Background In patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), oral dosing of extended-release carbidopa-levodopa (Rytary, IPX066 [ER CD-LD]) achieves peak levodopa plasma concentrations within 1 hour and maintains them for 4-6 hours. Aims To compare the onset and duration of ER CD-LD benefit with those of immediate-release carbidopa-levodopa (IR CD-LD) in PD patients with motor fluctuations, using cr...

BACKGROUND Pramipexole (PPX), a non-ergot dopamine receptor agonist, is a first-line treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD). A critical dose level above which a better benefit-to-harm ratio exists has not been examined. METHODS Chinese PD patients (n=464) were retrospectively analyzed by PPX maintenance dose, PD stage, combined levodopa dose, and baseline tremor contribution. The sum score of...

BACKGROUND Difficulty turning over in bed is a common night-time symptom in Parkinson's disease (PD). We aimed to quantitatively evaluate overnight turnover movements using a three-axis accelerometer and to investigate whether inability to turn in bed is related to daytime sleepiness, sleep quality, and depressive mood in PD patients. METHODS We examined 64 patients with PD (mean age, 73.3±8....

Many genetic variants have been linked to familial or sporadic Parkinson's disease (PD), among which those identified in PARK16, BST1, SNCA, LRRK2, GBA and MAPT genes have been demonstrated to be the most common risk factors worldwide. Moreover, complex gene-gene and gene-environment interactions have been highlighted in PD pathogenesis. Compared to studies focusing on the predisposing effects ...

BACKGROUND/AIM This study aimed to define the frequency of a primitive reflex, the buccopalpebral reflex (BPR), and its association with the clinical situation in patients with Parkinson disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS Between May 2010 and May 2011, 222 patients, 115 with Parkinson disease and 107 patients without any sign of neurodegenerative disease, were included in the study. All included ...

Background. Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic and progressive disorder. Rates of change in motor symptoms have been more studied compared to nonmotor symptoms. The objective was to describe these changes in a real-life cohort of subjects with PD. Methods. A cohort study was carried out from 2011 to 2013. Consecutive patients with PD were recruited from a movement disorders clinic. MDS-UPDRS...

OBJECTIVES Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and sudden sleep onset (SOS) episodes are frequent in Parkinson׳s disease (PD). The objectives are to identify clinical characteristics and factors associated with EDS and SOS episodes. METHODS Clinical demographic data were recorded (N=100, mean age=65.0±10.4). EDS was identified by the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS>10) and SOS episodes were regi...

BACKGROUND Balance problems contribute to reduced quality of life in Parkinson's disease (PD) and available treatments are often insufficient for treating axial and postural motor symptoms. OBJECTIVE To investigate the safety of use and possible effects of stochastic vestibular stimulation (SVS) alone and combined with LDOPA in patients with PD. METHODS SVS or sham stimulation was administe...

Background The results of several cohort studies suggest that patients with advanced Parkinson's disease would benefit from unilateral pallidotomy. We have assessed the efficacy of unilateral pallidotomy in a randomised, single-blind, multicentre trial. Methods We enrolled 37 patients with advanced Parkinson's disease who had, despite optimum pharmacological treatment, at least one of the follo...

OBJECTIVE To determine the effects of participation in a 2-year community-based dance class on disease severity and functional mobility in people with Parkinson disease (PD). DESIGN Randomized controlled trial. SETTINGS/LOCATION Dance classes took place in a community-based location. Outcome measures were collected in a university laboratory. PATIENTS Ten individuals with PD were randomly...