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Journal of Parkinson's Disease 2021Studies focusing on the relationship between severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and Parkinson's disease... (Review)
Review
Studies focusing on the relationship between severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and Parkinson's disease (PD) have provided conflicting results. We review the literature to investigate: 1) Are PD patients at higher risk for contracting COVID-19 and are there specific contributing factors to that risk? 2) How does COVID-19 affect PD symptoms? 3) How does COVID-19 present in PD patients? 4) What are the outcomes in PD patients who contract COVID-19? 5) What is the impact of COVID-19 on PD care? 6) Does COVID-19 increase the risk of developing PD? A literature search was performed from 1979 to 2020 using the terms: 'Parkinson's disease' and 'parkinsonism' combined with: 'COVID-19'; 'SARS-CoV-2' and 'coronavirus'. It does not appear that PD is a specific risk factor for COVID-19. There is evidence for direct/indirect effects of SARS-CoV-2 on motor/non-motor symptoms of PD. Although many PD patients present with typical COVID-19 symptoms, some present atypically with isolated worsening of parkinsonian symptoms, requiring increased anti-PD therapy and having worse outcomes. Mortality data on PD patients with COVID-19 is inconclusive (ranging from 5.2%to 100%). Patients with advanced PD appear to be particularly vulnerable. Single cases of acute hypokinetic-rigid syndrome have been described but no other convincing data has been reported. The rapidity with which COVID-19 has swept across the globe has favored the proliferation of studies which lack scientific rigor and the PD literature has not been immune. A coordinated effort is required to assimilate data and answer these questions in larger PD cohorts.
Topics: Antiparkinson Agents; COVID-19; Humans; Mortality; Pandemics; Parkinson Disease; Risk Factors; COVID-19 Drug Treatment
PubMed: 33492244
DOI: 10.3233/JPD-202320 -
Journal of Parkinson's Disease 2020
Topics: Antiparkinson Agents; Biomedical Research; Humans; Parkinson Disease; Patient Care; Quality of Life
PubMed: 32741843
DOI: 10.3233/JPD-209003 -
Movement Disorders : Official Journal... Jul 2022Mutations in the GBA gene cause Gaucher's disease (GD) and constitute the most frequent genetic risk factor for idiopathic Parkinson's disease (iPD). Nonmanifesting... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Mutations in the GBA gene cause Gaucher's disease (GD) and constitute the most frequent genetic risk factor for idiopathic Parkinson's disease (iPD). Nonmanifesting carriers of GBA mutations/variants (GBA-NMC) constitute a potential PD preclinical population, whereas PD patients carrying some GBA mutations/variants (GBA-PD) have a higher risk of a more aggressive disease course. Different neuroimaging techniques are emerging as potential biomarkers in PD and have been used to study GBA-associated parkinsonism.
OBJECTIVE
The aim is to critically review studies applying neuroimaging to GBA-associated parkinsonism.
METHODS
Literature search was performed using PubMed and EMBASE databases (last search February 7, 2022). Studies reporting neuroimaging findings in GBA-PD, GD with and without parkinsonism, and GBA-NMC were included.
RESULTS
Thirty-five studies were included. In longitudinal studies, GBA-PD patients show a more aggressive disease than iPD at both structural magnetic resonance imaging and 123-fluoropropylcarbomethoxyiodophenylnortropane single-photon emission computed tomography. Fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography and brain perfusion studies reported a greater cortical involvement in GBA-PD compared to iPD. Overall, contrasting evidence is available regarding GBA-NMC for imaging and clinical findings, although subtle differences have been reported compared with healthy controls with no mutations.
CONCLUSIONS
Although results must be interpreted with caution due to limitations of the studies, in line with previous clinical observations, GBA-PD showed a more aggressive disease progression in neuroimaging longitudinal studies compared to iPD. Cognitive impairment, a "clinical signature" of GBA-PD, seems to find its neuroimaging correlate in the greater cortical burden displayed by these patients as compared to iPD. © 2022 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
Topics: Gaucher Disease; Glucosylceramidase; Humans; Neuroimaging; Parkinson Disease; Parkinsonian Disorders
PubMed: 35521899
DOI: 10.1002/mds.29047 -
Journal of Parkinson's Disease 2022Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a common precipitant of acute neurological deterioration in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and a leading cause of delirium,... (Review)
Review
Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a common precipitant of acute neurological deterioration in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and a leading cause of delirium, functional decline, falls, and hospitalization. Various clinical features of PD including autonomic dysfunction and altered urodynamics, frailty and cognitive impairment, and the need for bladder catheterization contribute to an increased risk of UTI. Sepsis due to UTI is a feared consequence of untreated or undertreated UTI and a leading cause of morbidity in PD. Emerging research suggests that immune-mediated brain injury may underlie the pathogenesis of UTI-induced deterioration of PD symptoms. Existing strategies to prevent UTI in patients with PD include use of topical estrogen, prophylactic supplements, antibiotic bladder irrigation, clean catheterization techniques, and prophylactic oral antibiotics, while bacterial interference and vaccines/immunostimulants directed against common UTI pathogens are potentially emerging strategies that are currently under investigation. Future research is needed to mitigate the deleterious effects of UTI in PD.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Humans; Parkinson Disease; Urinary Tract Infections
PubMed: 35147552
DOI: 10.3233/JPD-213103 -
Journal of the Neurological Sciences Feb 2022Secondary parkinsonism, namely parkinsonism due to causes other than idiopathic neurodegeneration, may have multiple etiologies. Common secondary etiologies of... (Review)
Review
Secondary parkinsonism, namely parkinsonism due to causes other than idiopathic neurodegeneration, may have multiple etiologies. Common secondary etiologies of parkinsonism such as drug-induced or vascular etiologies are well documented. Other secondary causes of parkinsonism such as infectious (mainly viral and prion-like diseases), autoimmune (systemic/drug-induced) and paraneoplastic etiologies are rare but are a topic of increasing interest. Older examples from the existing literature demonstrate the intricacies of viral infection from the last pandemic of the 20th century on the development of hypokinetic symptoms experienced in post-encephalitic patients. Viral and prion-like infections are only part of a complex interplay between the body's immune response and aberrant cell cycle perturbations leading to malignancy. In addition to the classic systemic autoimmune diseases (mainly systemic lupus erythematosus - SLE, and Sjögren syndrome), there have been new developments in the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic as well as more prominent use of immunotherapies such as immune checkpoint inhibitors in the treatment of solid tumors. Both of these developments have deepened our understanding of the underlying pathophysiologic process. Increased awareness and understanding of these rarer etiologies of parkinsonism is crucial to the modern diagnostic evaluation of a patient with parkinsonian symptoms as the potential treatment options may differ from the conventional levodopa-based therapeutic regimen of idiopathic Parkinson's disease. This review article aims to give an up-to-date review of the current literature on parkinsonian symptoms, their pathogenesis, diagnostic methods, and available treatment options. Many potential future directions in the field of parkinsonian conditions remain to be explored. This article is part of the Special Issue "Parkinsonism across the spectrum of movement disorders and beyond" edited by Joseph Jankovic, Daniel D. Truong and Matteo Bologna.
Topics: COVID-19; Humans; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic; Pandemics; Parkinson Disease; Parkinsonian Disorders; SARS-CoV-2
PubMed: 34629181
DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2021.120014 -
Neurological Sciences : Official... Oct 2023Parkinsonism is a syndrome characterized by bradykinesia in combination with either rest tremor, rigidity, or both. These features are the cardinal manifestations of... (Review)
Review
Parkinsonism is a syndrome characterized by bradykinesia in combination with either rest tremor, rigidity, or both. These features are the cardinal manifestations of Parkinson's disease, the most common cause of parkinsonism, and atypical parkinsonian disorders. However, parkinsonism can be a manifestation of complex neurological and neurodegenerative genetically determined disorders, which have a vast and heterogeneous motor and non-motor phenotypic features. Hereditary dementias, adult-onset ataxias and spastic paraplegias represent only few of this vast group of neurogenetic diseases. This review will provide an overview of parkinsonism's clinical features within adult-onset neurogenetic diseases which a neurologist could face with. Understanding parkinsonism and its characteristics in the context of the aforementioned neurological conditions may provide insights into pathophysiological mechanisms and have important clinical implications, including diagnostic and therapeutic aspects.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Parkinsonian Disorders; Paraplegia; Parkinson Disease; Ataxia; Dementia
PubMed: 37648940
DOI: 10.1007/s10072-023-07044-9 -
Bipolar Disorders Jun 2020
Topics: Antipsychotic Agents; Bipolar Disorder; Humans; Parkinson Disease; Parkinsonian Disorders
PubMed: 31954093
DOI: 10.1111/bdi.12888 -
Journal of Neural Transmission (Vienna,... Sep 2022Parkinsonism secondary to viral infections is not an uncommon occurrence and has been brought under the spotlight with the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome... (Review)
Review
Parkinsonism secondary to viral infections is not an uncommon occurrence and has been brought under the spotlight with the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. A variety of viruses have been described with a potential of inducing or contributing to the occurrence of parkinsonism and Parkinson's disease (PD), although the relationship between the two remains a matter of debate originating with the description of encephalitis lethargica in the aftermath of the Spanish flu in 1918. While some viral infections have been linked to an increased risk for the development of PD, others seem to have a causal link with the occurrence of parkinsonism. Here, we review the currently available evidence on viral-induced parkinsonism with a focus on potential pathophysiological mechanisms and clinical features. We also review the evidence on viral infections as a risk factor for developing PD and the link between SARS-CoV-2 and parkinsonism, which might have important implications for future research and treatments.
Topics: COVID-19; Humans; Influenza Pandemic, 1918-1919; Parkinson Disease; Parkinsonian Disorders; SARS-CoV-2; Virus Diseases; Viruses
PubMed: 36036863
DOI: 10.1007/s00702-022-02536-y -
Medical Principles and Practice :... 2023In 2020, more than 9 million patients suffering from Parkinson's disease (PD) were reported worldwide, and studies predict that the burden of this disease will grow... (Review)
Review
In 2020, more than 9 million patients suffering from Parkinson's disease (PD) were reported worldwide, and studies predict that the burden of this disease will grow substantially in industrial countries. In the last decade, there has been a better understanding of this neurodegenerative disorder, clinically characterized by motor disturbances, impaired balance, coordination, memory difficulties, and behavioral changes. Various preclinical investigations and studies on human postmortem brains suggest that local oxidative stress and inflammation promote misfolding and aggregation of alpha-synuclein within Lewy bodies and cause nerve cell damage. Parallel to these investigations, the familial contribution to the disease became evident from studies on genome-wide association in which specific genetic defects were linked to neuritic alpha-synuclein pathology. As for treatment, currently available pharmacological and surgical interventions may improve the quality of life but do not stop the progress of neurodegeneration. However, numerous preclinical studies have provided insights into the pathogenesis of PD. Their results provide a solid base for clinical trials and further developments. In this review, we discuss the pathogenesis, the prospects, and challenges of synolytic therapy, CRISPR, gene editing, and gene- and cell-based therapy. We also throw light on the recent observation that targeted physiotherapy may help improve the gait and other motor impairments.
Topics: Humans; Parkinson Disease; alpha-Synuclein; Genome-Wide Association Study; Quality of Life; Brain
PubMed: 37285828
DOI: 10.1159/000531422 -
The Genetic Landscape of Parkinsonism-Related Dystonias and Atypical Parkinsonism-Related Syndromes.International Journal of Molecular... Jul 2021In recent decades, genetic research has nominated promising pathways and biological insights contributing to the etiological landscape of parkinsonism-related dystonias... (Review)
Review
In recent decades, genetic research has nominated promising pathways and biological insights contributing to the etiological landscape of parkinsonism-related dystonias and atypical parkinsonism-related syndromes. Several disease-causing mutations and genetic risk factors have been unraveled, providing a deeper molecular understanding of the complex genetic architecture underlying these conditions. These disorders are difficult to accurately diagnose and categorize, thus making genetics research challenging. On one hand, dystonia is an umbrella term linked to clinically heterogeneous forms of disease including dopa-responsive dystonia, myoclonus-dystonia, rapid-onset dystonia-parkinsonism and dystonia-parkinsonism, often viewed as a precursor to Parkinson's disease. On the other hand, atypical parkinsonism disorders, such as progressive supranuclear palsy, multiple system atrophy and corticobasal degeneration, are rare in nature and represent a wide range of diverse and overlapping phenotypic variabilities, with genetic research limited by sample size availability. The current review summarizes the plethora of available genetic information for these diseases, outlining limits and future directions.
Topics: Dystonia; Humans; Multiple System Atrophy; Parkinson Disease; Parkinsonian Disorders; Supranuclear Palsy, Progressive
PubMed: 34360863
DOI: 10.3390/ijms22158100