective decompression surgery. Although the difference in major complication rates was minimal, minor complications were more frequent in patients with PD.

Caregiver Burden and the Nonmotor Symptoms of Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease has traditionally been considered as primarily a motor disorder (Chaudhuri & Schapira, 2009). It is clear however that it is the burden of the nonmotor symptomatology which impacts significantly more highly on caregiver burden and quality of life (Benavides, Alberquerque, & Chana-Cuevas, 2013; Martinez-Martin, 2011). As Parkinson's disease advances there is an almost inevitable accrual of nonmotor symptoms alongside the motor aspects of the disease. Patients as their disease progresses require increasing support and this is not infrequently provided by an informal caregiver, most typically a spouse or family member (Martinez-Martin, Forjaz, Frades-Payo, et al., 2007). The role of the caregiver while being emotionally, physically, and psychosocially demanding is also costly and time intensive. The cost of care is typically borne by the family and one survey has estimated that the average caregiver spends an average of 22h per week fulfilling their role. The caregiver has a unique and privileged view of the patient's condition and often due to symptoms of apathy, cognitive impairment, and depression can provide a more accurate appraisal of symptoms and treatment effect. It is therefore imperative that the caregiver is involved, where possible in clinical appointments and treatment decisions. During this chapter the impact of nonmotor symptoms on the caregiver will be highlighted and the need for early and continued collaboration with the caregiver reiterated. The influence of certain key nonmotor symptoms on caregiver burden will be explored in more detail and the narrative will be punctuated with carer reflections as experienced by Jon Hiseman while caring for his wife Barbara, a world renowned saxophonist.

The PRIAMO study: urinary dysfunction as a marker of disease progression in early Parkinson's disease

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

New venues are currently being explored to predict disease progression in Parkinson's disease (PD), such as non-motor subtypes and models merging motor and non-motor symptoms (NMS). By involving a subgroup of 585 patients from the PRIAMO (Parkinson Disease Non-motor Symptoms) study, the present 24-month longitudinal prospective analysis aimed to demonstrate that urinary dysfunction is an early marker of higher motor and non-motor burden as well as lower health-related quality of life.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Multivariable mixed-effect logistic regression models controlling for demographic and clinical variables showed that the following NMS domains were associated with urinary dysfunction: gastrointestinal [odds ratio (OR) 2.57, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.67-3.97, P < 0.001], cardiovascular (OR 2.22, 95% CI 1.18-4.17, P = 0.013), skin (OR 1.81, 95% CI 1.06-3.08, P = 0.029), sleep (OR 2.06, 95% CI 1.34-3.16, P = 0.001), pain (OR 1.85, 95% CI 1.21-2.83, P = 0.004), fatigue (OR 2.40, 95% CI 1.56-3.68, P < 0.001), apathy (OR 2.79, 95% CI 1.72-4.52, P < 0.001) and respiratory (OR 1.82, 95% CI 1.02-3.23, P = 0.039). Analysis also demonstrated that urinary dysfunction was associated with higher motor disability (coefficient 1.73, 95% CI 0.68-2.78, P = 0.001) and lower health-related quality of life (coefficient -0.05, 95% CI -0.08 to -0.02, P < 0.001, and coefficient -3.49, 95% CI -5.21 to -1.77, P < 0.001) but not with more severe cognitive disability (coefficient -0.34, 95% CI -0.92 to 0.24, P = 0.251).

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first prospective longitudinal study involving a large cohort of PD patients demonstrating the relevance of urinary dysfunction as an early marker of higher motor and non-motor disability as well as lower health-related quality of life. These findings support a role for urinary dysfunction as an early marker of more severe disease progression.

Short-Term Adverse Outcomes After Deep Brain Stimulation Treatment in Patients with Parkinson Disease

BACKGROUND

Despite ongoing progress in our understanding of long-term outcomes after neuromodulation procedures, acute adverse outcomes shortly after deep brain stimulation (DBS) treatment have remained remarkably limited.

OBJECTIVE

To identify risk factors associated with acute 30-day outcomes after DBS treatment in patients with Parkinson disease (PD).

METHODS

We evaluated patients who underwent DBS treatment for PD from 2005 to 2014 through the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. We used bivariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression to identify short-term postoperative outcomes, including 30-day complication, discharge destination, and unplanned readmission.

RESULTS

Overall, 650 patients with PD underwent DBS procedures and complications were identified in 32 patients (4.9%). Of 481 patients who had complete discharge data, 18 patients (3.7%) were discharged to a facility and 16 patients (3.3%) experienced an unplanned readmission. Patients with PD who were obese (P = 0.045), who had preoperative anemia (P = 0.008), and who experienced longer operative durations (P = 0.01) had increased odds of postoperative complications. Inpatient status (P = 0.001), dependent functional status (P < 0.001), and anemia (P = 0.043) were all associated with discharge to a facility other than home. Longer operative duration (P = 0.013), anemia (P = 0.036), and dependent functional status (P = 0.03) were significantly associated with unplanned readmission. As expected, complications increased the likelihood of unplanned readmission (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides individualized estimates of the risks associated with short-term adverse outcomes based on patient demographics and comorbidities. These data can be used as an adjunct for short-term risk stratification of patients with PD being considered for DBS treatment.

Epidemiology of Parkinson Disease

Parkinson disease (PD) is a common progressive neurodegenerative condition, causing both motor and non motor symptoms. Motor symptoms include stiffness, slowness, rest tremor and poor postural reflexes, whereas nonmotor symptoms include abnormalities of mood, cognition, sleep and autonomic function. Affected patients show cell loss in the substantia nigra pars compacta, and accumulation of aggregated alpha-synuclein into intracellular structures called Lewy bodies, within specific brain regions. The main known non modifiable risk factor is age. The neuroepidemiology of PD is complex with susceptibility genes and a number of modifiable risk factors that can increase and others that can mitigate risk and outcome.

Urinary dysfunction and motor symptoms in untreated Parkinson's disease

OBJECTIVES

The aim of the present study was to determine the associations of motor symptoms in untreated Parkinson's disease (PD) with urinary dysfunction. We therefore examined the association between the overactive bladder symptom score (OABSS) and Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Thirty-one untreated PD patients without dementia (12 men and 19 women with a mean age of 72.0±6.7years) were included in this study. Their urinary tract dysfunctions were rated using the OABSS. The motor symptoms of all patients were also assessed using UPDRS.

RESULTS

OABSS had significant correlations with UPDRS motor score (Spearman's rho=0.39, p=0.03) and akinetic-rigid score (Spearman's rho=0.47, p=0.01). However, OABSS showed no significant correlation with tremor score, age, or duration of PD.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher OABSS was consistently associated with increase in severity of motor disorders, especially akinetic-rigid score, in the study participants.

Urodynamic and physiologic patterns associated with the common causes of neurogenic bladder in adults

The clinical presentation of the neurogenic bladder can be as vast as the pathologic causes however urodynamics (UDS) can help guide clinical decision-making and help simplify a complex disease state. UDS may be considered as the gold standard in helping to break down complex and multifactorial voiding dysfunction into manageable goals; these include protecting the upper tracts, limiting urinary tract infections (UTI) via avoiding urinary stasis, and maintaining quality of life. Included within are examples of normal to pathologic tracings including normal filling and voiding, detrusor sphincteric coordination, changes in compliance, etc. Additionally we have provided expected UDS findings based on neurogenic disease process, including but not limited to, Parkinson’s, dementia, multiple sclerosis (MS) and spinal cord injury based on lesion location. Pattern recognition and understanding of UDS can help lead to quality of life improvements and optimal management for the patient with neurogenic bladder dysfunction.

Non-motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease

With the growing awareness of the presence of non-motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD) has come the realization that these non-motor features play a tremendously important, and sometimes dominant, role in the management and even the diagnosis of the disorder. Despite this, a reluctance to formally address and treat the non-motor symptoms of PD remains and quality of life for PD patients suffers. This review provides an overview of the impact non-motor symptoms have on persons with PD, along with a brief description of some of the more common non-motor features of PD.