Characteristics of fatigue in Parkinson’s disease: A longitudinal cohort study

Moderate intensity aerobic exercise alleviates motor deficits in 6-OHDA lesioned rats and reduces serum levels of biomarkers of Parkinson's disease severity without recovery of striatal dopamine or tyrosine hydroxylase

Alleviation of motor impairment by aerobic exercise (AE) in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients points to activation of neurobiological mechanisms that may be targetable by therapeutic approaches. However, evidence for AE-related recovery of striatal dopamine (DA) signaling or tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) loss has been inconsistent in rodent studies. This ambiguity may be related to the timing of AE intervention in relation to the status of nigrostriatal neuron loss. Here, we replicated human PD at diagnosis by establishing motor impairment with >80% striatal DA and TH loss prior to initiating AE, and assessed its potential to alleviate motor decline and restore DA and TH loss. We also evaluated if serum levels of neurofilament light (NfL) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), biomarkers of human PD severity, changed in response to AE. 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) was infused unilaterally into rat medial forebrain bundle to induce progressive nigrostriatal neuron loss over 28 days. Moderate intensity AE (3× per week, 40 min/session), began 8-10 days post-lesion following establishment of impaired forelimb use. Striatal tissue DA, TH protein and mRNA, and serum levels of NfL/GFAP were determined 3-wks after AE began. Despite severe striatal DA depletion at AE initiation, forelimb use deficits and hypokinesia onset were alleviated by AE, without recovery of striatal DA or TH protein loss, but reduced NfL and GFAP serum levels. This proof-of-concept study shows AE alleviates motor impairment when initiated with >80% striatal DA loss without obligate recovery of striatal DA or TH protein. Moreover, the AE-related reduction of NfL and GFAP serum levels may serve as objective blood-based biomarkers of AE efficacy.

Client Perceptions of the Individual Packer Managing Fatigue Program: A Mixed-Method Evaluation

Fatigue is common, but under-recognized in Parkinson's disease (PD), with limited treatment options. The aim of this study is to explore the experience of people with PD (PwPD) regarding content and delivery of the individual Packer Managing Fatigue program. This mixed-method study (n = 12) was conducted concurrently with a pilot randomized controlled trial. Data were collected using questionnaires, interviews, and focus groups. Five themes emerged: the program is helpful; the program has strengths; areas for improvement; individual online delivery is feasible; and more support from occupational therapist would be helpful. Quantitative findings confirmed feasibility with high ratings on questionnaires and confidence to use learned strategies. The findings inform future implementation of the Packer Managing Fatigue program and contribute to understanding the needs of PwPD. Future studies might explore program's effectiveness as stand-alone treatment or in combination with other approaches. Tailoring fatigue programs to PwPD's unique needs and characteristics of PD fatigue is suggested.

Transcranial direct current stimulation and cognitive changes in Parkinson's disease, a systematic review with meta-analysis and meta-regression

Parkinson's disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease, but therapeutic options such as neuromodulation continue to show variable effects, making clinical management of the disease difficult. This systematic review with meta-analysis and meta-regression aimed to analyze the isolated effect of cortical modulation with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) compared to sham stimulation on cognitive changes in people with Parkinson's disease. The databases used were: Web of Science, Scopus, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Cochrane. The results showed that tDCS can influence the improvement of cognition in PD (Inverse Variance:0.24 [95% Confidence Interval: 0.09 to -0.40], p < 0.00). The meta-analysis showed that active tDCS can influence cognitive function by improving aspects related to memory (Inverse Variance:0.34 [95% Confidence Interval: 0.07 to 0.61], p < 0.01) and reducing reaction time in cognitive tasks (Inverse Variance:0.42 [95% Confidence Interval: 0.07 to 0.76], p < 0.02). Innovative meta-regression analyses showed that variables such as age (Q = 2.54, df = 1, p < 0.11), education level (Q = 2.62, df = 1, p < 0.10), disease duration (Q = 0.01, df = 1, p < 0.92), and Unified PD Rating Scale stage (Q = 0.01, df = 1, p < 0.92) did not influence the results. Thus, tDCS may be a therapeutic option for cognitive changes in people with PD, and we suggest further studies to identify protocols that can be replicated.

The Impact of Fatigue on Sleep and Other Non-Motor Symptoms in Parkinson's Disease

Fatigue is a common non-motor symptom in Parkinson's disease (PD), but even so, it may still be underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed in current practice due to its non-specific manifestations. The aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence of fatigue in PD patients compared to healthy controls and to identify the main characteristics and associations of fatigue with other non-motor symptoms and the impact of fatigue on sleep disturbances in Parkinson's disease.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

case-control study in which 131 PD patients and 131 age- and sex-matched controls were enrolled. Main characteristics of fatigue, sleep, and other non-motor symptoms were assessed using specific validated questionnaires.

RESULTS

According to the Chalder fatigue scale, fatigue is more prevalent in PD patients (38.16%) compared to healthy controls (26.71%). Fatigue was identified in 46.54% of the PD patients using the Parkinson's Fatigue Scale (PFS-16). PD patients with fatigue presented a worse motor status, more sleep disturbances (insomnia, daytime sleepiness), a broader spectrum of non-motor symptoms (pain, anxiety, urinary disturbances), worse cognitive performances, a lower level of happiness, and worse quality of life compared to PD patients without fatigue.

CONCLUSION

Fatigue is a common symptom of PD and needs to be assessed, considering its consequences on quality of life. Sleep disturbances have a great influence over fatigue in PD patients.

Association between autonomic dysfunction with motor and non-motor symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease

To investigate the association between autonomic dysfunction (AutD) and motor as well as non-motor symptoms (NMS) in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Fifty-three PD patients were divided into two groups based on the number of domains affected by AutD: a multi-domain AutD group (AutD-M) and a single-domain AutD group (AutD-S), as evaluated using the Scale for Outcomes in Parkinson's disease-Autonomic (SCOPA-AUT), which assesses autonomic symptoms, one of the NMS. A comprehensive comparison was conducted between the two groups, including clinical measures such as clinical scales, quantitative evaluations of motor function and exercise capacity. Spearman correlation analysis was employed to investigate the relationship between AutD severity and PD symptoms. Additionally, we performed multiple linear regression model analysis to determine whether associations between SCOPA-AUT scores and clinical assessments remained significant after adjusting for Hoehn and Yahr stage, sex, and age. PD patients in the AutD-M group exhibited significantly more severe NMS and motor symptoms compared to those in the AutD-S group. In correlation analysis, SCOPA-AUT scores showed significant correlations with multiple clinical symptoms, such as most of the NMS, 10-MWT and CPET parameters. Furthermore, regression analysis also revealed that more pronounced fatigue, anxiety, depressive symptoms, worse walking speed and impaired exercise capacity were associated with higher SCOPA-AUT scores. The presence of AutD is correlated with emotional disturbances, decreased exercise endurance, and impaired gait function in patients with PD. Early management of AutD may prove beneficial in alleviating some NMS and motor symptoms in PD.

Plasma TNF-α and phosphorylated α-syn are associated with fatigue in patients with Parkinson's disease

BACKGROUD

Fatigue is one of the most common non-motor symptoms among patients with Parkinson's disease (PD).However, the pathogenesis keeps largely unknown. Moreover, it is lack of objective biomarker.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the relationship between plasma inflammatory cytokines and α-syn levels and fatigue in patients with PD.

METHODS

A total of 63 PD patients were enrolled, including 35 patients with fatigue and 28 patients without fatigue. We compared the difference between plasma cytokines and alpha-synuclein (α-syn) in the two groups. Meanwhile, we analyzed the relationship between plasma cytokines and p-α-syn levels and fatigue.

RESULTS

PD patients with fatigue had older age, longer disease duration, more severe motor scores. There were significant differences in the plasma levels of IL-1β, IL-18, TNF-α, and phosphorylated α-syn (p-α-syn) between the two groups. The plasm inflammatory cytokine levels (IL-1β, IL-18 and TNF-α) were positively associated with FSS scores. Moreover, the plasma p-α-syn level was significantly positively correlated with FSS scores. Furthermore, the higher PDQ-39 scores and higher plasma levels of TNF-α and p-α-syn were strongly associated with fatigue in PD. The ROC curve analysis showed the AUC of TNF-α for fatigue in PD was 0.663 with a sensitivity of 65.71% and specificity of 67.86%, while the AUC of p-α-syn was 0.786 with a sensitivity of 74.29% and specificity of 64.29%. The combination of TNF-α and p-α-syn improves the AUC to 0.803 with a sensitivity of 88.57% and specificity of 64.29%.

CONCLUSION

The high plasma levels of TNF-α and p-α-syn were strongly associated with fatigue in PD.

Mitochondrial Neurodegenerative Diseases: Three Mitochondrial Ribosomal Proteins as Intermediate Stage in the Pathway That Associates Damaged Genes with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's

Currently, numerous research endeavors are dedicated to unraveling the intricate nature of neurodegenerative diseases. These conditions are characterized by the gradual and progressive impairment of specific neuronal systems that exhibit anatomical or physiological connections. In particular, in the last twenty years, remarkable efforts have been made to elucidate neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. However, despite extensive research endeavors, no cure or effective treatment has been discovered thus far. With the emergence of studies shedding light on the contribution of mitochondria to the onset and advancement of mitochondrial neurodegenerative disorders, researchers are now directing their investigations toward the development of therapies. These therapies include molecules designed to protect mitochondria and neurons from the detrimental effects of aging, as well as mutant proteins. Our objective is to discuss and evaluate the recent discovery of three mitochondrial ribosomal proteins linked to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. These proteins represent an intermediate stage in the pathway connecting damaged genes to the two mitochondrial neurological pathologies. This discovery potentially could open new avenues for the production of medicinal substances with curative potential for the treatment of these diseases.