Design of the STEPS trial: a phase II randomized controlled trial evaluating eHealth-supported motor-cognitive home training for Parkinson's disease

BACKGROUND

Electronic health (eHealth) technology offers the potential to support and motivate physical activity for symptom management in Parkinson's disease (PD). It is also recommended that motor exercise in PD be complemented with cognitive training aimed at attentional or executive functions. This paper describes the protocol for a double-blind randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effects of motor-cognitive training in the home environment, supported by eHealth.

METHODS/DESIGN

The Support for home Training using Ehealth in Parkinsons diseaSe (STEPS) is a double-blind single center randomized controlled trial. Two parallel groups will include in total 120 participants with mild to moderate PD who will receive either (i) the intervention (a progressive 10-week individualized motor-cognitive eHealth training with cognitive behavioral elements to increase physical activity levels) or (ii) an active control group (an individualized 10-week paper-based home exercise program). The active control group will not receive motor-cognitive exercises or cognitive behavioral approaches to increase physical activity level. The primary outcome is walking capacity assessed by the six-minute walk test (6MWT). Secondary outcomes will include gait performance during single and dual task conditions, gait speed, functional mobility and lower limb strength, balance, physical activity behavior and a range of patient reported outcome measures relevant in PD.

DISCUSSION

The STEPS trial will answer the question whether 10 weeks of eHealth supported motor-cognitive exercise in the home environment can improve walking capacity in PD when compared to a standard paper exercise program. Findings from this study will also strengthen the evidence concerning the efficacy of PD-specific eHealth interventions with a view meeting future health care demands by addressing issues of inaccessibility to specialized neurological rehabilitation in PD.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov August 2022, NCT05510739.

DPP-4 Inhibitor and Sulfonylurea Differentially Reverse Type 2 Diabetes-Induced Blood-Brain Barrier Leakage and Normalize Capillary Pericyte Coverage

Microvascular pathology in the brain is one of the suggested mechanisms underlying the increased incidence and progression of neurodegenerative diseases in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Although accumulating data suggest a neuroprotective effect of antidiabetics, the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Here, we investigated whether two clinically used antidiabetics, the dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor linagliptin and the sulfonylurea glimepiride, which restore T2D-induced brain vascular pathology. Microvascular pathology was examined in the striatum of mice fed for 12 months with either normal chow diet or a high-fat diet (HFD) to induce T2D. A subgroup of HFD-fed mice was treated with either linagliptin or glimepiride for 3 months before sacrifice. We demonstrate that T2D caused leakage of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), induced angiogenesis, and reduced pericyte coverage of microvessels. However, linagliptin and glimepiride recovered the BBB integrity and restored the pericyte coverage differentially. Linagliptin normalized T2D-induced angiogenesis and restored pericyte coverage. In contrast, glimepiride enhanced T2D-induced angiogenesis and increased pericyte density, resulting in proper vascular coverage. Interestingly, glimepiride reduced microglial activation, increased microglial-vascular interaction, and increased collagen IV density. This study provides evidence that both DPP-4 inhibition and sulfonylurea reverse T2D-induced BBB leakage, which may contribute to antidiabetic neurorestorative effects.

Perceived walking difficulties in Parkinson's disease - predictors and changes over time

BACKGROUND

People with Parkinson's disease (PD) have described their walking difficulties as linked to activity avoidance, social isolation, reduced independence and quality of life. There is a knowledge gap regarding predictive factors of perceived walking difficulties in people with PD. Such knowledge could be useful when designing intervention studies. This study aimed to investigate how perceived walking difficulties evolve over a 3-year period in people with PD. A specific aim was to identify predictive factors of perceived walking difficulties.

METHODS

One hundred forty-eight people with PD (mean age 67.9 years) completed the Generic Walk-12 (Walk-12G) questionnaire (which assesses perceived walking difficulties) at both baseline and the 3-year follow-up. Paired samples t-test was used for comparing baseline and follow-up mean scores. Multivariable linear regression analyses were used to identify predictive factors of perceived walking difficulties.

RESULTS

Perceived walking difficulties increased after 3 years: mean Walk-12G score 14.8 versus 18.7, p < 0.001. Concerns about falling was the strongest predictor (β = 0.445) of perceived walking difficulties, followed by perceived balance problems while dual tasking (β = 0.268) and pain (β = 0.153). Perceived balance problems while dual tasking was the strongest predictor (β = 0.180) of a change in perceived walking difficulties, followed by global cognitive functioning (β = - 0.107).

CONCLUSIONS

Perceived walking difficulties increase over time in people with PD. Both personal factors (i.e. concerns about falling) and motor aspects (i.e. balance problems while dual tasking) seem to have a predictive role. Importantly, our study indicates that also non-motor symptoms (e.g. pain and cognitive functioning) seem to be of importance for future perceived walking difficulties. Future intervention studies that address these factors need to confirm their preventative effect on perceived walking difficulties.

Plasma glial fibrillary acidic protein detects Alzheimer pathology and predicts future conversion to Alzheimer dementia in patients with mild cognitive impairment

INTRODUCTION

Plasma glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) is a marker of astroglial activation and astrocytosis. We assessed the ability of plasma GFAP to detect Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology in the form of AD-related amyloid-β (Aβ) pathology and conversion to AD dementia in a mild cognitive impairment (MCI) cohort.

METHOD

One hundred sixty MCI patients were followed for 4.7 years (average). AD pathology was defined using cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Aβ42/40 and Aβ42/total tau (T-tau). Plasma GFAP was measured at baseline and follow-up using Simoa technology.

RESULTS

Baseline plasma GFAP could detect abnormal CSF Aβ42/40 and CSF Aβ42/T-tau with an AUC of 0.79 (95% CI 0.72-0.86) and 0.80 (95% CI 0.72-0.86), respectively. When also including APOE ε4 status as a predictor, the accuracy of the model to detect abnormal CSF Aβ42/40 status improved (AUC = 0.86, p = 0.02). Plasma GFAP predicted subsequent conversion to AD dementia with an AUC of 0.84 (95% CI 0.77-0.91), which was not significantly improved when adding APOE ε4 or age as predictors to the model. Longitudinal GFAP slopes for Aβ-positive and MCI who progressed to dementia (AD or other) were significantly steeper than those for Aβ-negative (p = 0.007) and stable MCI (p < 0.0001), respectively.

CONCLUSION

Plasma GFAP can detect AD pathology in patients with MCI and predict conversion to AD dementia.

Meta-analysis of targeted temperature management in animal models of cardiac arrest

BACKGROUND

Targeted temperature management (TTM) of 32 to 34 °C has been the standard treatment for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest since clinical trials in 2002 indicated benefit on survival and neurological outcome. In 2013, a clinical trial showed no difference in outcome between TTM of 33 °C and TTM of 36 °C. In this meta-analysis, we investigate the evidence for TTM in animal models of cardiac arrest.

METHODS

We searched PubMed and EMBASE for adult animal studies using TTM as a treatment in different models of cardiac arrest or global brain ischemia which reported neurobehavioural outcome, brain histology or mortality. We used a random effects model to calculate estimates of efficacy and assessed risk of bias using an adapted eight-item version of the Collaborative Approach to Meta-Analysis and Review of Animal Data from Experimental Studies (CAMARADES) quality checklist. We also used a scoring system based on the recommendations of the Stroke Treatment Academic Industry Roundtable (STAIR), to assess the scope of testing in the field. Included studies which investigated a post-ischemic induction of TTM had their treatment regimens characterized with regard to depth, duration and time to treatment and scored against the modified STAIR criteria.

RESULTS

The initial and updated search generated 17809 studies after duplicate removal. One hundred eighty-one studies met the inclusion criteria, including data from 1,787, 6,495 and 2,945 animals for neurobehavioural, histological and mortality outcomes, respectively. TTM was favoured compared to control for all outcomes. TTM was beneficial using short and prolonged cooling, deep and moderate temperature reduction, and early and delayed time to treatment. Median [IQR] study quality was 4 [3 to 6]. Eighteen studies checked seven or more of the eight CAMARADES quality items. There was no clear correlation between study quality and efficacy for any outcome. STAIR analysis identified 102 studies investigating post-ischemic induction of TTM, comprising 147 different treatment regimens of TTM. Only 2 and 8 out of 147 regimens investigated comorbid and gyrencephalic animals, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

TTM is beneficial under most experimental conditions in animal models of cardiac arrest or global brain ischemia. However, research on gyrencephalic species and especially comorbid animals is uncommon and a possible translational gap. Also, low study quality suggests risk of bias within studies. Future animal research should focus on mimicking the clinical scenario and employ similar rigour in trial design to that of modern clinical trials.