A potential case of remission of Parkinson’s disease

AbstractWe present the case of a 78-year-old male who, 16 years ago, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PD) by a neurologist. He initially presented with left-hand tremor, stooped posture, shuffling gait, and frequent falls, which eventually progressed to bilateral motor symptoms after 3 years. Since 2012, his symptoms and signs have almost completely remitted, and he has been off all pharmacotherapy for that time. The accuracy of the initial PD diagnosis is supported by an appropriate clinical presentation, history of positive response to Sinemet, and an abnormal SPECT DaT scan; thus this case suggests the possibility of remission of symptoms in some patients. We propose that the patient’s long history of meditation practice may have been one contributing factor of this improvement as meditation has been shown to release dopamine in the striatum.

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Family history of hand tremor in patients with early Parkinson’s disease

Journal of Clinical Neuroscience ◽

10.1016/j.jocn.2021.05.041 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 90 ◽

pp. 161-164

Author(s):

Seong-Min Choi ◽

Soo Hyun Cho ◽

Kyung Wook Kang ◽

Jae-Myung Kim ◽

Byeong C. Kim

Keyword(s):

Parkinson’S Disease ◽

Parkinson's Disease ◽

Family History ◽

Hand Tremor ◽

History Of ◽

Early Parkinson’S Disease

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24-h Assessment of Tremor Activity and Posture in Parkinson's Disease by Multi-Channel Accelerometry

Journal of Psychophysiology ◽

10.1027//0269-8803.13.4.245 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 13 (4) ◽

pp. 245-256 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

M. Smeja ◽

F. Foerster ◽

G. Fuchs ◽

D. Emmans ◽

A. Hornig ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Parkinson’S Disease ◽

Parkinson's Disease ◽

Ambulatory Monitoring ◽

Emotional Reactions ◽

Task Demands ◽

Diurnal Changes ◽

Postural Tremor ◽

Hand Tremor ◽

Left Hand ◽

Psychophysiological Investigation

Abstract This study describes a new method, based on accelerometry, which quantifies tremor activity and posture continuously. A total of 25 right-handed patients with Parkinson's disease were recorded in a rest condition and in a postural tremor test, and during 24-h ambulatory monitoring. The tremor parameters, such as amplitude, frequency, and occurrence (percent of time), were derived by joint amplitude-frequency analysis. The DC components of multi-channel accelerometry allowed the detection of posture. A repeated measurement MANOVA was used to test the effects of posture and night-day differences in tremor activity. Further issues included consistencies of amplitude measurements across hands, between tasks, and between segments of recordings. Findings indicated an increase between resting tremor and postural tremor in the three tremor parameters, an increase under distraction, and enhanced activity in sitting compared to standing/walking. The best predictions of daytime monitoring measures, based on resting measures, were made for left hand tremor. This methodology is suitable for the detection of diurnal changes in tremor activity, especially amplitude changes, and for the psychophysiological investigation of enhanced tremor caused by task demands and emotional reactions.

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Hunting for Familial Parkinson’s Disease Mutations in the Post Genome Era

Genes ◽

10.3390/genes12030430 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (3) ◽

pp. 430

Author(s):

Steven R. Bentley ◽

Ilaria Guella ◽

Holly E. Sherman ◽

Hannah M. Neuendorf ◽

Alex M. Sykes ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Parkinson’S Disease ◽

Parkinson's Disease ◽

Family History ◽

Rare Variants ◽

Strong Family History ◽

Disease Mutations ◽

Whole Exome ◽

History Of ◽

Functional Consequences ◽

Multiplex Families

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is typically sporadic; however, multi-incident families provide a powerful platform to discover novel genetic forms of disease. Their identification supports deciphering molecular processes leading to disease and may inform of new therapeutic targets. The LRRK2 p.G2019S mutation causes PD in 42.5–68% of carriers by the age of 80 years. We hypothesise similarly intermediately penetrant mutations may present in multi-incident families with a generally strong family history of disease. We have analysed six multiplex families for missense variants using whole exome sequencing to find 32 rare heterozygous mutations shared amongst affected members. Included in these mutations was the KCNJ15 p.R28C variant, identified in five affected members of the same family, two elderly unaffected members of the same family, and two unrelated PD cases. Additionally, the SIPA1L1 p.R236Q variant was identified in three related affected members and an unrelated familial case. While the evidence presented here is not sufficient to assign causality to these rare variants, it does provide novel candidates for hypothesis testing in other modestly sized families with a strong family history. Future analysis will include characterisation of functional consequences and assessment of carriers in other familial cases.

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A mobile app for tracking non-motor symptoms of people with Parkinson’s disease: A usability study

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.3284 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 890-890

Author(s):

JuHee Lee ◽

Yujin Suh ◽

Yielin Kim

Keyword(s):

Parkinson’S Disease ◽

Parkinson's Disease ◽

Tracking System ◽

Smart Phone ◽

Telephone Counseling ◽

Mobile App ◽

Motor Symptoms ◽

Hand Tremor ◽

Non Motor Symptoms

Abstract Smart phone-based technology for people with Parkinson’s disease has been developed worldwide. Unmonitored non-motor symptoms decrease quality of life of people with Parkinson’s disease, so the needs for technology to manage non-motor symptoms are increasing. The technology is needed to detect subtle changes in non-motor symptoms by healthcare professional. There is no mobile app which manage comprehensive symptoms of Parkinson’s disease including non-motor symptoms. It is necessary to develop a new tracking system that can effectively manage non-motor symptoms as well as motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. We developed a prototype of mobile app for Android smartphones, with cooperation with Mazelone company. we also have shaped functions for monitoring of motor symptoms and medication adherence. It also provided a section for caregivers to use on behalf of people with Parkinson’s disease who have difficulty to use app due to hand tremor. Through Delphi technique, we obtained content validity from eight medical and nursing experts on the contents of the application. We provided regular telephone counseling to improve and encourage their app usage. Fifteen participants used the app for 6 weeks. To evaluate usability of mobile app, we provided constructed questionnaire and conducted individual telephone interview. A mobile app for tracking non-motor symptoms demonstrated high usability and satisfaction. We learned lessons about facilitators and barriers when implementing an app such as perception and acceptance of mobile technology. The mobile app will improve continuum of care. Future studies need to improve the contents and refine technical approach for people with Parkinson’s disease.

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Smartphones for Remote Symptom Monitoring of Parkinson’s Disease

Journal of Parkinson s Disease ◽

10.3233/jpd-202453 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-5

Author(s):

Max A. Little

Keyword(s):

Parkinson’S Disease ◽

Parkinson's Disease ◽

Symptom Severity ◽

Computational Analysis ◽

Computational Algorithms ◽

Objective Data ◽

Future Prospects ◽

Symptom Monitoring ◽

Sensor Devices ◽

Symptoms And Signs

Parkinson’s disease is a complex and heterogeneous condition, and there are many gaps in the medical community’s scientific and practical understanding of the disease. Closing these gaps relies on objective data about symptoms and signs, collected over long durations. Smartphones contain sensor devices which can be used to remotely capture behavioral signals. From these signals, computational algorithms can distill metrics of symptom severity and progression. This brief review introduces the main concepts of the discipline, addressing the experimental, hardware and software logistics, and computational analysis. The article finishes with an exploration of future prospects for the technology.

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Natural history of lung function over one year in patients with Parkinson's disease

Respiratory Medicine ◽

10.1016/j.rmed.2021.106396 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 182 ◽

pp. 106396

Author(s):

David A. Kaminsky ◽

Donald G. Grosset ◽

Deena M. Kegler-Ebo ◽

Salvador Cangiamilla ◽

Michael Klingler ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Parkinson’S Disease ◽

Parkinson's Disease ◽

Lung Function ◽

Natural History ◽

History Of ◽

One Year

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Respiratory disorders of Parkinson's Disease

Journal of Neurophysiology ◽

10.1152/jn.00363.2021 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Yasmin C Aquino ◽

Lais M Cabral ◽

Nicole C Miranda ◽

Monique C Naccarato ◽

Barbara Falquetto ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Parkinson’S Disease ◽

Parkinson's Disease ◽

Sleep Disturbances ◽

Respiratory Control ◽

Muscle Rigidity ◽

Upper Airways ◽

Respiratory Disorders ◽

Functional Deficits ◽

History Of ◽

Subject Making

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra, mainly affecting people over 60 years of age. Patients develop both classic symptoms (tremors, muscle rigidity, bradykinesia and postural instability) and nonclassical symptoms (orthostatic hypotension, neuropsychiatric deficiency, sleep disturbances and respiratory disorders). Thus, patients with PD can have a significantly impaired quality of life, especially when they do not have multi-modality therapeutic follow-up. The respiratory alterations associated with this syndrome are the main cause of mortality in PD. They can be classified as peripheral when caused by disorders of the upper airways or muscles involved in breathing and as central when triggered by functional deficits of important neurons located in the brainstem and involved in respiratory control. Currently, there is little research describing these disorders, and therefore, there is no well-established knowledge about the subject, making the treatment of patients with respiratory symptoms difficult. In this review, the history of the pathology and data about the respiratory changes in PD obtained thus far will be addressed.

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