Tuesday, April 30, 2024

Parkinson’s Disease Current Research

Social Symptoms Of Parkinsons Disease

New Frontiers in Parkinson’s Disease Research and Care

Kathryne Van Hedger

Abstract

Parkinsons disease is typically well recognized by its characteristic motor symptoms . The cognitive symptoms of PD are increasingly being acknowledged by clinicians and researchers alike. However, PD also involves a host of emotional and communicative changes which can cause major disruptions to social functioning. These incude problems producing emotional facial expressions and emotional speech , as well as difficulties recognizing the verbal and nonverbal emotional cues of others. These social symptoms of PD can result in severe negative social consequences, including stigma, dehumanization, and loneliness, which might affect quality of life to an even greater extent than more well-recognized motor or cognitive symptoms. It is, therefore, imperative that researchers and clinicans become aware of these potential social symptoms and their negative effects, in order to properly investigate and manage the socioemotional aspects of PD. This narrative review provides an examination of the current research surrounding some of the most common social symptoms of PD and their related social consequences and argues that proactively and adequately addressing these issues might improve disease outcomes.

1. Introduction

2. Social Communication Challenges in PD

2.1. Facial Masking
2.2. Emotion Recognition Problems
2.3. Dysarthria
2.4. Prosody Identification Deficit
2.5. Future Directions

3. Negative Consequences Associated with Social Symptoms of PD

Herbal Formulation With Anti

Ban Xia Hou Po Tang can significantly improve the swallowing reflex in Parkinsons disease patients . Bushen Yanggan Xifeng Decoction has effects on neurotransmitters and DA receptors in the striatum of PD model mice . Chuanxiong Chatiao pelvis has neuroprotective effects against MPTP-induced dopaminergic neurotoxicity in mice models of Parkinsons disease. Huanglian Jiedu Decoction has protective effects on the injury of PC12 cells induced by MPP+ . Kami-shojo-san has effects against tremors due to antipsychotic-induced PD . Liuwei Dihuang Pill can protect dopaminergic neurons in MPTP-induced PD mice . San-Huang-Xie-Xin-Tang has neuroprotective effects in the MPP+/MPTP models of PD in vitro and in vivo . Tianma Gauteng Yin has protective effects against apoptosis of dopaminergic neurons and oxidation stress response in Parkinsons disease model rats . Yeoldahansotang has neuroprotective effects on the PD model via autophagy enhancement . Zhen-wu-tang has ameliorative and neuroprotective effects on rats induced by MPTP through keeping DA stable and vesicular monoamine transporter 2/DA transporter mRNA in balance . Zeichen Soup has the effect of promoting neural stem cell differentiation in PD model rats .

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Research Breakthrough Will Help Develop Future Treatments Against Parkinsons Disease

Researchers from the University of Dundee have discovered a small molecule that helps to eliminate a Parkinsons disease-causing protein

Researchers from the University of Dundee have discovered a small molecule that helps to eliminate a Parkinsons disease-causing protein.

Parkinsons disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder affecting more than 10 million people worldwide. No cure is available and current treatment is limited to symptomatic management.

Researchers from the Universitys Centre for Targeted Protein Degradation and MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit have made significant strides towards developing new therapies through the design of XL01126, a small molecule that degrades a protein known to play a key role in the development of Parkinsons.

The protein, Leucine Rich Repeat Kinase 2 , is one of the most important and promising targets for developing treatments for Parkinsons disease, but until now scientists have only been able to inhibit its function rather than destroying it completely.

XL01126 eliminates LRRK2 from within the cell by utilising the cells natural waste disposal system. The research also demonstrated that XL01126 can be taken orally and can be detected in the brain in mice, two sought-after features of drugs targeting neurodegenerative diseases that can be very challenging to achieve.

The article is available and open access here:

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How Can People Cope With Parkinson’s Disease

While PD usually progresses slowly, eventually daily routines may be affectedfrom socializing with friends to earning a living and taking care of a home. These changes can be difficult to accept. Support groups can help people cope with the diseases emotional impact. These groups also can provide valuable information, advice, and experience to help people with PD, their families, and their caregivers deal with a wide range of issues, including locating doctors familiar with the disease and coping with physical limitations. A list of national organizations that can help people locate support groups in their communities appears at the end of this information. Individual or family counseling may also help people find ways to cope with PD.

People with PD may also benefit from being proactive and finding out as much as possible about the disease in order to alleviate fear of the unknown and to take a positive role in maintaining their health. Many people with PD continue to work either full- or part-time, although they may need to adjust their schedule and working environment to accommodate their symptoms.

The Latest In Nutrition And Parkinsons Disease

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Eating well can help you take control of your health. In fact, choosing to eat healthy foods can improve your Parkinsons disease symptoms. And some research suggests that sound nutritional choices could have disease-modifying effects, meaning that they could potentially slow PD progression. Changing your eating habits can be a challenge, but there are many small adjustments you can make to your diet that will add up to big benefits. Learning about them is the first step.

The following article is based on the latest research and a Parkinsons Foundation Expert Briefings about nutrition, hosted by John E. Duda, M.D., from Philadelphia VA Parkinsons Disease Research, Education & Clinical Center .

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Advanced And Future Treatments For Parkinsons

While theres no cure for Parkinsons disease, recent research has led to improved treatments.

Scientists and doctors are working together to find a treatment or prevention technique. Research is also seeking to understand who is more likely to develop the disease. In addition, scientists are studying the genetic and environmental factors that increase the chance of a diagnosis.

Here are the latest treatments for this progressive neurological disorder.

In 2002, the FDA approved deep brain stimulation as a treatment for Parkinsons disease. But advances in DBS were limited because only one company was approved to make the device used for the treatment.

In June 2015, the FDA approved the

Common Scale Of Motor Symptom Severity May Have Flaws: Study

A commonly used measure of how motor symptoms are affecting daily life could also for people in early stages of Parkinsons disease be taking into account the contribution of their non-motor symptoms, a study suggests. This is a likely reason for the discrepancies seen in evaluations made by patients

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How Is Parkinsons Disease Diagnosed

There are currently no specific tests that diagnose PD. The diagnosis is based on:

  • medical history and a neurological examination
  • blood and laboratory tests, to rule out other disorders that may be causing the symptoms
  • brain scans to rule out other disorders. However, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging brain scans of people with PD usually appear normal.

In rare cases, where people have a clearly inherited form of PD, researchers can test for known gene mutations as a way of determining an individuals risk of developing the disease. However, this genetic testing can have far-reaching implications and people should carefully consider whether they want to know the results of such tests.

Anticholinergics For Early On

Neuro Talk: Top 3 Parkinsons Disease Research Areas We Fund

The first pharmacological agents used in PD therapy were anticholinergic drugs. They reduce the activity of acetylcholine by acting as antagonists at choline receptors, hoping to restore the balance between dopamine and acetylcholine levels that was disturbed by PD. These drugs have largely been replaced by L-DOPA and other centrally acting dopaminergic agonists, but they still remain available for use in the treatment of PD. Benztropine, biperiden, diphenhydramine, ethopropazine, orphenadrine, procyclidine, and trihexyphenidyl are included in this therapeutic class of drugs, though there is little pharmacokinetic information available on them because of their low plasma drug concentrations. Typically, anticholinergic drugs have a greater role in tremor-predominant PD and can be a monotherapy in early stages, but are usually done in adjunct with L-DOPA or other prescribed medications.

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Icipate In A Research Study

Many research studies into Parkinson’s disease need human volunteers to answer specific health questions. Your participation in these research studies allows you to access new treatments for Parkinson’s disease before they are widely available and contributes to medical research.

What Are The Different Stages Of Parkinsons Disease

Each person with Parkinsons disease experiences symptoms in in their own unique way. Not everyone experiences all symptoms of Parkinsons disease. You may not experience symptoms in the same order as others. Some people may have mild symptoms others may have intense symptoms. How quickly symptoms worsen also varies from individual to individual and is difficult to impossible to predict at the outset.

In general, the disease progresses from early stage to mid-stage to mid-late-stage to advanced stage. This is what typically occurs during each of these stages:

Early stage

Early symptoms of Parkinsons disease are usually mild and typically occur slowly and do not interfere with daily activities. Sometimes early symptoms are not easy to detect or you may think early symptoms are simply normal signs of aging. You may have fatigue or a general sense of uneasiness. You may feel a slight tremor or have difficulty standing.

Often, a family member or friend notices some of the subtle signs before you do. They may notice things like body stiffness or lack of normal movement slow or small handwriting, lack of expression in your face, or difficulty getting out of a chair.

Mid stage

Mid-late stage

Standing and walking are becoming more difficult and may require assistance with a walker. You may need full time help to continue to live at home.

Advanced stage

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Symptoms Of Parkinsons Disease

Parkinsons has four main symptoms:

  • Tremor in hands, arms, legs, jaw, or head
  • Muscle stiffness, where muscle remains contracted for a long time
  • Slowness of movement
  • Impaired balance and coordination, sometimes leading to falls

Other symptoms may include:

The symptoms of Parkinsons and the rate of progression differ among individuals. Early symptoms of this disease are subtle and occur gradually. For example, people may feel mild tremors or have difficulty getting out of a chair. They may notice that they speak too softly, or that their handwriting is slow and looks cramped or small. Friends or family members may be the first to notice changes in someone with early Parkinsons. They may see that the persons face lacks expression and animation, or that the person does not move an arm or leg normally.

People with Parkinson’s disease often develop a parkinsonian gait that includes a tendency to lean forward take small, quick steps and reduce swinging their arms. They also may have trouble initiating or continuing movement.

Symptoms often begin on one side of the body or even in one limb on one side of the body. As the disease progresses, it eventually affects both sides. However, the symptoms may still be more severe on one side than on the other.

The Motor Network In Parkinsons Disease And Dystonia: Mechanisms Of Therapy

Cannabis and Parkinson

open to eligible people ages 21-75

This is an exploratory pilot study to identify neural correlates of specific motor signs in Parkinsons disease and dystonia, using a novel totally implanted neural interface that senses brain activity as well as delivering therapeutic stimulation. Parkinsons disease and isolated dystonia patients will be implanted unilaterally or bilaterally with a totally internalized bidirectional neural interface, Medtronic Summit RC+S. This study includes three populations: ten PD patients undergoing deep brain stimulation in the subthalamic nucleus , ten PD patients with a globus pallidus target and five dystonia patients. All groups will test a variety of strategies for feedback-controlled deep brain stimulation, and all patients will undergo a blinded, small pilot clinical trial of closed-loop stimulation for thirty days.

San Francisco, California

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Amneal Tests A New Formulation

AmnealPharmaceuticals plans to report Phase III safety results for IPX-203, a reformulation of the common generic PD treatment combination of carbidopa and levodopa that could reduce symptom fluctuations. The company said the Phase III, open-label extension study will have results available by the end of the second quarter of 2022.

CD/LD can lead to troughs and spikes of plasma levels that generate side-effects like dyskinesia, Kordower explains. A new extended-release version of CD/LD could smooth out these drops, he notes.

If approved, IPX-203 will join several other marketed reformulations of CD/LD. Amneals own extended-release capsule Rytary, Schwarz Pharmas orally disintegrating tablet Parcopa, and AbbVies enteral suspension Duopa all have FDA approval in PD. A GlobalData consensus forecasts pegs peak IPX-203 sales at $127 million in 2028.

In a separate, placebo-controlled Phase III trial , IPX-203 resulted in 0.53 more hours of ON time than immediate-release CD/LD after seven weeks . Earlier, a six-week Phase II trial of IPX-203 reported no serious treatment-emergent adverse events among the 26 patients enrolled. Experts say the long-term safety data will be key in determining IPX-203s place among CD/LD formulations.

Is It Time To Redefine Pd

Not only do these pathological findings provide an explanation for the wide range of non-motor symptomatology, indicating a more complex and systemic nature of PD, they also hint toward possible extranigral origins and earlier disease onset. To that effect, Braak et al. proposed a six-point staging system, based on post-mortem histopathological evidence of abnormal -synuclein accumulation throughout the nervous system of individuals with differing disease durations. They describe a rather systematic propagation of -synuclein aggregates along interconnected neural networks, starting in the lower brainstem and anterior olfactory system and progressing to cortical areas with advancing disease. The pathology only reaches dopaminergic cells in the substantia nigra toward stages three and four, relating to the classic motor symptomatology.

As it stands, the traditional concept of PD as just a movement disorder is gradually making way for a more comprehensive and encompassing definition that recognizes the innate complexity of PD as a syndrome and the multiple affected neuroanatomical structures that lie at the foundation of the broad symptomatic range. Redefining PD as a multi-system neurodegenerative disorder not only acknowledges the widespread spatial organization of neurodegeneration and possibly a peripheral origin, but also implies earlier temporal progression along a much more extended disease continuum.

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Parkinsons Disease Diagnosis And Prognosis

A Parkinsons disease diagnosis cannot be determined by a single test but is rather assigned based on a patients medical history, symptoms, and a series of neurological and physical exams. Each patients Parkinsons disease prognosis is different, as the disease is unique to each person. While all patients will experience some degree of motor dysfunction, the severity and course that the disease takes may differ from person to person.

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New Research Explores The Possibilities Biomarkers Offer In Early Detection Accurate Diagnosis And Effective Treatment For Parkinsons Disease

Hype or Hope Exploring Research in Parkinson Disease

Parkinsons disease affects nearly 1 million people in the United States. We expect that number to grow to 1.2 million by 2030. In our recent webinar, Matt Stern, MD, a renowned expert in the field of Parkinsons disease, shared updates on the current state of Parkinsons research. He also discussed ongoing research and new discoveries that offer hope for people suffering from Parkinsons and other neurodegenerative diseases.

Dr. Stern is a professor of neurology, co-founder of the Parkinsons Disease and Movement Disorder Center at the University of Pennsylvania, and founding director of the Parkinsons Disease Research, Education and Clinical Center at the Pennsylvania VA Medical Center.

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Bringing Together Global Experts In The Parkinsons Arena

Professor Simon Lewis, Director of the ForeFront Parkinson’s Disease Research Clinic at the Brain & Mind Centre is the Clinical Lead for the program, bringing critical expertise in clinical trial design to the balance of skills.

He says the clinical chemistry between the Brain and Mind Centre and the Garvan Institute makes for a perfect partnership.

From the very beginning of these discussions, I was very keen on the novel concept of targeting different pathways in the same trial said Professor Lewis.

On the clinical side, we measure the traditional indicators of disease progression, whilst some of our leading scientists at the University of Sydney, Prof Glenda Halliday and Dr Nic Dzamko have developed blood tests evaluating target and disease engagement to look at those important pathways underpinning the disease. Finally, the genomics arm led by the Garvan allows us to progress the field of precision medicine by identifying key genetic signatures.

The first clinical trial is being conducted across eight sites across Australia, integrating clinical, biomarker and genomic information to identify the patients who respond to treatments that target specific changes taking place in the brain.

Were hoping that the outcomes of our clinical trials will provide evidence to suggest that a targeted treatment for treating patients with particular genetic signatures is possible, said Professor Lewis.

Studies That Investigate The Relationship Between Pd And Covid

  • A study of anxiety during the pandemic was conducted in Iran. Patients with PD were asked to fill out questionnaires to rate their levels of anxiety. Questionnaires also contained questions related to PD and COVID-19. Data was collected from patients, caregivers and controls. The study showed that:
  • Levels of moderate and severe anxiety were significantly increased in PD patients over caregivers or controls.
  • 20% of patients that were polled felt that the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated their PD symptoms.
  • 12% increased their PD medication use during the pandemic.
  • A study of the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on PD patients was conducted in Egypt. Patients from the movement disorders clinic were assessed over the phone. The study demonstrated that:
  • Compared to controls, PD patients had significantly increased levels of stress, depression and anxiety along with decreased measures of quality of life, as compared to controls.
  • PD patients also reported a significant decline in physical activity as compared to pre-lockdown.
  • Two movement disorders groups one in London and one in Italy published a case series of 10 patients with advanced PD symptoms and COVID-19. The average age of the group was 78 with a 12-year duration of disease. The study showed that:
  • Most of the group that was studied required additional levodopa during their COVID-19 infection.
  • Anxiety, fatigue, orthostatic hypotension, cognitive impairment, and psychosis worsened during the infection.
  • Four patients died.
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