Pelvic autonomic dysfunction is common in patients with pure autonomic failure.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Pure autonomic failure (PAF) presents primarily as cardiovascular autonomic failure and may phenoconvert to other neurodegenerative disorders. However, the involvement of other autonomic functions has been poorly evaluated. This study aims to characterize genitourinary and bowel dysfunction and explore their relationship with cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction. METHODS: Pure autonomic failure patients underwent cardiovascular autonomic testing and an assessment of pelvic autonomic dysfunction using urinary, sexual symptoms questionnaires and a bladder diary. Demographic, clinical features and related medical comorbidities were assessed. RESULTS: Twenty-five patients (10 males) with PAF were included (mean age 71 ± 8 years; disease duration 13 ± 8 years). 96% (24/25) reported lower urinary tract symptoms, of which overactive bladder symptoms were most commonly reported (n = 23; 92%; median overactive subscore 8, interquartile range [IQR] 3-11), followed by voiding difficulties (n = 19; 76%; median low stream subscore 2, IQR 1-3) using the Urinary Symptom Profile; however, only four (16%) required clean intermittent self-catheterization. Sexual dysfunction was common (n = 21; 84%) using the Arizona Sexual Experience Scale. Mild faecal incontinence and constipation were reported. 86% (19/22) had nocturnal polyuria (NP) and the median NP index was 47% (IQR 38%-51%; normal range <33%). 77% (10/13) had voiding dysfunction and 31% (4/13) had post-void residual urine >100 mL. There were no significant correlations between the need for catheterization and the degree of NP with age, disease duration and cardiovascular autonomic parameters (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Nocturnal polyuria, genitourinary and bowel symptoms are commonly seen in PAF. The pathophysiology of NP in PAF is most likely multifactorial and may occur independent of cardiovascular autonomic failure.

Twenty-four-hour ambulatory blood pressure and heart rate profiles in diagnosing orthostatic hypotension in Parkinson's disease and multiple system atrophy.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Twenty-four-hour ambulatory blood pressure and heart rate monitoring (24-h ABPM) can provide vital information on circadian blood pressure (BP) profiles, which are commonly abnormal in Parkinson's disease with and without autonomic failure (PD + AF and PD) and multiple system atrophy (MSA). Twenty-four-hour ABPM has not been directly compared between these disorders regarding cardiovascular autonomic function. Our aim was to determine the usefulness of 24-h ABPM with diary compared to head-up tilting (HUT) in diagnosing orthostatic hypotension (OH) in these patients. METHODS: Seventy-four patients (23 MSA, 18 PD + AF, 33 PD) underwent cardiovascular autonomic screening followed by 24-h ABPM with diary. Standing tests were included during 24-h ABPM. The sensitivity and specificity in detecting OH from the 24-h ABPM standing test were compared with HUT. RESULTS: There was no difference in OH during HUT between MSA and PD + AF (P > 0.05). There was a higher proportion of abnormal BP circadian rhythms in MSA and PD + AF compared to PD (P < 0.05) but not between MSA and PD + AF (P > 0.05). Patients were divided into groups with OH (OH+) and without OH (OH-) on HUT. Using the standing test during 24-h ABPM, a systolic BP fall of >20 mmHg showed a sensitivity and specificity of 82% and 100% (area under the curve 0.91, 95% confidence interval 0.84-0.98) in differentiating OH+ from OH-. CONCLUSIONS: Parkinson's disease with autonomic failure and MSA patients had similar circadian BP patterns suggesting that autonomic dysfunction influences abnormal BP circadian patterns similarly in these disorders. The higher sensitivity and specificity in detecting OH using a systolic BP fall of >20 mmHg compared to a diastolic BP fall of >10 mmHg during the standing test supports its usefulness to assess autonomic function in MSA and PD.

Non-dipping nocturnal blood pressure and psychosis parameters in Parkinson disease.

BACKGROUND: Non-motor symptoms are increasingly recognized in Parkinson disease (PD) and include physical as well as psychological symptoms. A psychological condition that has been well studied in PD is psychosis. Cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction in PD can include a reversed or loss of blood pressure (BP) circadian rhythm, referred to as nocturnal non-dipping. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between 24 h ambulatory blood pressure measurements (ABPM), i.e., absence or presence of nocturnal dipping, and psychosis scores in PD. METHODS: Twenty-one patiens with PD underwent 24 h ABPM using an autonomic protocol. A decrease in nocturnal mean arterial blood pressure of less than 10% was defined as non-dipping. Patients were interviewed (including the brief psychiatric rating scale; BPRS) for the assessment of psychosis. RESULTS: Eleven patients were dippers and 10 were non-dippers. BPRS scores were higher in non-dippers, who, on average, met the criteria for psychosis (mean non-dipper BPRS: 34.3 ± 7.3 vs mean dipper BPRS: 27.5 ± 5.3; cutoff for "mildly ill" 31). There was a correlation between BPRS scores and non-dipping, indicating that those patients who had a blunted nocturnal fall in BP were more prone to psychotic symptoms (Pearson's Correlation = 0.554, p = 0.009). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that, among PD patients, a non-dipping circadian rhythm is associated with more severe symptoms of psychosis than is a dipping circadian rhythm. This association warrants further investigation.