scholarly journals An Open-Label, 8-Week Study of Safety and Efficacy of Pimavanserin Treatment in Adults with Parkinson’s Disease and Depression

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 1751-1761
Author(s):  
Daryl DeKarske ◽  
Gustavo Alva ◽  
Jason L. Aldred ◽  
Bruce Coate ◽  
Marc Cantillon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Adverse Events ◽  
Reuptake Inhibitor ◽  
Adjunctive Therapy ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
System Organ Class ◽  
Hamilton Depression Scale ◽  
Open Label

Background: Many patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) experience depression. Objective: Evaluate pimavanserin treatment for depression in patients with PD. Methods: Pimavanserin was administered as monotherapy or adjunctive therapy to a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor or serotonin/noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor in this 8-week, single-arm, open-label phase 2 study (NCT03482882). The primary endpoint was change from baseline to week 8 in Hamilton Depression Scale–17-item version (HAMD-17) score. Safety, including collection of adverse events and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Movement Disorder Society-sponsored revision of the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale Part III (MDS-UPDRS III) scores, was assessed in patients who received ≥1 pimavanserin dose. Results: Efficacy was evaluated in 45 patients (21 monotherapy, 24 adjunctive therapy). Mean (SE) baseline HAMD-17 was 19.2 (3.1). Change from baseline to week 8 (least squares [LS] mean [SE]) in the HAMD-17 was –10.8 (0.63) (95% CI, –12.0 to –9.5; p < 0.0001) with significant improvement seen at week 2 (p < 0.0001) and for both monotherapy (week 8, –11.2 [0.99]) and adjunctive therapy (week 8,–10.2 [0.78]). Most patients (60.0%) had ≥50% improvement at week 8, and 44.4% of patients reached remission (HAMD-17 score ≤7). Twenty-one of 47 patients experienced 42 treatment-emergent adverse events; the most common by system organ class were gastrointestinal (n = 7; 14.9%) and psychiatric (n = 7; 14.9%). No negative effects were observed on MMSE or MDS-UPDRS Part III. Conclusion: In this 8-week, single-arm, open-label study, pimavanserin as monotherapy or adjunctive therapy was well tolerated and associated with early and sustained improvement of depressive symptoms in patients with PD.

scholarly journals Depression in Parkinson's disease: clinical-epidemiological correlates and comparison with a controlled group of non-parkinsonian geriatric patients

2009 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beatriz Azevedo dos Anjos Godke Veiga ◽  
Vanderci Borges ◽  
Sonia Maria César de Azevedo Silva ◽  
Fabrício de Oliveira Goulart ◽  
Maysa Seabra Cendoroglo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Major Depression ◽  
Beck Depression Inventory ◽  
Geriatric Patients ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Hamilton Depression Scale ◽  
Yahr Scale ◽  
Disease Rating

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate and compare the frequency and severity of major depression in patients with Parkinson's disease and in individuals older than 60 years without neurological, rheumatological and/or oncological comorbidities. METHOD: We studied 50 patients with Parkinson's disease older than 60 years and 50 geriatric patients. Subjects with scores of Mini Mental State Examination indicating cognitive impairment were excluded. We used Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Diseases-IV criteria to diagnose major depression and the Hamilton Depression Scale and the Beck Depression Inventory to rate it. The Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale part 3 and the Hoehn and Yahr Scale were used to evaluate the motor severity of Parkinson's disease. RESULTS: Major depression was found in 42% of Parkinson's disease patients and in 10% of the geriatric patients (p < 0.001). The scores of the Hamilton Depression Scale and the Beck Depression Inventory were higher in Parkinson's disease patients (p < 0.001). Depressed Parkinson's disease patients had longer duration of Parkinson's disease (p = 0.020) and higher scores on the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale part 3 (p = 0.029) and the Yahr Scale (p = 0.027). CONCLUSIONS: The frequency (42%) and severity of major depression were higher in Parkinson's disease patients. Longer duration of Parkinson's disease, higher scores on the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale part 3 and the Hoehn and Yahr Scale were significantly associated with major depression.

scholarly journals A Comprehensive Study of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Parkinson's Disease

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hideki Kimura ◽  
Masayuki Kurimura ◽  
Katsurou Kurokawa ◽  
Utako Nagaoka ◽  
Shigeki Arawaka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Hamilton Depression Scale ◽  
Adult Intelligence Scale ◽  
Comprehensive Study

The clinical benefits of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for Parkinson's disease (PD) remain controversial. We performed a comprehensive study to examine whether rTMS is a safe and effective treatment for PD. Twelve PD patients received rTMS once a week. The crossover study design consisted of 4-week sham rTMS followed by 4-week real rTMS. The Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), Modified Hoehn and Yahr Stage, Schwab and England ADL Scale, Actigraph, Mini-Mental State Examination, Hamilton Depression Scale, Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-revised, and cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examinations were used to evaluate the rTMS effects. Under both drug-on and drug-off conditions, the real rTMS improved the UPDRS scores significantly, while the sham rTMS did not. There were no significant changes in the results of the neuropsychological tests, CBF and CSF. rTMS seems to be a safe and effective therapeutic option for PD patients, especially in a wearing-off state.

scholarly journals The Association Between Clinical Characteristics and Motor Symptom Laterality in Patients With Parkinson's Disease

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sha Zhu ◽  
Min Zhong ◽  
Yu Bai ◽  
Zhuang Wu ◽  
Ruxin Gu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Sleep Quality ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Motor Symptom ◽  
Motor Symptoms ◽  
Hamilton Depression Scale ◽  
Gait Performance ◽  
Non Motor Symptoms

Background and Purpose: The unilateral onset and persistent asymmetry of motor symptoms are important characteristics of Parkinson's disease (PD). By using scales and wearable sensors, this study explored whether motor symptom laterality could affect non-motor symptom and gait performance.Methods: A total of 130 right-handed patients with PD were enrolled in our study and were divided into two groups according to the side of predominant motor symptom presentation by using the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale part III. We measured the non-motor symptoms with the Non-motor symptoms Scale, sleep quality with the Parkinson's Disease Sleep Scale and Pittsburgh sleep quality index, cognitive function with the Mini-mental State Examination and Montreal Cognitive Assessment, quality of life with the Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire-39, and the severity of anxiety and depression with the Hamilton Anxiety Scale and Hamilton Depression Scale, respectively. All participants underwent the instrumented stand and walk test, and gait data were collected using a set of JiBuEn gait analysis system.Results: We observed that left-dominant symptom PD patients (LPD) were associated with a greater impairment of sleep quality than right-dominant symptom PD patients (RPD). We found no difference between LPD and RPD in terms of gait performance. However, compared with the severe asymmetry RPD patients (RPD-S), severe asymmetry LPD patients (LPD-S) showed a shorter stride length and decreased range of motion of hip joints.Conclusions: In this study, LPD was associated with a more severe sleep-related dysfunction than RPD. In addition, LPD-S exhibited more gait impairments than RPD-S. Considering that motor symptom laterality may affect the non-motor symptom and gait performance, it should be taken into account when evaluating and treating PD patients.

scholarly journals 158 Open-label Study of Pimavanserin Patients with Comorbid Parkinson’s Disease and Depression

CNS Spectrums ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 301-301
Author(s):  
Michael T. Guskey ◽  
Gustavo Alva ◽  
Jason L. Aldred ◽  
Bruce Coate ◽  
Daryl DeKarske ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Adjunctive Treatment ◽  
Hamilton Depression Scale ◽  
Open Label ◽  
Early Improvement ◽  
Symptoms Of Depression ◽  
Reported Data ◽  
Nighttime Sleep

Abstract:Study Objectives:Depression occurs in ~50% of Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients, increases in severity and duration as the disease progresses, and is associated with increased morbidity. Improvement of depression in PD patients is correlated with reduced physical disability and improved quality of life. We are assessing use of pimavanserin (PIM) for treatment of depression in adults with PD.Method:A Phase-2, 8-week, open-label, single-arm study is being conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of PIM as an adjunct to SSRI/SNRI or as monotherapy in adults with both PD and symptoms of depression (baseline Hamilton Depression Scale [17-items] total score [HAMD-17] ≥15). The primary endpoint of the study is change from Baseline to Week 8 in the HAMD-17. Secondary measures included the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scales (improvement and severity) and Scales of Outcomes in PD-Sleep (SCOPA).Results:Interim results based on the first 34 of 40 planned patients have been evaluated: 55.9% of patients were male, and average age was 68.1 years, with 19 patients on adjunctive therapy and 15 on monotherapy. At baseline, patients had a mean (SE) HAMD-17 of 19.8(0.6). Change from Baseline to Week 8 (least squares mean [LSM] [SE]) in the HAMD-17 was –10.7(1.0) (95% CI; –12.7,–8.7; P<0.001), with significant improvement seen as early as Week 2 (–8.4[1.0]; 95% CI; –10.5,–6.4; P<0.001). Significant improvement was seen for both adjunctive treatment and monotherapy: 45.2% of patients responded to treatment (≥50% improvement on the HAMD-17) at Week 8, and 35.5% reached remission (HAMD-17 ≤7). On the Clinical Global Impressions–Improvement scale, 54.8% were much/very much improved at Week 8. Significant improvement was seen in change from Baseline to Week 8 SCOPA–Global Sleep Quality, –Nighttime Sleep, and –Daytime Sleepiness: –1.0(0.4) (95% CI; –1.7,–0.3; P=0.010), –2.1(0.7) (95% CI; –3.6,–0.6; P=0.008), –2.1(0.4) (95% CI; –3.0,–1.2; P<0.001) respectively. Twenty-one of the 34 enrolled patients have completed the study to date, and another 7 are still continuing. Thirteen patients reported adverse events, the most common being falls, UTI, diarrhea, and nausea.Conclusions:These interim data suggest that PIM as adjunctive treatment or monotherapy is associated with early improvement of depressive symptoms in patients with PD and is well tolerated. This is consistent with recently reported data of PIM in major depressive disorder. Final data will be shared at the time of this presentation. However, additional placebo-controlled data will be needed to determine fully the efficacy of PIM in patients with comorbid PD and depression.Funding Acknowledgements:ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc.

scholarly journals Probable RBD Associates with the Development of RLS in Parkinson’s Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Yewei Qu ◽  
Lu Zhang ◽  
Dongfang Shen ◽  
Wangzikang Zhang ◽  
Mingsha Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Hamilton Depression Scale ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Sleep Behavior

Objectives. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of restless leg syndrome (RLS) and exploring the contributing factors that affect the development of RLS in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted consisting of 178 consecutive PD patients from our hospital between October 2015 and August 2016. We divided the participants into two groups, which were PD with RLS and PD with non-RLS. Then, we recorded their demographics and clinical data to draw a comparison between PD with RLS and PD with non-RLS. Results. 23 (12.92%) were diagnosed with RLS among all the enrolled PD patients. Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale III (UPDRS III) and Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) scores, probable rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (PRBD), and daily levodopa equivalent dose (LED) in the PD with the RLS group were significantly different from those in the PD with the non-RLS group. Daily LED and the scores of UPDRS III and HAMD in PD patients with RLS were all higher than those in PD patients with non-RLS. PRBD, daily LED, and HAMD scores were significantly independent factors contributing to the development of RLS (OR=4.678, 95% CI 1.372~15.944, P=0.014; OR=1.003, 95% CI 1.001~1.005, P=0.019; OR=1.094, 95% CI 1.002~1.193, P=0.045). The severity of RLS was positively correlated with the duration of PD and daily LED (r=0.438, P=0.036; r=0.637, P=0.001). Conclusion. PRBD existence, daily LED, and HAMD scores are independent factors for developing RLS in PD patients. PRBD existence is firstly proposed as an independent factor in developing RLS among PD patients. RLS severity in PD patients are positively associated with the duration of PD and daily LED.

scholarly journals A Comparison of Pain between Parkinson’s Disease and Multiple System Atrophy: A Clinical Cross-Sectional Survey

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
He-Yang You ◽  
Lei Wu ◽  
Hai-Ting Yang ◽  
Chen Yang ◽  
Xiao-Ling Ding
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Multiple System Atrophy ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Disease Rating ◽  
Vas Scores

Background. Pain is frequent in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Parkinson-plus syndrome. This study aimed to assess the prevalence, characteristics, therapy (especially the effect of dopaminergic therapy), and associated symptoms of pain in Parkinson's disease and multiple system atrophy (MSA) patients. Methods. Seventy-one PD patients, sixty-five MSA patients, and forty age-matched healthy controls were enrolled and evaluated by using the German pain questionnaire and visual analogue scale (VAS). In addition, the influence of pain in PD patients on anxiety, depression, and the quality of life was assessed with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39). Results. Compared to that of the healthy controls, the PD and MSA patients had a significantly higher presence of pain (P<0.01, P<0.01). PD patients had a higher presence of pain than MSA patients (P=0.007). No difference in VAS scores was observed between the PD and MSA patients (P=0.148). A total of 21 PD patients (42.85%) with pain and 13 MSA patients (43.33%) with pain received treatment. A total of 13 PD patients with pain and 6 MSA patients with pain had an improved pain intensity after using dopaminergic medication. The differences in the disease duration, Hoehn and Yahr stages, and scores on the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale motor score, HAD-D, HAD-A, and PDQ-39 were significant between the PD patients with and without pain. Conclusion. PD and MSA patients are prone to pain with insufficient treatment. Pain interventions should be provided as soon as possible to improve the patient’s life.

scholarly journals Depression in Parkinson's disease: study of 60 cases

2005 ◽  
Vol 63 (3b) ◽  
pp. 766-771 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberto César Pereira do Prado ◽  
Egberto Reis Barbosa
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Psychiatric Symptoms ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Hamilton Depression Scale ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Clinical Criteria ◽  
Disease Study ◽  
Age Range ◽  
Relationship Of

Depression is very frequent in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and largely unrecognized by neurologists, emphasizing the need of an approach to psychiatric symptoms by non psychiatrists in order to ensure an early diagnosis of depression in PD; clinical characteristics and the prevalence rate of depression in PD were evaluated and the relationship of depression in PD with other variables were determined. Sixty PD subjects, who fulfilled the clinical criteria for primary PD, 56,6% males, age range from 44 to 85 years old, in different stages of the disease were investigated. All subjects were submitted to the UPDRS-III, V and VI, Clinical Interview Schedule and the Hamilton depression scale. A significant correlation was found between depression and UPDRS-III, V and VI, anxiety and irritability. The frequency of depression in PD in this study was nearly 40% possessing specific features. Structured interviews and evaluation scales are essential for an accurate diagnosis and proper treatment of depression in PD.

Cognition, coping, and outcome in Parkinson's disease

2012 ◽  
Vol 24 (10) ◽  
pp. 1656-1663 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine S. Hurt ◽  
Sabine Landau ◽  
David J. Burn ◽  
John V. Hindle ◽  
Mike Samuel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Latent Variable ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Task Oriented

ABSTRACTBackground: Cognitive impairment and depression are common and disabling non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD). Previous studies have shown associations between them but the nature of the relationship remains unclear. In chronic illness, problem- or task-oriented coping strategies are associated with better outcome but often require higher level cognitive functioning. The present study investigated, in a sample of patients with PD, the relationships between cognitive function, choice of coping strategies, and a broad index of outcome including depression, anxiety, and health-related quality of life (QoL). It was hypothesized that the coping strategy used could mediate the association between cognition and outcome.Methods: 347 participants completed the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire-8, the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, and the Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination–Revised. Structural Equation Modeling was used to test the hypothesized model of cognition, coping, and outcome based on a direct association between cognition and outcome and an indirect association mediated by coping.Results: Overall, poorer cognition predicted less use of task-oriented coping, which predicted worse outcome (a latent variable comprised of higher depression and anxiety and lower QoL). The analyses suggested a small indirect effect of cognition on outcome mediated by coping.Conclusions: The findings suggest that patients who fail to employ task-oriented coping strategies may be at greater risk of depression, anxiety, and poor health-related QoL. Even mild to moderate cognitive impairment may contribute to reduced use of task-oriented coping. Suitably adapted cognitive–behavioral approaches may be useful to enable the use of adaptive coping strategies in such patients.

Magnetic resonance–guided focused ultrasound thalamotomy for tremor: a report of 30 Parkinson's disease and essential tremor cases

2018 ◽  
Vol 128 (1) ◽  
pp. 202-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Menashe Zaaroor ◽  
Alon Sinai ◽  
Dorith Goldsher ◽  
Ayelet Eran ◽  
Maria Nassar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Adverse Events ◽  
Essential Tremor ◽  
Focused Ultrasound ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Innovative Technology ◽  
The Mean

OBJECTIVEThalamotomy of the ventral intermediate nucleus (VIM) is effective in alleviating medication-resistant tremor in patients with essential tremor (ET) and Parkinson's disease (PD). MR-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) is an innovative technology that enables noninvasive thalamotomy via thermal ablation.METHODSPatients with severe medication-resistant tremor underwent unilateral VIM thalamotomy using MRgFUS. Effects on tremor were evaluated using the Clinical Rating Scale for Tremor (CRST) in patients with ET and by the motor part of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) in patients with PD and ET-PD (defined as patients with ET who developed PD many years later). Quality of life in ET was measured by the Quality of Life in Essential Tremor (QUEST) questionnaire and in PD by the PD Questionnaire (PDQ-39).RESULTSThirty patients underwent MRgFUS, including 18 with ET, 9 with PD, and 3 with ET-PD. The mean age of the study population was 68.9 ± 8.3 years (range 46–87 years) with a mean disease duration of 12.1 ± 8.9 years (range 2–30 years). MRgFUS created a lesion at the planned target in all patients, resulting in cessation of tremor in the treated hand immediately following treatment. At 1 month posttreatment, the mean CRST score of the patients with ET decreased from 40.7 ± 11.6 to 9.3 ± 7.1 (p < 0.001) and was 8.2 ± 5.0 six months after treatment (p < 0.001, compared with baseline). Average QUEST scores decreased from 44.8 ± 12.9 to 13.1 ± 13.2 (p < 0.001) and was 12.3 ± 7.2 six months after treatment (p < 0.001). In patients with PD, the mean score of the motor part of the UPDRS decreased from 24.9 ± 8.0 to 16.4 ± 11.1 (p = 0.042) at 1 month and was 13.4 ± 9.2 six months after treatment (p = 0.009, compared with baseline). The mean PDQ-39 score decreased from 38.6 ± 16.8 to 26.1 ± 7.2 (p = 0.036) and was 20.6 ± 8.8 six months after treatment (p = 0.008). During follow-up of 6–24 months (mean 11.5 ± 7.2 months, median 12.0 months), tremor reappeared in 6 of the patients (2 with ET, 2 with PD, and 2 with ET-PD), to a lesser degree than before the procedure in 5. Adverse events that transiently occurred during sonication included headache (n = 11), short-lasting vertigo (n = 14) and dizziness (n = 4), nausea (n = 3), burning scalp sensation (n = 3), vomiting (n = 2) and lip paresthesia (n = 2). Adverse events that lasted after the procedure included gait ataxia (n = 5), unsteady feeling (n = 4), taste disturbances (n = 4), asthenia (n = 4), and hand ataxia (n = 3). No adverse event lasted beyond 3 months. Patients underwent on average 21.0 ± 6.9 sonications (range 14–45 sonications) with an average maximal sonication time of 16.0 ± 3.0 seconds (range 13–24 seconds). The mean maximal energy reached was 12,500 ± 4274 J (range 5850–23,040 J) with a mean maximal temperature of 56.5° ± 2.2°C (range 55°–60°C).CONCLUSIONSMRgFUS VIM thalamotomy to relieve medication-resistant tremor was safe and effective in patients with ET, PD, and ET-PD. Current results emphasize the superior adverse events profile of MRgFUS over other surgical approaches for treating tremor with similar efficacy. Large randomized studies are needed to assess prolonged efficacy and safety.

scholarly journals Acupuncture-Related Therapies for Parkinson's Disease: A Meta-Analysis and Qualitative Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaopeng Wen ◽  
Kunbin Li ◽  
Hao Wen ◽  
Qian Wang ◽  
Zhiyuan Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Risk Of Bias ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Hamilton Depression Scale ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Conventional Medication

Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the effects of the combination of acupuncture-related therapies with conventional medication compared with conventional medication in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD).Methods: A literature search within eight databases [including Medline, Embase, the Cochrane Library, PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), China Biology Medicine (CBM), VIP, and Wanfang Database] was performed covering a time frame from their inception to August 2020. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing acupuncture-related therapies combined with conventional medication vs. conventional medication in patients with PD were eligible. Two authors independently assessed the risk of bias. Assessments were performed with the total and subscales scores of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), 39-item Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39), the dosage of Madopar, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and 17-item Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD). Data were analyzed by adopting the Cochrane Collaboration's RevMan 5.4 (Review Man, Copenhagen, Denmark); and mean effect sizes and 95% confidence intervals were estimated. Tests for heterogeneity were used to assess differences in treatment effects across different types of acupuncture used.Results: Sixty-six trials met the inclusion criteria, of which 61 trials provided data for the meta-analysis. We defined high-quality articles as those with a low risk of bias in four or more domains; and only 10 (15.15%) articles were of high quality. Compared with the controls, acupuncture-related therapies with conventional medication achieved a benefit in the primary outcomes of UPDRS (motor subscore: −3.90, −4.33 to −3.49, P &lt; 0.01; total score: −7.37 points, −8.91 to −5.82, P &lt; 0.001; activities of daily living subscore: −3.96, −4.96 to −2.95, P &lt; 0.01). For the subgroup difference test among the effects of different acupuncture methods, significant differences existed in outcomes with the UPDRS-III, UPDRS-I, UPDRS-IV, and PDQ-39 scores and Madopar dosage, while non-significant differences existed with the UPDRS-total, UPDRS-II, HAMD, and MMSE scores.Conclusions: Acupuncture-related therapies combined with conventional medication may benefit individuals with PD. Our review findings should be considered with caution because of the methodological weaknesses in the included trials. Future, large randomized trials of acupuncture-related therapies for PD with high methodological quality are warranted.Systematic Review Registration: Identifier CRD42021228110.

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