Comorbidity burden of patients with Parkinson's disease and Parkinsonism between 2003 and 2012: A multicentre, nationwide, retrospective study in China

Trends in parkinson's disease mortality in China from 2004 to 2021: a joinpoint analysis

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to analyze the trends of Parkinson's disease (PD) mortality rates among Chinese residents from 2004 to 2021, provide evidence for the formulation of PD prevention and control strategies to improve the quality of life among PD residents.

METHODS

Demographic and sociological data such as gender, urban or rural residency and age were obtained from the National Cause of Death Surveillance Dataset from 2004 to 2021. We then analyzed the trends of PD mortality rates by Joinpoint regression.

RESULTS

The PD mortality and standardized mortality rates in China showed an overall increasing trend during 2004-2021 (average annual percentage change [AAPC] = 7.14%, AAPCASMR=3.21%, P < 0.001). The mortality and standardized mortality rate in male (AAPC = 7.65%, AAPCASMR=3.18%, P < 0.001) were higher than that of female (AAPC = 7.03%, AAPCASMR=3.09%, P < 0.001). The PD standardized mortality rates of urban (AAPC = 5.13%, AAPCASMR=1.76%, P < 0.001) and rural (AAPC = 8.40%, AAPCASMR=4.29%, P < 0.001) residents both increased gradually. In the age analysis, the mortality rate increased with age. And the mortality rates of those aged > 85 years was the highest. Considering gender, female aged > 85 years had the fastest mortality trend (annual percentage change [APC] = 5.69%, P < 0.001). Considering urban/rural, rural aged 80-84 years had the fastest mortality trend (APC = 6.68%, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The mortality rate of PD among Chinese residents increased from 2004 to 2021. Male sex, urban residence and age > 85 years were risk factors for PD-related death and should be the primary focus for PD prevention.

Electrocardiographic approach strategies in patients with Parkinson disease treated with deep brain stimulation

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an interdisciplinary and reversible therapy that uses high-frequency electrical stimulation to correct aberrant neural pathways in motor and cognitive neurological disorders. However, the high frequency of the waves used in DBS can interfere with electrical recording devices (e.g., electrocardiogram, electroencephalogram, cardiac monitor), creating artifacts that hinder their interpretation. The compatibility of DBS with these devices varies and depends on factors such as the underlying disease and the configuration of the neurostimulator. In emergencies where obtaining an electrocardiogram is crucial, the need for more consensus on reducing electrical artifacts in patients with DBS becomes a significant challenge. Various strategies have been proposed to attenuate the artifact generated by DBS, such as changing the DBS configuration from monopolar to bipolar, temporarily deactivating DBS during electrocardiographic recording, applying frequency filters both lower and higher than those used by DBS, and using non-standard leads. However, the inexperience of medical personnel, variability in DBS models, or the lack of a controller at the time of approach limit the application of these strategies. Current evidence on their reproducibility and efficacy is limited. Due to the growing elderly population and the rising utilization of DBS, it is imperative to create electrocardiographic methods that are easily accessible and reproducible for general physicians and emergency services.

Contributory Factors to Caregiver Burden in Parkinson's Disease

Background

Although there is growing recognition of the relevancy of informal caregivers there is scarce information on the contributory factors of caregiver burden in Parkinson's Disease (PD).

Objective

To identify the main associated factors to caregivers' burden in people caring for a person with PD.

Methods

We analyzed the data set from a multinational online survey the Parkinson's real-world impact assesSMent (PRISM) focusing on medication use, comorbidities, health-related quality of life, relationship changes and the use of healthcare and supportive care resources by people with PD and their carers. Structured questionnaires including the Parkinson's disease quality of life questionnaire (PDQ-39), non-motor symptoms questionnaire (NMSQuest) and the Questionnaire for impulsive-compulsive disorder in Parkinson's disease (QUIP) were applied. Caregiver burden was assessed by the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI).

Results

In a cohort of 245 dyads (patient and respective caregiver), caregivers reported a mild to moderate burden. Carers' perception of PD impact in partnership, financial burden, hours of care, patient's age, hypersexuality and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) were found to be significant contributory factors to caregiver burden. Taken together these variables explained 66.8% of the variance in the Interpretation of the ZBI total score.

Conclusions

Caring for a person with PD entails substantial burden, particularly when the caregiver perceives greater changes in partnership dynamics, dedicates more time to caregiving tasks, has financial burden, and when the patient is older, reports worst HRQoL and has sexual compulsive urges.

Adult Spinal Deformity Correction in Patients with Parkinson Disease: Assessment of Surgical Complications, Reoperation, and Cost

BACKGROUND

Parkinson disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that manifests with postural instability and gait imbalance. Correction of spinal deformity in patients with PD presents unique challenges.

METHODS

The PearlDiver database was queried between 2010 and 2020 to identify adult patients with spinal deformity before undergoing deformity correction with posterior spinal fusion. Two cohorts were created representing patients with and without a preoperative diagnosis of PD. Outcome measures included reoperation rates, surgical technique, cost, surgical complications, and medical complications. Multivariable logistic regression adjusting for Charlson Comorbidity Index, age, gender, 3-column osteotomy, pelvic fixation, and number of levels fused was used to assess rates of reoperation and complications.

RESULTS

In total, 26,984 patients met the inclusion criteria and were retained for analysis. Of these patients, 725 had a diagnosis of PD before deformity correction. Patients with PD underwent higher rates of pelvic fixation (odds ratio [OR], 1.33; P < 0.001) and 3-column osteotomies (OR, 1.53; P < 0.001). On adjusted regression, patients with PD showed increased rates of reoperation at 1 year (OR, 1.37; P < 0.001), 5 years (OR, 1.32; P < 0.001), and overall (OR, 1.33; P < 0.001). Patients with PD also experienced an increased rate of medical complications within 30 days after deformity correction including deep venous thrombosis (OR, 1.60; P = 0.021), pneumonia (OR, 1.44; P = 0.039), and urinary tract infections (OR, 1.54; P < 0.001). Deformity correction in patients with PD was associated with higher 90-day cost (P = 0.007).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with PD undergoing long fusion for deformity correction are at significantly increased risk of 30-day medical complications and revision procedures after 1 year, controlling for comorbidities, age, and invasiveness. Surgeons should consider the risk of complications, subsequent revision procedures, and increased cost.

Chaudhuri's Dashboard of Vitals in Parkinson's syndrome: an unmet need underpinned by real life clinical tests

We have recently published the notion of the "vitals" of Parkinson's, a conglomeration of signs and symptoms, largely nonmotor, that must not be missed and yet often not considered in neurological consultations, with considerable societal and personal detrimental consequences. This "dashboard," termed the Chaudhuri's vitals of Parkinson's, are summarized as 5 key vital symptoms or signs and comprise of (a) motor, (b) nonmotor, (c) visual, gut, and oral health, (d) bone health and falls, and finally (e) comorbidities, comedication, and dopamine agonist side effects, such as impulse control disorders. Additionally, not addressing the vitals also may reflect inadequate management strategies, leading to worsening quality of life and diminished wellness, a new concept for people with Parkinson's. In this paper, we discuss possible, simple to use, and clinically relevant tests that can be used to monitor the status of these vitals, so that these can be incorporated into clinical practice. We also use the term Parkinson's syndrome to describe Parkinson's disease, as the term "disease" is now abandoned in many countries, such as the U.K., reflecting the heterogeneity of Parkinson's, which is now considered by many as a syndrome.

Co-Creating a Feasible, Acceptable and Safe Home-Based High-Intensity Interval Training Programme for People with Parkinson's: The HIIT-Home4Parkinson's Study

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is useful and feasible for some people with Parkinson's (PwP), although long-term adherence may be problematic. If practical, undertaking HIIT in the home setting could be a way to encourage continued participation. However, no home-based HIIT programme has been developed for this population. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to co-create a feasible, accessible, and safe home-based HIIT programme for PwP, including intervention components and logic model. This supports the longer term aim to assess the practicality and utility of home-based HIIT for PwP. The study included three stages. Firstly, an initial HIIT programme and logic model proposal was developed based on existing evidence. This was refined through an iterative, co-creative process of focus groups, exercise testing and interviews involving end-users and relevant stakeholders. Finally, a draft intervention was produced with further co-creator input. During the iterative process, five focus groups, 10 exercise testing sessions and 10 post exercise interviews were undertaken, involving academic researchers, 6 PwP, one family member and two clinicians. These co-creators developed HIIT-Home4Parkinson's (HH4P), a 12-week thrice weekly home-based HIIT programme for PwP based on adaptability, individualisation, and remote support. Despite methodological limitations within the development process, the co-created HH4P programme could be feasible, safe, and useful for PwP. A feasibility study should now be undertaken to address remaining uncertainties prior to a full trial.

Treatment Changes and Prognoses in Patients with Incident Drug-Induced Parkinsonism Using a Korean Nationwide Healthcare Claims Database

This retrospective cohort study assessed treatment changes and prognoses after incident drug-induced parkinsonism (DIP). We used the National Health Insurance Service's National Sample Cohort database in South Korea. We selected patients diagnosed with incident DIP and given prescriptions to take offending drugs (antipsychotics, gastrointestinal (GI) motility drugs, or flunarizine) for a period of time that overlapped with the time of DIP diagnosis during 2004-2013. The proportion of patients experiencing each type of treatment change and prognosis was assessed for 2 years after DIP diagnosis. We identified 272 patients with incident DIP (51.9% of patients were aged ≥ 60 years and 62.5% of them were women). Switching (38.4%) and reinitiation (28.8%) were the most common modifications in GI motility drug users, whereas dose adjustment (39.8%) and switching (23.0%) were common in antipsychotic users. The proportion of persistent users was higher among antipsychotic users (7.1%) than that among GI motility drug users (2.1%). Regarding prognosis, 26.9% of patients experienced DIP recurrence or persistence, the rate being the highest in persistent users and the lowest in patients who discontinued the drug. Among patients with incident DIP diagnoses, the patterns of treatment change and prognosis differed across the types of offending drugs. Over 25% of patients experienced DIP recurrence or persistence, highlighting the need for an effective strategy to prevent DIP.

Machine learning analysis of the UK Biobank reveals IGF-1 and inflammatory biomarkers predict Parkinson's disease risk

INTRODUCTION

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the most common movement disorder, and its prevalence is increasing rapidly worldwide with an ageing population. The UK Biobank is the world's largest and most comprehensive longitudinal study of ageing community volunteers. The cause of the common form of PD is multifactorial, but the degree of causal heterogeneity among patients or the relative importance of one risk factor over another is unclear. This is a major impediment to the discovery of disease-modifying therapies.

METHODS

We used an integrated machine learning algorithm (IDEARS) to explore the relative effects of 1,753 measured non-genetic variables in 334,062 eligible UK Biobank participants, including 2,719 who had developed PD since their recruitment into the study.

RESULTS

Male gender was the highest-ranked risk factor, followed by elevated serum insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), lymphocyte count, and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio. A group of factors aligned with the symptoms of frailty also ranked highly. IGF-1 and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio were also elevated in both sexes before PD diagnosis and at the point of diagnosis.

DISCUSSION

The use of machine learning with the UK Biobank provides the best opportunity to explore the multidimensional nature of PD. Our results suggest that novel risk biomarkers, including elevated IGF-1 and NLR, may play a role in, or are indicative of PD pathomechanisms. In particular, our results are consistent with PD being a central manifestation of a systemic inflammatory disease. These biomarkers may be used clinically to predict future PD risk, improve early diagnosis and provide new therapeutic avenues.

Causes, factors, and complications associated with hospital admissions among patients with Parkinson's disease

Introduction

Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) are at a higher risk of hospital admissions compared to the general population. We studied the causes and factors associated with admissions among patients with PD over 6 years.

Methods

We included all PD admissions between 1 January 2016 and 31 December 2021. Other causes of parkinsonism were excluded. Causes of admissions were divided into PD-related (direct or indirect) or non-PD-related. The type of admission was categorized into emergency or elective.

Results

We identified 605 hospital admissions (259 patients with PD); 345 (57.0%) were PD-related and 260 (43%) were non-PD-related. Emergency PD admissions contributed to 50.4% of all admissions, most commonly from respiratory infection (23%). PD admissions in comparison to non-PD admissions were associated with worse disease severity (HY ≥ 3; p < 0.001), longer disease duration [8.71 (SD 6.23) vs. 6.60 (SD 5.39) years; p < 0.001], and longer hospital stay [7.70 (SD 5.89) vs. 6.42 (SD 7.63) days; p = 0.020]. Non-PD admissions were associated with more comorbidities (97.3%; p = 0.013). There were 124 (20.5%) complications and 31 deaths (5.1%). A total of 29 deaths were due to respiratory infection and 3 deaths were due to COVID-19 pneumonia. Emergency admission (PD- and non-PD-related; p = 0.001) and respiratory-related causes (p < 0.001) were predictors of unfavorable hospital admission outcomes (death and complications).

Conclusion

Respiratory infection was the leading cause of hospital admission and a significant independent predictor of unfavorable hospital admission outcomes (death and complications). PD-related admissions were associated with disease severity and led to more complications and longer hospital stays. Non-PD-related admissions were associated with comorbidities.

Total shoulder arthroplasty for osteoarthritis in patients with Parkinson's disease: a matched comparison of 90-day adverse events and 5-year implant survival

BACKGROUND

Patients with Parkinson's disease and shoulder osteoarthritis may be indicated for total shoulder arthroplasty. However, short- and long-term outcomes after total shoulder arthroplasty in this population remain poorly characterized.

METHODS

A retrospective matched case-control study was performed using data abstracted from the 2010-2018 PearlDiver Mariner administrative database. Patients undergoing total shoulder arthroplasty were identified, and those with and without the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease were matched (1:10) based on age, gender, Elixhauser comorbidity index, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, obesity, coronary artery disease, and congestive heart failure. Ninety-day incidence of adverse events were compared with multivariate regressions. Implant survival was also assessed for up to 5 years, based on the occurrence of revision surgery. Kaplan-Meier implant survival curves were compared using a log-rank test.

RESULTS

In total, 478 patients with Parkinson's disease were matched to 4715 patients without Parkinson's disease. After adjusting for demographic and comorbid factors, patients with Parkinson's disease had significantly higher odds of prosthetic dislocation (odds ratio = 3.07, P = .001), but did not experience increased odds of other 90-day adverse events. Five-year follow-up was available for 428 (89.5%) of those with Parkinson's disease and 3794 (80.5%) of those without Parkinson's disease. There was 97.2% implant survival in the Parkinson's disease cohort and 97.7% implant survival in the matched control cohort (not significantly different, P = .463).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with Parkinson's disease undergoing total shoulder arthroplasty, compared with patients without Parkinson's disease, have 3-fold higher odds of periprosthetic dislocation in the 90-day postoperative period, but equivalent rates of other short-term adverse events as well as implant survival at 5 years. Accordingly, surgeons should be mindful of the short-term risk of implant instability but should have confidence in long-term total shoulder implant success in the Parkinson's disease population.

Deep Learning Paradigm for Cardiovascular Disease/Stroke Risk Stratification in Parkinson’s Disease Affected by COVID-19: A Narrative Review

Background and Motivation: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is one of the most serious, non-curable, and expensive to treat. Recently, machine learning (ML) has shown to be able to predict cardiovascular/stroke risk in PD patients. The presence of COVID-19 causes the ML systems to become severely non-linear and poses challenges in cardiovascular/stroke risk stratification. Further, due to comorbidity, sample size constraints, and poor scientific and clinical validation techniques, there have been no well-explained ML paradigms. Deep neural networks are powerful learning machines that generalize non-linear conditions. This study presents a novel investigation of deep learning (DL) solutions for CVD/stroke risk prediction in PD patients affected by the COVID-19 framework. Method: The PRISMA search strategy was used for the selection of 292 studies closely associated with the effect of PD on CVD risk in the COVID-19 framework. We study the hypothesis that PD in the presence of COVID-19 can cause more harm to the heart and brain than in non-COVID-19 conditions. COVID-19 lung damage severity can be used as a covariate during DL training model designs. We, therefore, propose a DL model for the estimation of, (i) COVID-19 lesions in computed tomography (CT) scans and (ii) combining the covariates of PD, COVID-19 lesions, office and laboratory arterial atherosclerotic image-based biomarkers, and medicine usage for the PD patients for the design of DL point-based models for CVD/stroke risk stratification. Results: We validated the feasibility of CVD/stroke risk stratification in PD patients in the presence of a COVID-19 environment and this was also verified. DL architectures like long short-term memory (LSTM), and recurrent neural network (RNN) were studied for CVD/stroke risk stratification showing powerful designs. Lastly, we examined the artificial intelligence bias and provided recommendations for early detection of CVD/stroke in PD patients in the presence of COVID-19. Conclusion: The DL is a very powerful tool for predicting CVD/stroke risk in PD patients affected by COVID-19.

Plasma Metabolite Signature Classifies Male LRRK2 Parkinson’s Disease Patients

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease, causing loss of motor and nonmotor function. Diagnosis is based on clinical symptoms that do not develop until late in the disease progression, at which point the majority of the patients’ dopaminergic neurons are already destroyed. While many PD cases are idiopathic, hereditable genetic risks have been identified, including mutations in the gene for LRRK2, a multidomain kinase with roles in autophagy, mitochondrial function, transcription, molecular structural integrity, the endo-lysosomal system, and the immune response. A definitive PD diagnosis can only be made post-mortem, and no noninvasive or blood-based disease biomarkers are currently available. Alterations in metabolites have been identified in PD patients, suggesting that metabolomics may hold promise for PD diagnostic tools. In this study, we sought to identify metabolic markers of PD in plasma. Using a 1H-13C heteronuclear single quantum coherence spectroscopy (HSQC) NMR spectroscopy metabolomics platform coupled with machine learning (ML), we measured plasma metabolites from approximately age/sex-matched PD patients with G2019S LRRK2 mutations and non-PD controls. Based on the differential level of known and unknown metabolites, we were able to build a ML model and develop a Biomarker of Response (BoR) score, which classified male LRRK2 PD patients with 79.7% accuracy, 81.3% sensitivity, and 78.6% specificity. The high accuracy of the BoR score suggests that the metabolomics/ML workflow described here could be further utilized in the development of a confirmatory diagnostic for PD in larger patient cohorts. A diagnostic assay for PD will aid clinicians and their patients to quickly move toward a definitive diagnosis, and ultimately empower future clinical trials and treatment options.

Profiling the most elderly parkinson's disease patients: Does age or disease duration matter?

BACKGROUND

Despite our ageing populations, elderly patients are underrepresented in clinical research, and ageing research is often separate from that of Parkinson's disease (PD). To our knowledge, no previous study has focused on the most elderly ('old-old', age ≥ 85 years) patients with PD to reveal how age directly influences PD clinical progression.

OBJECTIVE

We compared the clinical characteristics and pharmacological profiles, including complications of levodopa treatment, disease progression, disabilities, and comorbidities of the old-old with those of comparable younger ('young-old', age 60-75 years) PD patients. In addition, within the old-old group, we compared those with a short disease duration (< 10 years at the time of diagnosis) to those with a long disease duration ≥10 years to investigate whether prognosis was related to disease progression or aging.

METHODS

This single-centre, case-control study compared 60 old-old to 92 young-old PD patients, matched for disease duration. Patients in the old-old group were also divided equally (30:30) into two subgroups (short and long disease duration) with the same mean age. We compared the groups based on several clinical measures using a conditional logistic regression.

RESULTS

By study design, there were no differences between age groups when comparing disease duration, however, the proportion of men decreased with age (p = 0.002). At a comparable length of PD duration of 10 years, the old-old PD patients predominantly had significantly greater postural instability and gait disturbance (p = 0.006), higher motor scope of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS-III, p<0.0001), and more advanced Hoehn & Yahr (H&Y) stage (p<0.0001). The Non-Motor Symptoms Questionnaire (NMSQuest) score was also significantly higher among the old-old (p<0.0001) compared to the young-old patients. Moreover, the distribution of NMS also differed between ages, with features of gastrointestinal problems (p<0.0001), urinary problems (p = 0.004), sleep disturbances and fatigue (p = 0.032), and cognitive impairment (p<0.0001) significantly more common in the old-old group, whereas sexual problems (p = 0.012), depression, and anxiety (p = 0.032) were more common in the young-old. No differences were found in visual hallucinations, cerebrovascular disease, and miscellaneous domains. While young-old PD patients received higher levodopa equivalent daily doses (p<0.0001) and developed a significant greater rate of dyskinesia (p = 0.002), no significant difference was observed in the rate of wearing-off (p = 0.378). Old-old patients also had greater disability, as measured by the Schwab and England scale (p<0.0001) and had greater milestone frequency specifically for dementia (p<0.0001), wheelchair placement (p<0.0001), nursing home placement (p = 0.019), and hospitalisation in the past 1 year (p = 0.05). Neither recurrent falls (p = 0.443) nor visual hallucinations (p = 0.607) were documented significantly more often in the old-old patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Age and disease duration were independently associated with clinical presentation, course, and progression of PD. Age was the main predictor, but disease duration also had a strong effect, suggesting that factors of the ageing process beyond the disease process itself cause PD in the most elderly to be more severe.

Two Birds One Stone: The Neuroprotective Effect of Antidiabetic Agents on Parkinson Disease-Focus on Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) Inhibitors

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's disease affecting more than 1% of the population over 65 years old. The etiology of the disease is unknown and there are only symptomatic managements available with no known disease-modifying treatment. Aging, genes, and environmental factors contribute to PD development and key players involved in the pathophysiology of the disease include oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, autophagic-lysosomal imbalance, and neuroinflammation. Recent epidemiology studies have shown that type-2 diabetes (T2DM) not only increased the risk for PD, but also is associated with PD clinical severity. A higher rate of insulin resistance has been reported in PD patients and is suggested to be a pathologic driver in this disease. Oral diabetic drugs including sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors have been shown to provide neuroprotective effects in both PD patients and experimental models; additionally, antidiabetic drugs have been demonstrated to lower incidence rates of PD in DM patients. Among these, the most recently developed drugs, SGLT2 inhibitors may provide neuroprotective effects through improving mitochondrial function and antioxidative effects. In this article, we will discuss the involvement of mitochondrial-related oxidative stress in the development of PD and potential benefits provided by antidiabetic agents especially focusing on sglt2 inhibitors.

Parkinson's disease may worsen outcomes from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia in hospitalized patients: A systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression

Background

Parkinson's Disease (PD) is among one of the common comorbidities in older patients. People with PD may be more vulnerable to severe pneumonia, due to the impairment of pulmonary function. Currently, the association between PD and COVID-19 is not yet established. This study aims to analyze the relationship between PD and in-hospital outcomes of COVID-19.

Materials and methods

We systematically searched the PubMed and Europe PMC database using specific keywords related to our aims until December 25th, 2020. All articles published on COVID-19 and Parkinson's Disease were retrieved. The quality of the study was assessed using the Newcastle Ottawa Scale (NOS) tool for observational studies and Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Tools for cross-sectional studies. Statistical analysis was done using Review Manager 5.4 software.

Results

A total of 12 studies with 103,874 COVID-19 patients were included in this meta-analysis. This meta-analysis showed that Parkinson's Disease was associated with poor in-hospital outcomes [[OR 2.64 (95% CI 1.75–3.99), p < 0.00001, I² = 81%] and its subgroup which comprised of severe COVID-19 [OR 2.61 (95% CI 1.98–3.43), p < 0.00001, I² = 0%] and mortality from COVID-19 [RR 2.63 (95% CI 1.50–4.60), p = 0.0007, I² = 91%]. Meta-regression showed that the association was influenced by age (p = 0.05), but not by gender (p = 0.46) and dementia (p = 0.23).

Conclusions

Extra care and close monitoring should be provided to Parkinson's Disease patients to minimize the risk of infections, preventing the development of severe and mortality outcomes.

How Comorbidity Reflects on Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers of Neurodegeneration in Aging

Systemic comorbidity precipitates the risk for dementia. To comprehend the underlying mechanisms into a therapeutic perspective, we analyzed how comorbidity affects neurodegeneration-related cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers of 55 cognitively intact subjects. The Charson Comorbidity Index (CCI) was correlated with CSF amyloid-β42 (Aβ42), amyloid-β40, total-tau, 181-phosphorylated-tau (p-tau), the Aβ42/p-tau ratio, neurogranin, and lactate. The age-related brain lesions at imaging were also considered. CCI had a raw association with Aβ42/p-tau and p-tau, and a stronger, age-independent correlation with lactate. These preliminary findings suggested that, in normal subjects, systemic comorbidity might increase CNS oxidative stress and, together with aging, contribute to develop an Alzheimer's disease-like biochemical profile.

QTc Interval Prolongation with Therapies Used to Treat Patients with Parkinson's Disease Psychosis: A Narrative Review

In addition to the classic motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD), people with PD frequently experience nonmotor symptoms that can include autonomic dysfunction and neuropsychiatric symptoms such as PD psychosis (PDP). Common patient characteristics, including older age, use of multiple medications, and arrhythmias, are associated with increased risk of corrected QT interval (QTc) prolongation, and treatments for PDP (antipsychotics, dementia medications) may further increase this risk. This review evaluates how medications used to treat PDP affect QTc interval from literature indexed in the PubMed and Embase databases. Although not indicated for the treatment of psychosis, dementia therapies such as donepezil, rivastigmine, memantine, and galantamine are often used with or without antipsychotics and have minimal effects on QTc interval. Among the antipsychotics, data suggesting clinically meaningful QTc interval prolongation are limited. However, many antipsychotics have other safety concerns. Aripiprazole, olanzapine, and risperidone negatively affect motor function and are not recommended for PDP. Quetiapine is often sedating, can exacerbate underlying neurogenic orthostatic hypotension, and may prolong the QTc interval. Pimavanserin was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2016 and remains the only FDA-approved medication available to treat hallucinations and delusions associated with PDP. However, pimavanserin can increase QTc interval by approximately 5-8 ms. The potential for QTc prolongation should be considered in patients with symptomatic cardiac arrhythmias and those receiving QT-prolonging medications. In choosing a medication to treat PDP, expected efficacy must be balanced with potential safety concerns for individual patients.

Non-Coding RNAs in the Brain-Heart Axis: The Case of Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a complex and heterogeneous disorder involving multiple genetic and environmental influences. Although a wide range of PD risk factors and clinical markers for the symptomatic motor stage of the disease have been identified, there are still no reliable biomarkers available for the early pre-motor phase of PD and for predicting disease progression. High-throughput RNA-based biomarker profiling and modeling may provide a means to exploit the joint information content from a multitude of markers to derive diagnostic and prognostic signatures. In the field of PD biomarker research, currently, no clinically validated RNA-based biomarker models are available, but previous studies reported several significantly disease-associated changes in RNA abundances and activities in multiple human tissues and body fluids. Here, we review the current knowledge of the regulation and function of non-coding RNAs in PD, focusing on microRNAs, long non-coding RNAs, and circular RNAs. Since there is growing evidence for functional interactions between the heart and the brain, we discuss the benefits of studying the role of non-coding RNAs in organ interactions when deciphering the complex regulatory networks involved in PD progression. We finally review important concepts of harmonization and curation of high throughput datasets, and we discuss the potential of systems biomedicine to derive and evaluate RNA biomarker signatures from high-throughput expression data.

The outcome and burden of Chinese patients with neurodegenerative diseases: A 10-year clinical feature study

BACKGROUND

As the Chinese population continues to age, the incidence of neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) has increased dramatically, which results in heavy medical and economic burden for families and society.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to evaluate NDDs in a southern Chinese hospital over a 10-year period and examine trends in demographics, outcome, length of stay (LOS) and cost.

METHODS

Retrospective medical records of patients from January 2010 to December 2019 were collected, including 7231 patients with NDDs (as case group) and 9663 patients without any NDDs (as control group). The information of social demographic data, admission source, reasons for admission, outcomes, LOS, and cost were extracted and analysed.

RESULT

The average hospitalisation age of the patients with NDDs is over 65 years (peak age 70-89 years). Compared with the control group, the case group had a longer LOS and a higher cost and the numbers of patients with NDDs increased yearly from 2010 to 2019. The LOS shortened while the cost increased. Clinical features affected LOS and cost. Patients suffering from infection, abnormal blood pressure and the imbalance of water-electrolyte homoeostasis as main reasons for admission were decreased; however, heart disease, cerebrovascular accident and mental diseases were significantly increased, the overall change trend of fracture/trauma remained stable. The rate of discharge to home care and mortality declined; discharge to other medical or community facilities increased over 10 years.

CONCLUSION

The majority of NDDs patients tended to be older. During the last 10 years from 2010 to 2019, the numbers of NDDs patients increased yearly, the trend of LOS became shortening and the cost gradually increasing. The main reasons of admission and outcomes of hospital showed different trends.

The Challenge of Managing Parkinson's Disease Patients during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The 2019 novel coronavirus (nCoV) pandemic is rapidly developing across the globe and new information is emerging expeditiously and constantly, particularly in relation to neurological illnesses. Both central and peripheral nervous system involvement has been reported including headache, dizziness, hyposmia/anosmia, taste disturbances, seizures, stroke, alteration of the sensorium, and even acute hemorrhagic necrotizing leukoencephalopathy. Varying degrees of olfactory disturbances may pre-empt the diagnosis of COVID-19. Although no direct effect of 2019 nCoV has been reported yet on Parkinson's disease, there are enormous possible indirect effects and implications. We examine the potential effects and challenges posed by this pandemic to individuals with Parkinson's disease, particularly in the Indian context where telecommunication access or support group access may be lacking for these patients. Additionally, lockdown and social distancing may pose hurdles in the provision of optimum medical therapy, particularly if patients experience motor and non-motor deteriorations due to diverse reasons.

Comparing the Performance of Charlson and Elixhauser Comorbidity Indices to Predict In-Hospital Mortality Among a Chinese Population

Objective

Earlier comorbidity measures have been developed or validated using the North American population. This study aims to compare five Charlson or Elixhauser comorbidity indices to predict in-hospital mortality using a large electronic medical record database from Shanxi, China.

Methods

Using the primary diagnosis code and surgery procedure codes, we identified four hospitalized patient cohorts, hospitalized between 2013 and 2017, in Shanxi, China, as follows: congestive heart failure (CHF, n=41,577), chronic renal failure (CRF, n=40,419), diabetes (n=171,355), and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI, n=39,097). We used logistic regression models and c-statistics to evaluate the in-hospital mortality predictive performance of two multiple comorbidity indicator variables developed by Charlson in 1987 and Elixhauser in 1998 and three single numeric scores by Quan in 2011, van Walraven in 2009, and Moore 2017.

Results

Elixhauser comorbidity indicator variables had consistently higher c-statistics (0.824, 0.843, 0.904, 0.853) than all other four comorbidity measures, across all four disease cohorts. Moore’s comorbidity score outperformed the other two score systems in CHF, CRF, and diabetes cohorts (c-statistics: 0.776, 0.832, 0.869), while van Walraven’s score outperformed all others among PCI patients (c-statistics: 0.827).

Conclusion

Elixhauser comorbidity indicator variables are recommended, when applied to large Chinese electronic medical record databases, while Moore’s score system is appropriate for relatively small databases.

Multimorbidity and Frailty: Tackling Complexity in Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a condition that predominantly affects older people. It is imperative that clinical management considers the other significant illnesses that people with PD accumulate as they age in conjunction with their resilience to cope with physiological change. Multimorbidity and frailty act synergistically to heighten the risk of adverse outcomes for older people with PD. These states are associated with increased likelihood of hospitalization, polypharmacy, adverse drug effects including the anticholinergic burden of medications, drug-disease and drug-drug interactions. Management should be integrated, holistic and individualised to meticulously balance the risks of interventions considering the vulnerability of the individual to recover from disturbance to their environmental, physical and cognitive equilibrium.

The Associations of PMF1, ICAM1, AGT, TRIM65, FBF1, and ACOX1 Variants With Leukoaraiosis in Chinese Population

Background: Leukoaraiosis (LA) is shown as white matter hyperintensities on T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging brain scans. Together with candidate gene association studies (CGAS), multiple genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have reported large numbers of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to be associated with LA in European populations. To date, no replication studies have been reported in independent Chinese samples.

Methods: Here, we performed a candidate gene association study comprising 220 Chinese subjects with LA and 50 controls. Thirty-nine polymorphisms on 32 risk genes were selected from previous studies, and they were genotyped through matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Genetic association analysis was firstly performed in all subjects with LA. Then, the same analysis was conducted in the six random sampling cohorts of 50 LA patients, respectively. Data analyses on the associations of SNPs with LA risk were evaluated through Pearson’s χ² and multivariate logistic regression tests.

Results: We found that eight polymorphisms in six genes (PMF1, ICAM1, TRIM65, AGT, FBF1, and ACOX1) were significantly associated with LA in the genetic association tests. Except for those eight gene variants, 24 other polymorphisms were not found to be significantly associated with LA in general genetic model, dominant model, recessive model, or multiplicative model. Among those eight polymorphisms, rs2984613 in PMF1 showed significant association with LA in the cohort of 220 LA subjects, and such significant association remained in both general genetic model (OR: 0.262, 95% CI: 0.091–0.752, p_adj = 0.030) and recessive model (OR: 0.323, 95% CI: 0.119–0.881, p_adj = 0.038) when controlling for clinical variables. Seven other significant variants (rs5498 in ICAM1, rs699 in AGT, rs2305913 in FBF1, rs1135640 in ACOX1, and rs3760128, rs7214628, and rs7222757 in TRIM65) were identified in those six random sampling tests that were conducted in the adjusted cohorts of 50 LA patients. In addition, except for rs699 which showed detrimental effect and represented a risk variant for LA, seven other polymorphisms seemed to exert protective effects on LA and to reduce the risk of LA. It is necessary to confirm these associations in an independent cohort.

Conclusions: This first replication study on multiple genes in an independent Chinese population did not replicate any risk polymorphisms for LA other than rs 699 in AGT but revealed the significantly negative associations of PMF1, ICAM1, TRIM65, FBF1, and ACOX1 polymorphisms with LA. It not only supported the strong ethnic differences in the genetics of LA but also indicated that those six identified genes may be involved in Chinese white matter lesions. Larger scales of CGAS and GWAS are necessary to confirm and decipher those ethnic-Han specific risk genes for LA in China.

Higher probability of prodromal Parkinson disease is related to lower cognitive performance

OBJECTIVE

Given the limited information on cognitive function before Parkinson disease (PD) clinical onset in the general population, we sought to assess prodromal PD (pPD) probability and relate it to detailed cognitive performance in a community cohort.

METHODS

In a population-based cohort of 1,629 dementia-free and PD-free participants ≥65 years of age in Greece, we assessed probability of pPD according to the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society's criteria. Clinical cognitive diagnoses (cognitively unimpaired, mild cognitive impairment [MCI], dementia) considering neuropsychological testing and functional status were assigned in consensus conferences. Cognitive performance in 5 cognitive domains was assessed by a detailed neuropsychological battery and summarized in the form of z scores. We investigated associations between pPD probability (and its individual constituents) and cognitive outcomes.

RESULTS

The median probability of pPD was 1.81% (0.2%-96.7%). Participants with MCI had higher probability of pPD compared to those with normal cognition (p < 0.001). Higher probability of pPD was related to lower performance in all cognitive domains (memory, language, executive, attention, and visuospatial function) (p < 0.001). Lower cognitive performance was further associated with certain nonmotor markers of pPD, such as daytime somnolence, depression, urinary dysfunction, constipation, and subthreshold parkinsonism (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Higher probability of pPD was associated with lower cognitive performance in all domains and higher probability of MCI. This may reflect a widespread pathologic process although future studies are warranted to infer causality. These results suggest to clinicians that they should assess cognition early, and to researchers that they should further look into the possible mechanisms that may underlie this observation.

Pharmacokinetics, Tolerability, and Bioequivalence of Two Formulations of Rotigotine in Healthy Chinese Subjects

PURPOSE

The pharmacokinetic (PK) profile of the rotigotine transdermal patch is well characterized in Caucasian patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) but not in Chinese subjects. This article reports the PK variables, safety, and tolerability of the rotigotine transdermal patch (2 mg/24 hours and 4 mg/24 hours cold-chain PR2.1.1 formulation) in healthy Chinese subjects (SP0913; NCT01675024). A second study (PD0011; NCT02070796) evaluated the relative bioavailability of cold-chain (PR2.1.1) and room temperature-stable (PR2.2.1) formulations of rotigotine in healthy Chinese men.

METHODS

In treatment period 1 of SP0913, subjects received a single application of rotigotine 2 mg/24 hours on day 1 followed by a washout period (days 2-6); treatment period 2 (days 6-14) involved multiple doses of rotigotine 2 mg/24 hours (days 7-9) followed by multiple doses of rotigotine 4 mg/24 hours (days 10-12), with patches applied for 24 hours each. In PD0011, subjects received a single dose (2 mg/24 hours) of each rotigotine formulation (PR2.2.1 and PR2.1.1) for 24 hours each in a crossover design. Blood samples were collected at scheduled time points to determine rotigotine plasma concentrations. Safety and tolerability were evaluated by adverse events monitoring.

RESULTS

Twenty-four healthy Chinese subjects (12 males, 12 females) were enrolled and completed SP0913. Geometric mean plasma concentrations of unconjugated and total rotigotine increased to a plateau beginning at ∼8 hours (multiple dose) to 16 hours (single dose) postdose; no characteristic T_max was observed for unconjugated and total rotigotine. The respective geometric mean C_max, C_max,ss, AUC from zero up to the last analytically quantifiable concentration, and AUC_0-24,ss values for unconjugated and total rotigotine were similar when rotigotine 2 mg/24 hours was applied as a single dose or multiple-dose regimen. During the multiple-dose period, geometric mean C_max,ss and AUC_0-24,ss of both unconjugated and total rotigotine were ∼2-fold higher for rotigotine 4 mg/24 hours than for rotigotine 2 mg/24 hours. Forty-seven of 50 male Chinese subjects completed PD0011. Primary PK parameters for the room temperature-stable formulation of rotigotine were highly comparable to the cold-chain formulation. Common adverse events included application site pruritus, nausea, dizziness, and constipation (SP0913 only), with no clinically significant changes in other safety measures.

IMPLICATIONS

PK profiles and derived PK parameters of unconjugated and total rotigotine in healthy Chinese subjects were consistent with findings from other ethnic groups receiving single and multiple doses of the rotigotine transdermal patch. Single and repeated daily doses of the rotigotine transdermal patch were well tolerated. Room temperature-stable and cold-chain formulations were bioequivalent. ClinicalTrials.gov identifiers: NCT01675024 and NCT02070796.

Do We Need to Rethink the Epidemiology and Healthcare Utilization of Parkinson's Disease in Germany?

Epidemiological aspects of Parkinson's disease (PD), co-occurring diseases and medical healthcare utilization of PD patients are still largely elusive. Based on claims data of 3.7 million statutory insurance members in Germany in 2015 the prevalence and incidence of PD was determined. PD cases had at least one main hospital discharge diagnosis of PD, or one physician diagnosis confirmed by a subsequent or independent diagnosis or by PD medication in 2015. Prevalence of (co-)occurring diseases, mortality, and healthcare measures in PD cases and matched controls were compared. In 2015, 21,714 prevalent PD cases (standardized prevalence: 511.4/100,000 persons) and 3,541 incident PD cases (standardized incidence: 84.1/100,000 persons) were identified. Prevalence of several (co-)occurring diseases/complications, e.g., dementia (PD/controls: 39/13%), depression (45/22%), bladder dysfunction (46/22%), and diabetes (35/31%), as well as mortality (10.7/5.8%) differed between PD cases and controls. The annual healthcare utilization was increased in PD cases compared to controls, e.g., regarding mean ± SD physician contacts (15.2 ± 7.6/12.2 ± 7.3), hospitalizations (1.3 ± 1.8/0.7 ± 1.4), drug prescriptions (overall: 37.7 ± 24.2/21.7 ± 19.6; anti-PD medication: 7.4 ± 7.4/0.1 ± 0.7), assistive/therapeutic devices (47/30%), and therapeutic remedies (57/16%). The standardized prevalence and incidence of PD in Germany as well as mortality in PD may be substantially higher than reported previously. While frequently diagnosed with co-occurring diseases/complications, such as dementia, depression, bladder dysfunction and diabetes, the degree of healthcare utilization shows large variability between PD patients. These findings encourage a rethinking of the epidemiology and healthcare utilization in PD, at least in Germany. Longitudinal studies of insurance claims data should further investigate the individual and epidemiological progression and healthcare demands in PD.