Can anxiety increase tremors in patients with Parkinson’s disease? An experimental model

Oral Health Disorders in Parkinson's Disease: More than Meets the Eye

Despite clinical evidence of poor oral health and hygiene in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients, the mouth is often overlooked by both patients and the medical community, who generally focus on motor or psychiatric disorders considered more burdensome. Yet, oral health is in a two-way relationship with overall health—a weakened status triggering a decline in the quality of life. Here, we aim at giving a comprehensive overview of oral health disorders in PD, while identifying their etiologies and consequences. The physical (abnormal posture, muscle tone, tremor, and dyskinesia), behavioral (cognitive and neuropsychiatric disorders), and iatrogenic patterns associated with PD have an overall detrimental effect on patients’ oral health, putting them at risk for other disorders (infections, aspiration, pain, malnutrition), reducing their quality of life and increasing their isolation (anxiety, depression, communication issues). Interdisciplinary cooperation for prevention, management and follow-up strategies need to be implemented at an early stage to maintain and improve patients’ overall comfort and condition. Recommendations for practice, including (non-)pharmacological management strategies are discussed, with an emphasis on the neurologists’ role. Of interest, the oral cavity may become a valuable tool for diagnosis and prognosis in the near future (biomarkers). This overlooked but critical issue requires further attention and interdisciplinary research.

Impacto dos sintomas de ansiedade na qualidade de vida na doença de Parkinson: uma revisão sistemática

RESUMO Objetivo: Revisar estudos relacionados ao impacto da ansiedade na qualidade de vida em pacientes com doença de Parkinson. Métodos: Trata-se de uma revisão sistemática realizada nos bancos de dados PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science e PsycINFO, com os descritores: “anxiety”, “Parkinson's disease” e “quality of life”. Foram selecionados 20 artigos publicados em inglês e sem limite de tempo. Resultado: A maioria dos estudos demonstrou correlação direta entre ansiedade e qualidade de vida em indivíduos com doença de Parkinson. Apenas dois estudos não encontraram essa associação. A presença de sintomas de ansiedade parece estar relacionada com a gravidade dos sintomas motores, sexo feminino e idade mais jovem, levando a um impacto maior na qualidade de vida. Conclusão: Os artigos analisados mostraram que a ansiedade tem impacto negativo sobre a qualidade de vida de indivíduos com doença de Parkinson.