Deep brain stimulation may improve quality of life in people with Parkinson's disease without affecting caregiver burden.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the influence of deep brain stimulation (DBS) on caregiver burden and quality of life in Parkinson's disease. METHODS: A cross-sectional retrospective study utilizing the National Parkinson Foundation Quality Improvement Initiative clinical study was conducted. A group of 275 patients who had undergone DBS for Parkinson's disease were extracted from 2916 subjects who were included in this data base. The data were compared to an age, sex, and disease severity matched control group. A secondary analysis was then performed on two more control groups that were matched to account for presence or absence of motor fluctuations. The multidimensional caregiver strain index and Parkinson's disease quality-of-life questionnaire 39 summary index were compared. RESULTS: The multidimensional caregiver strain index did not differ between the DBS group (16.9 ± 11.8) and a matched non-DBS group (16.1 ± 17.6, p = 0.618). The quality-of-life index was, however, significantly better in the DBS group (28.9 ± 15.6) than in the non-DBS group (32.3 ± 17.6, p = 0.034). A secondary analysis revealed that the total caregiver strain score was lower in the no motor fluctuation control group than the other two groups (p < 0.05). Regression analysis revealed significant relationships between the quality-of-life index and caregiver strain index total scores (p < 0.001), between caregiver strain index total score and age at surgery (p = 0.027), and also between the interval since surgery (p = 0.048). CONCLUSIONS: Although there were several limitations to this study, DBS seems to improve quality of life without significantly increasing caregiver burden.

Progressive Decline in Voice and Voice-Related Quality of Life in X-Linked Dystonia Parkinsonism.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the evolution of swallowing and voice in patients with X-linked dystonia parkinsonism (XDP). STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case series. METHODS: Retrospective review of 59 patients with XDP from January 2016 to January 2018. All patients underwent complete examinations and quality of life (QOL) surveys (Swallowing Quality of Life questionnaire [SWAL-QOL], Voice-Related Quality of Life [V-RQOL], and Voice Handicap Index [VHI]), and functional endoscopic examination of swallowing. We excluded patients with incomplete records or patients lost to follow-up. Univariate analysis was used to compare 2016 to 2018 Penetration-Aspiration Scale (PAS), SWAL-QOL, V-RQOL, and VHI scores. RESULTS: Ten patients met the inclusion criteria. Nine patients had oromandibular dystonia. Voice-related measures significantly worsened with an increase in mean VHI from 81 to 109.9 (P = 0.026) and decrease in mean V-RQOL from 58 to 28 (P = 0.013). Vocal strain also significantly worsened 0.4 to 1.4 (P = 0.001). Mean PAS scores increased from 4.2 to 5.1 (P = 0.068) and mean SWAL-QOL decreased from 50.4 to 43.5 (P = 0.157). In the SWAL-QOL, the mean Eating Duration score worsened from 0.9 to 0.4 (P = 0.052) and Mental Health score declined from 10.1 to 6.1 (P = 0.077). CONCLUSIONS: Both vocal strain and voice-related QOL measures considerably worsened over the 2-year interval in our limited group of XDP patients with no significant change in PAS scores or swallowing QOL. The findings demonstrated that the pace of disease affecting voice symptoms was different from swallowing symptoms in our study group and that changes in communication ability may be a more sensitive marker for disease progression than swallowing dysfunction.

Assessment of substantia nigra echogenicity in German and Filipino populations using a portable ultrasound system.

OBJECTIVES: Transcranial sonography of the substantia nigra for diagnosing premotor stages of Parkinson disease has been attracting increasing interest. Standard reference values defining an abnormal increased echogenic size (hyperechogenicity) of the substantia nigra have been established in several populations using high-end stationary ultrasound systems. It is unknown whether a portable ultrasound system can be appropriately used and how the Filipino population would compare with the well-studied white population. METHODS: We prospectively studied substantia nigra echogenic sizes and third ventricle widths in 71 healthy adult German participants and 30 age- and sex-matched Filipino participants using both a well-established stationary ultrasound system (in the German cohort) and a recently distributed portable ultrasound system (in both ethnic cohorts). RESULTS: Mean substantia nigra echogenic sizes, cutoff values defining abnormal hyperechogenicity, and intra-rater reliability were similar with both systems and in both ethnic cohorts studied. The Filipino and German participants did not differ with respect to the frequency of insufficient insonation conditions (each 3%) and substantia nigra hyperechogenicity (10% versus 9%; P = .80). However, third ventricle widths were smaller in the Filipino than the German participants (mean ± SD, 1.6 ± 1.1 versus 2.4 ± 1.0 mm; P = .004). CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of substantia nigra hyperechogenicity appears to be homogeneous in white and Asian populations. Screening for this feature may well be performed with a present-day portable ultrasound system.

Untreated depressive symptoms among cognitively-intact, community dwelling Filipino patients with Parkinson disease.

The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of depressive symptoms and its correlation with the quality of life among cognitively intact, community dwelling Filipino patients with Parkinson disease (PD) not treated pharmacologically for depression. In this prospective, cross-sectional study 76 PD patients were included. Demographic data were obtained including: age, gender, onset of disease, disease duration, and medication intake. The Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) was performed to exclude significant cognitive impairment. The Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) was administered to quantify the degree of depressive symptoms. The degree of depressive symptoms was correlated with the SF 36 and UPDRS Parts II and III. Our cohort of patients had a mean age of 61 years (range: 42-81 years), and disease duration of 2.7 years (33 months); 46 (61%) experienced significant depressive symptoms based on the MADRS cutoff score of >14. Depressive symptoms were associated with poorer performance on both UPDRS Parts II and III and SF 36. Untreated depressive symptoms among Filipinos with PD may be higher compared to other PD populations but prospective and age-matched controlled studies will need to be performed to confirm these preliminary observations. The presence of depressive symptoms was significantly correlated with poorer quality of life and level of functioning.

Phasic Knee Bending Dystonic and Parkinsonian Gait: A Characteristic Finding in X-Linked Dystonia Parkinsonism.

BACKGROUND: X-linked dystonia parkinsonism (XDP) is a rare disorder characterized by adult-onset, progressive dystonia that, over time, is combined with or replaced by features of parkinsonism. Gait impairment is common. METHODS: Case series of 4 XDP patients with a unique gait disorder. RESULTS: The patients displayed a characteristic gait disorder with combined dystonic and parkinsonian gait features, with phasic knee bending. Of these patients, all had parkinsonism and three-quarters had prominent dystonic features, but 1 had predominant parkinsonism and subtle dystonic features. CONCLUSION: Although XDP is a classic form of dystonia parkinsonism, some cases can mimic idiopathic Parkinson's disease. We describe a gait disorder which appears unique to XDP, involving phasic dystonic knee bending superimposed on parkinsonian shuffling, and may help clinically differentiate one of our parkinsonian-predominant patients from more-common forms of parkinsonism. The gait is distinct from other complex dystonic disorders with gait involvement.

Voice and swallowing dysfunction in X-linked dystonia parkinsonism.

OBJECTIVES: To systematically characterize and describe voice and swallowing manifestations in patients with X-linked dystonia parkinsonism (XDP) and correlate with quality-of-life (QOL) measures. METHODS: Thirty-four patients with XDP with communication and swallowing difficulties underwent neurological examination, head and neck examination, nasopharyngoscopy, QOL surveys (Swallowing Quality of Life questionnaire [SWAL-QOL] and Voice Handicap Index [VHI]), and functional endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) to assess the extent of dysfunction. RESULTS: All patients showed high rates of lingual, oromandibular, and laryngeal dysfunction, as well as severe QOL changes in swallowing and communication ability. The most common head and neck manifestations of dystonic symptoms were difficulty coordinating the mouth and tongue (79%), uncontrollable tongue thrusting (53%), and jaw opening (35%). Laryngeal symptoms including vocal strain (adductor voice breaks) or stridor (32%), as well as velopharyngeal insufficiency (20%), were also identified. Of the patients with laryngeal symptoms, 18% had respiratory dystonia. Swallowing assessments showed significant abnormalities in oral bolus control and oropharyngeal dysphagia. FEES examinations showed that 87.5% of the study group had penetration or aspiration. QOL scores showed an average VHI of 94.4 (severe dysfunction), and SWAL-QOL showed an average of 37.7 (severe dysfunction). CONCLUSION: Swallowing and voice impairment in XDP is not well characterized and presents a more distinctive phenomenology than other neurological disorders, with a unique set of challenges for treatment. This is the first study to systematically evaluate laryngeal and pharyngeal dysfunction in XDP patients and correlate with QOL measures. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 Laryngoscope, 130:171-177, 2020.

Sonographic alteration of substantia nigra is related to parkinsonism-predominant course of X-linked dystonia-parkinsonism.

INTRODUCTION: X-linked recessive dystonia-parkinsonism (XDP, DYT3) is highly prevalent in the Philippines and manifests with varying phenotype. We sought to evaluate the significance of transcranial brain sonography as a biomarker for parkinsonism-predominant phenotype. METHODS: 90 Filipino participants were enrolled into a cross-sectional study: 39 patients with XDP, 21 asymptomatic first-degree relatives of XDP patients, and 30 healthy control subjects. Echogenicity of the substantia nigra and the lenticular nuclei was digitally quantified. Brain sonography data were compared with video-based clinical assessment, genetic status and pedigree charts. RESULTS: The majority of patients had hyperechogenicity of the substantia nigra (79%) and/or the lenticular nuclei (81%). Disease duration correlated with echointensity of lenticular nuclei (Pearson test, r = 0.55, p = 0.029) but not substantia nigra (p = 0.31). Abnormal substantia-nigra hyperechogenicity was more frequent in patients with prominent parkinsonism (100%) compared to those without (68%; χ2 test, p = 0.035). The grading of substantia-nigra echogenicity (normal/increased) in patients was in all cases identical to that in their respective asymptomatic relatives. All patients with "familial" substantia-nigra normoechogenicity presented with a phenotype of predominant dystonia and only mild parkinsonism. In turn, "familial" substantia-nigra hyperechogenicity indicated a phenotype with moderate to severe parkinsonism (sensitivity, 100%; specificity, 67%; Fisher test, p = 0.021). CONCLUSION: Findings imply early alteration of the substantia nigra in XDP mutation carriers prone to develop parkinsonism. Thus, substantia-nigra hyperechogenicity may be regarded as a preclinical risk marker of parkinsonism-predominant XDP. Furthermore, this biomarker is clustered in some families suggesting the existence of one or more genetic co-factors influencing the phenotype of the disease.

Validation of the XDP-MDSP rating scale for the evaluation of patients with X-linked dystonia-parkinsonism.

X-linked dystonia-parkinsonism(XDP) is a neurodegenerative disorder endemic to the Philippines. A rating scale was developed by the authors under the guidance of the Movement Disorder Society of the Philippines (MDSP) to assess XDP severity and progression, functional impact, and response to treatment in future clinical trials. Our main objective was to validate our new scale, the XDP-MDSP scale. The initial validation process included pragmatic testing to XDP patients followed by a modified Delphi procedure with an international advisory panel of dystonia, parkinsonism and scale development experts. Pearson correlation was used to assess construct validity of our new scale versus the assess construct validity of our new scale versus standard dystonia, parkinsonism, non-motor and functional scales; and also to assess divergent validity against behavioral and cognitive scales. The 37-item XDP-MDSP scale has five parts: I-dystonia, II-parkinsonism, III-non-motor features, IV-ADL, and V-global impression. After initial validation, the scale was administered to 204 XDP patients. Inter-domain correlation for the first four parts was acceptable. The correlation between these domains and the global rating was slightly lower. Correlations between Parts I, II, III, and IV versus standard dystonia, parkinsonism, non-motor and functional scales were acceptable with values ranging from 0.323 to 0.428. For divergent validity, a significant correlation was seen with behavioral scales. No significant correlation was noted with the cognitive scale. The proposed XDP-MDSP scale is internally valid but the global rating subscale may need to be modified or eliminated. While there is convergent validity, divergent validation was successful only on cognitive and not behavioral scales. The frequent co-occurrence of anxiety and depression, and its effect on the motor and functional state, may explain this finding.

Nonmotor manifestations in Parkinson disease.

BACKGROUND: Although the diagnosis of Parkinson disease (PD) still relies mainly on the appearance of its classical motor features of resting tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, and postural instability, nonmotor manifestations in PD are now recognized as an integral component of this multisystem disorder. REVIEW SUMMARY: Nonmotor complications in PD occur commonly. The current understanding of cognitive dysfunction; neuropsychiatric manifestations including psychosis, impulsive control, and compulsive disorders, depression, anxiety and apathy; autonomic complications such as hypotension, erectile dysfunction, and urinary complications; sleep disorders and other nonmotor manifestations are summarized in this review. CONCLUSION: Nonmotor complications often carry a greater impact than motor features in PD. Therefore, heightened awareness and proper recognition of these features are critical in improving a Parkinson patient's quality of life.

Generic versus branded pharmacotherapy in Parkinson's disease: does it matter? A review.

There is an ongoing debate about generic drug use for a multitude of conditions including epilepsy, psychosis, hypertension, post-organ transplantation, and several infectious diseases. Most of the concerns involve drugs with narrow therapeutic indices. There is a heightened attention to health care costs and macroeconomic policy as well as microeconomic business decisions that may impact the use of generic drugs. The issues surrounding generic substitution for chronic degenerative conditions such as in Parkinson's disease (PD) continue to be controversial subjects for physicians, pharmacists, patients, Medicare/governmental insurance programs, and for private insurance companies. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that generic drugs meet a standard for bioequivalence prior to market approval, but this may not translate to therapeutic efficacy or to overall patient tolerance. In this review we will address issues related to the use of generics versus branded drugs in PD, and the potential impact substitution of generics may have on patients and on clinicians. Having proper documentation may help in deciding the appropriate usage of these drugs in PD. Medicare, governmental run health care systems, and third party insurance companies should in a complex disease such as PD, allow physicians and patients the chance to properly document the superiority of brand versus generic approaches. Currently, in the U.S, and in many countries around the world, there is no obligation for payers to respect these types of patient specific bedside trials, and there has been no standardization of the process.

The current prevalence and factors associated with tardive dyskinesia among Filipino schizophrenic patients.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of and the factors associated with tardive dyskinesia (TD) among Filipino patients with schizophrenia admitted at the National Center for Mental Health. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: A total of 227 inpatients fulfilling the DSM-IV TR criteria for schizophrenia participated in the study. Demographic data including age, disease duration and medication intake were obtained. The Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS) and Simpson Angus Rating Scale (SARS) were performed on all patients. Odds of developing TD in relation to the different variables were computed. The association between study variables and development of TD was also evaluated using the Chi-square test. FINDINGS: Our cohort of patients had a mean age of 40 (range: 19-73 years old), had a mean disease duration of 6 years, had a daily neuroleptic dose of 700 mg in chlorpromazine equivalent, and had a lifetime neuroleptic exposure of at least 5 years. The prevalence rate of TD was 20.3% (46 out of 227 patients). Fifty-three percent of patients had significant extrapyramidal features (SARS > or =3). TD was noted more in females and older age groups. The other factors associated with TD: were those patients with longer duration of illness and those patients with longer cumulative exposure to neuroleptic drugs. There was no association found with regard to the presence of diabetes mellitus type II, to the use of anticholinergic drugs, to the history of substance abuse and to the history of electroconvulsive therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the predominant use of first-generation antipsychotic agents, the prevalence of TD among Filipino schizophrenic patients is similar to that reported among Asians, but lower than that reported among our Western counterparts. The results may be affected by differences in methodological, racial and genetic determinants.