Risk of falling in Parkinson's disease at the Hoehn-Yahr stage III.

BACKGROUND: It is difficult to predict the risk of falling, especially in patients with good motor ability, and the mechanisms underlying the relation between gait patterns and falling in Parkinson's disease (PD) remain unclear. We investigated factors related to falling, including walking speed and time, in patients with Hoehn-Yahr stage III PD. METHODS: We performed clinical assessments and evaluated balance in 30 patients with PD. Information on falling was obtained from questionnaires and personal interviews. Gait patterns were analyzed with the use of an originally designed, suddenly narrowed path. RESULTS: Gait velocity was slower in fallers than in non-fallers (p = 0.047). Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale part II (UPDRS part II) score, fear of falling, and gait velocity were significantly related to falling on analysis with a single logistic model. When a multiple logistic model was used, the UPDRS part II score was significantly related to falling (OR: 1.48, p = 0.037, 95% CI: 1.02-2.16). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with Hoehn-Yahr stage III PD showed slow gait velocity attributed to fear of falling before arrival at a narrowed entrance or while walking on a narrowed path. The UPDRS part II score is significantly related to the risk of future falls.

Clinical analysis of paraneoplastic encephalitis associated with ovarian teratoma.

BACKGROUND: Recently, paraneoplastic encephalitis associated with ovarian teratoma has been described and related to an autoantibody. METHODS: We describe four patients with ovarian teratoma-associated encephalitis (OTE) and compared their clinical pictures with those of 17 previously reported patients with OTE. RESULTS: Clinically, OTE was characterized by the development of acute prominent psychiatric symptoms (20 of 21 patients), seizures (15 of 21 patients), and central hypoventilation (13 of 21 patients). Our patients had hypersalivation (three patients) and cardiac conduction problems (all patients); hypothermia was present in one patient. The mean time from the onset of OTE to tumor diagnosis was 19.6+/-22.1 weeks. Ventilatory support was required for 54.9+/-25.4 days on average. The white blood cell count in cerebrospinal fluid was 55.1+/-61.2/mm3. Twelve patients showed abnormalities on cranial MRI, involving areas such as the temporal regions (seven patients) or brainstem (four patients). In addition to tumor resection, 17 patients received some type of immunotherapy: 17 patients received corticosteroids, 10 received intravenous immunoglobulins, two received cyclophosphamide, seven received plasma exchange. Eighteen patients with OTE had neurological improvement, including 11 with full recovery. CONCLUSIONS: OTE presents with cardiac conduction problems and hypersalivation in addition to psychiatric symptoms, seizures, and central hypoventilation.