GBA moderates cognitive reserve's effect on cognitive function in patients with Parkinson's disease.

BACKGROUND: Cognitive reserve (CR) involves an individual's ability to maintain cognitive vitality over their lifespan. Glucocerebrosidase (GBA) gene mutations contribute to additional effects on cognitive function in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients, but the interplay between GBA mutations and CR remains unclear. We investigated the interactions among CR, GBA, and diseases, aiming to examine whether the CR established at different stages interacts with specific genotypes to affect cognitive function. METHODS: Three hundred and eighteen participants' CR indicators (i.e., education, occupation, and social function) and comprehensive neuropsychological function (i.e., tests for executive function, attention/working memory, visuospatial function, memory, and language) were evaluated. RESULTS: We found that CR established in a specific life stage influences the individual's cognitive function, particularly in PD, based on their distinct GBA rs9628662 genotypes. Attention/working memory and memory performance are affected by occupational complexity in midlife in PD patients with the GG genotype (q < 0.0001; q < 0.0001) and healthy adults with the T genotype (q = 0.0440; q < 0.0001). Language is influenced by early education and occupation, and the effects of occupation are also observed in PD patients with the GG genotype (q = 0.0040) and in healthy adults carrying the T genotype (q = 0.0040). CONCLUSIONS: CR, established at different life stages, can be influenced by the GBA rs9628662 genotype, impacting later-life cognition. Validating genotypes and incorporating genotype information when assessing cognitive reserve effects is crucial and can enhance targeted cognitive training.

Development and validation of the geriatric apathy scale: Examining multi-dimensional apathy profiles in a neurodegenerative population with cultural considerations.

BACKGROUND: Apathy is a common motivational deficit in neurodegenerative diseases, but lacks a culturally sensitive tool accounting for ethnic Chinese culture's impact on motivation initiation. This study developed and validated the Geriatric Apathy Scale (GAS), comprehensively incorporating cultural nuances, setting diagnostic cutoffs, and examining apathy's multi-dimensional aspects in a neurodegenerative cohort. METHODS: The 16-item GAS was developed by considering ethnic Chinese cultural characteristics and conducting a literature review. The study involved 296 participants, comprising 113 with Parkinson's disease (PD), 66 with Alzheimer's disease (AD), and 117 healthy controls (HC). All participants completed the GAS, Apathy Evaluation Scale (AES), Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15), Mini-Mental State Examination, and Activities of Daily Living (ADLs). RESULTS: The GAS showed good internal consistency (r = 0.862) and test-retest reliability (r = 0.767). It correlated moderately with the AES (r = 0.639, p < .001), weakly with GDS-15 (r = 0.166, p < .01), and negatively with ADLs (r = -1.19, p < .05). Clinical diagnosis cutoff scores were identified at 15.5 for PD (sensitivity: 0.789; specificity: 0.693) and 12.5 for AD (sensitivity: 0.821; specificity: 0.632). Noteworthy disparities were observed in the Cognition and Social Motivation dimension, with elevated severity in both PD and AD compared to HC (p < .01). Interestingly, within-group comparisons revealed greater apathy severity in the Cognition and Social Motivation dimension for PD (p < .001) and AD (p = .001) versus Emotional Response and Expression and Spontaneous Behavioral Activation. CONCLUSIONS: The GAS, a psychometrically validated scale, assesses apathy in neurodegenerative populations, accounting for ethnic Chinese culture's influence. It establishes clinical cutoff points and explores the multi-dimensional nature of apathy.

Impact of interleukin-1ß single nucleotide polymorphisms and depressive symptoms in individuals with chronic viral hepatitis.

Elevated levels of interleukin 1ß (IL-1ß) have been identified in patients with chronic viral hepatitis and have been associated with depressive symptoms. Given the high prevalence of depression in this patient population, this study sought to explore the potential influence of IL-1ß genetic variations on the severity of depressive symptoms. In a cohort of 181 Taiwanese patients with chronic viral hepatitis, we investigated the impact of five common IL-1ß single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), including rs16944, rs1143627, rs1143630, rs1143643, and rs3136558, on depressive symptoms using the Beck's Depression Inventory-II. Additionally, we analyzed the primary domains of IL-1ß-related depressive symptoms according to Beck's six symptom categories of depression. Our analysis revealed significant associations between depressive symptoms and three intronic IL-1ß SNPs. After controlling for age, sex, marital status, and education level, patients with the rs1143630 GG, rs1143643 CC, and rs3136558 AA genotypes demonstrated higher severity of depressive symptoms in the domains of indecision (p = 0.004), agitation (p = 0.001), and feelings of punishment (p = 0.005), respectively, compared to rs1143630 GA+AA, rs1143643 CT, and rs3136558 AG+GG genotypes. According to Beck's categorization, these symptoms can be classified into three dimensions: disturbances in emotion regulation, energy, and cognition. Our findings demonstrate the association between IL-1ß polymorphisms and depressive symptoms and suggest a potential underlying mechanism for specific depressive symptoms within the chronic viral hepatitis population. These insights could improve our understanding and treatment of depressive symptoms in individuals with viral hepatitis.

Lack of direct association between viral hepatitis and sleep disturbances.

Background: Individuals with chronic viral hepatitis are at increased risk of experiencing poor sleep quality and sleep disturbances. However, it remains unclear whether the sleep disorders associated with viral hepatitis are secondary to the comorbidities related to viral hepatitis or the direct effect of hepatitis viruses on sleep. This study investigated the direct impact of viral hepatitis B and C on sleep quality. Methods: Individuals with viral hepatitis B or C and their healthy counterparts were recruited for the present study, and they were evaluated with the Parkinson's Disease Sleep Scale-2, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index in the absence of common comorbidities associated with viral hepatitis. Results: Neither hepatitis B nor hepatitis C was found to cause significant differences in insomnia symptoms or excessive daytime sleepiness. However, individuals with hepatitis C, but not hepatitis B, tended to be less likely to experience restlessness of the legs or arms at night. Conclusions: This study suggests that hepatitis viruses B and C may not cause a significant impact on sleep quality and related disorders directly. Sleep disturbances in individuals with chronic viral hepatitis may instead be attributable to hepatic decompensation or the comorbid factors associated with viral hepatitis.

Investigating the interaction between neuropsychiatry features and daily activities on social function in patients with Parkinson's disease with mild cognitive impairment.

BACKGROUND: Social functioning is crucial for daily living and is an essential indicator of dementia in patients with Parkinson's disease. The pattern of social functioning in patients with Parkinson's disease without dementia (i.e. those who are cognitively intact or have mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI)) and its determinants are unclear. AIMS: In exploring the heterogeneity of social functioning among patients with Parkinson's disease-associated dementia, we determined the optimal cut-off score of the Parkinson's Disease Social Functioning Scale (PDSFS) for patients with PD-MCI, and the variables influencing patients' social functioning. METHOD: A total of 302 participants underwent the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and PDSFS; 120 patients with Parkinson's disease completed the measurements (MMSE, Activities of Daily Living Scale and Neuropsychiatric Inventory). Group comparisons, receiver operating characteristic curves, Spearman correlation and multiple and hierarchical regression analyses were conducted. RESULTS: The PD-MCI group scored the lowest on the PDSFS (F = 10.10, P < 0.001). The PDSFS cut-off score was 53 (area under the curve 0.700, sensitivity 0.800, specificity 0.534). The MMSE (ß = 0.293, P = 0.002), Activities of Daily Living Scale (ß = 0.189, P = 0.028) and Neuropsychiatric Inventory (ß = -0.216, P = 0.005) scores predicted the PDSFS score. Further, there was an interaction effect between the Activities of Daily Living Scale and Neuropsychiatric Inventory scores on the PDSFS score (ß = 0.305, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: We determined a PDSFS cut-off score for detecting PD-MCI and found that patients with PD-MCI have social dysfunction. Future research should focus on the effects of neuropsychiatry symptoms and activities of daily living on social functioning, and tailor the intervention programme for patients with Parkinson's disease.

Mild cognitive impairment in patients with Parkinson's disease: An updated mini-review and future outlook.

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is one of the common non-motor symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). MCI is the transition stage between normal aging and full-blown dementia and is also a powerful predictor of dementia. Although the concept of MCI has been used to describe some of the PD symptoms for many years, there is a lack of consistent diagnostic criteria. Moreover, because of the diverse patterns of the cognitive functions, each cognitive impairment will have a different progression. In this review, we overviewed the diagnostic criteria for PD-MCI, primarily focused on the heterogeneity of PD-MCI patients' cognitive function, including various types of cognitive functions and their progression rates. A review of this topic is expected to be beneficial for clinical diagnosis, early intervention, and treatment. In addition, we also discussed the unmet needs and future vision in this field.

A New Instrument Combines Cognitive and Social Functioning Items for Detecting Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia in Parkinson's Disease.

Background: The commonly used screening tests for Parkinson's disease (PD) are the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), both of which only focus on cognitive function. A composite assessment that considers both cognitive and social dysfunction in PD would be helpful in detecting mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and PD dementia (PDD). Objective: We aimed to simplify the commonly used tools and combine cognitive and social functioning tests to detect early MCI and PDD. Materials and Methods: A total of 166 participants (84 PD patients and 82 healthy) were recruited who completed the MMSE, MoCA, PD social functioning scale (PDSFS), clock drawing test, activities of daily living, comprehensive neuropsychological assessment (e.g., executive, attention, language, memory, and visuospatial functions), and movement disorder society (MDS)-unified PD rating scale. According to the MDS diagnostic criteria, the patients were grouped into PD-nonMCI, PD-MCI, or PDD. Results: To detect PD-MCI, the optimal cut-off scores for the simplified MoCA and the combined test were 9 and 35. The discrimination values measured by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of the two tests were 0.767 (p < 0.001) and 0.790 (p < 0.001). When the simplified MoCA was 7 or the combined test 30, the patients would be classified as having PDD. The AUCs of the two tests were 0.846 (p < 0.001) and 0.794 (p = 0.003). Conclusion: We suggest considering both cognitive and social functions when detecting PD-MCI and PDD.

Different profiles of neurocognitive impairment in patients with hepatitis B and C virus infections.

The direct impact of chronic hepatitis B and hepatitis C on neurocognition remains elusive due to the frequent comorbidities, and the domains of the neurocognitive functions affected have rarely been investigated comprehensively. We cross-sectionally assessed the neurocognitive functions of the individuals with chronic hepatitis B, chronic hepatitis C, treated chronic hepatitis C with a sustained virologic response, and their healthy control counterparts. Laboratory examinations were used to investigate the impact of inflammation on neurocognition, exclude the medical conditions that could interfere with neurocognition assessment, and assess liver function and fibrotic severity of the liver of the participants. This study found the detrimental impact of chronic hepatitis B on language and executive functions. In contrast, individuals with chronic hepatitis C showed deficits in executive functions, psychomotor speed, memory, and attention. Successful elimination of hepatitis C resulted in improved liver function, but not neuropsychological test performance. Moreover, erythrocyte sedimentation rate level was found to mediate the deficits in the attention of individuals with chronic hepatitis C. These results demonstrate the neurocognitive deficits and the difference in the profiles of neurocognitive deficits in individuals with chronic hepatitis B and chronic hepatitis C. Our study also provided results suggesting the mediation by systemic inflammation on the attention deficit in individuals with chronic hepatitis C.

The Development of a Multi-Modality Emotion Recognition Test Presented via a Mobile Application.

Emotion recognition ability is the basis of interpersonal communication and detection of brain alterations. Existing tools for assessing emotion recognition ability are mostly single modality, paper-and-pencil test format, and using only Western stimuli. However, various modalities and cultural factors greatly influence emotion recognition ability. We aimed to develop a multi-modality emotion recognition mobile application (MMER app). A total of 169 healthy adults were recruited as participants. The MMER app's materials were extracted from a published database, and tablets were used as the interface. The Rasch, factor analysis, and related psychometric analyses were performed. The Cronbach alpha was 0.94, and the test-retest reliability was 0.85. Factor analyses identified three factors. In addition, an adjusted score formula was provided for clinical use. The MMER app has good psychometric properties, and its further possible applications and investigations are discussed.

Hypomimia May Influence the Facial Emotion Recognition Ability in Patients with Parkinson's Disease.

BACKGROUND: Hypomimia is a clinical feature of Parkinson's disease (PD). Based on the embodied simulation theory, the impairment of facial mimicry may worsen facial emotion recognition; however, the empirical results are inconclusive. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to explore the worsening of emotion recognition by hypomimia. We further explored the relationship between the hypomimia, emotion recognition, and social functioning. METHODS: A total of 114 participants were recruited. The patients with PD and normal controls (NCs) were matched for demographic characteristics. All the participants completed the Mini-Mental State Examination and the Chinese Multi-modalities Emotion Recognition Test. In addition to the above tests, the patients were assessed with the Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale and Parkinson's Disease Social Functioning Scale (PDSFS). RESULTS: Patients with PD with hypomimia had worse recognition of disgust than NCs (p = 0.018). The severity of hypomimia was predictive of the recognition of disgust (ß= -0.275, p = 0.028). Facial emotion recognition was predictive of the PDSFS score of PD patients (ß= 0.433, p = 0.001). We also found that recognizing disgust could mediate the relationship between hypomimia and the PDSFS score (ß= 0.264, p = 0.045). CONCLUSION: Patients with hypomimia had the worst disgust facial recognition. Hypomimia may affect the social function of PD patients, which is related to recognizing the expression of disgust. Emotion recognition training may improve the social function of patients with PD.

The Impact of Sex on the Neurocognitive Functions of Patients with Parkinson's Disease.

This study aimed to understand the impact of sex on the neurocognitive function of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Ninety-four participants with idiopathic PD and 167 age-matched healthy individuals as normal controls (NCs) were recruited and underwent comprehensive neuropsychological assessments. Sex differences were found in NCs, but not in patients with PD. Among male participants, patients with PD showed worse performance on the Digit Symbol Substitution (DSS) (p < 0.001) test and Symbol Search (SS) (p < 0.001) than NCs. Among female participants, patients with PD showed worse performance on the category score of the Modified Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (p < 0.001), SS (p < 0.001), and pentagon copying (p < 0.001) than NCs. After controlling for the effects of age and years of education, Hoehn and Yahr stage was found to predict the performance of the Color Trails Test part A (ßA = 0.241, pA = 0.036), Stroop Color and Word Test (ß = -0.245, p = 0.036), and DSS (ß = -0.258, p = 0.035) in men with PD. These results indicate the differential effect of sex on the neurocognitive function among healthy aging and PD populations. The disappearance of sex differences, which is present in healthy aging, in patients with PD suggests a gradual loss of the neuroprotective effect of estrogen after the initiation of the neurodegenerative process. This study also found mental flexibility and visuospatial function to be the susceptible cognitive domains in women with PD, while the disease severity could predict the working memory and processing speed in men with PD.

Factors Associated with Cognitive Outcomes After First-Ever Ischemic Stroke: The Impact of Small Vessel Disease Burden and Neurodegeneration.

BACKGROUND: Differences exist regarding post-stroke cognitive outcomes. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study investigates the potential factors associated with post-stroke cognitive performance and trajectories. METHODS: We performed a prospective cohort study using serial monitoring of cognitive function over a 1-year period after a first-ever ischemic stroke. Small vessel disease (SVD) burden and hippocampal atrophy (HA) were evaluated using the modified cerebral small vessel disease scores (mCSVD) and medial temporal atrophy score (MTA) scores. A generalized estimating equation (GEE) model and a group-based trajectory model (GBTM) was used to analyze the potential factors associated with post-stroke cognitive outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 112 patients were enrolled. The GEE model showed that all patients, regardless of initial cognitive performance, had a tendency to show an increase in the Montreal Cognitive Assessment over time. The cognitive performance was better in male patients with higher education levels (p = 0.046 and p < 0.001, respectively), but tended to be worse in patients with higher SVD burden and HA. The GBTM model grouped patients into low, intermediate, and high performance (LP, IP, and HP) after stroke. A higher SVD burden, rather than HA and initial stroke severity and location, independently predicted a higher odds of poor post-stroke cognitive trajectory (being in the LP group) after stroke (adjusted odds ratio 2.74, 95%CI 1.09-6.86). CONCLUSION: In patients with first-ever mild stroke, cognitive improvement over time was evident. The detrimental impact of the SVD burden may outweigh the effect of HA or acute stroke insult on the post-stroke cognitive trajectory during the 1-year follow-up.

Genetic polymorphisms of regulatory T cell-related genes modulate systemic inflammation induced by viral hepatitis.

Viral hepatitis is a devastating disease with the risk for cirrhosis and carcinogenicity. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play important roles in the disease course of viral hepatitis via maintaining the balance between overt-immune responses and viral replications. We hypothesized that genetic polymorphisms of Treg-related genes, such as interleukin-2, transforming growth factor-ß 1 (TGF-ß1), forkhead box P3 (FOXP3), and adenylyl cyclase type 9 modulate the hosts' immune regulation under circumstances of viral hepatitis. We examined the effect of five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of Treg-related genes on the levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), alanine aminotransferase, and non-invasive hepatic fibrosis marker (Fibrosis-4 index) in a total of 138 participants with viral hepatitis. The rs1800469 (a TGF-ß1 SNP) GG genotype is associated with higher serum CRP levels, and the rs3761547 (a FOXP3 SNP) C allele in the females is associated with higher ESR levels. Besides, female participants carrying the rs3761547 C allele had a significantly higher Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) index than the females carrying the TT genotype, while the rs3761547 C allele had the opposite effect in males. With linear-regression moderation analysis, we found that sex moderated the impact of the FOXP3 SNP on the levels of FIB-4, whereas the FOXP3 SNP caused the opposite effect between males and females on the severity of hepatic fibrosis. These results provide evidence for the participation of TGF-ß1 and FOXP3 in the inflammatory responses associated with viral hepatitis, where FOXP3 function may be moderated by sex.

Interactions of COMT and ALDH2 Genetic Polymorphisms on Symptoms of Parkinson's Disease.

(1) Background: Monoamine neurotransmitters play essential roles in the normal functioning of our nervous system. However, the metabolism of monoamine neurotransmitters is accompanied by the production of neurotoxic metabolites, and inefficient removal of the metabolites has been suggested to cause neurodegeneration. (2) Methods: To examine the effect of reduced activity of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) and aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) conferred by single nucleotide polymorphisms COMT rs4680(A) and ALDH2 rs671(A) on the symptoms of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), a total of 114 PD patients were recruited cross-sectionally and received genotyping for rs4680 and rs671 along with MDS-UPDRS evaluation. (3) Results: We found that patients carrying rs4680(A) had more severe bradykinesia in the upper extremity and rest tremor. Besides, patients carrying rs671(A) had more difficulty maintaining personal hygiene, while patients with genotype rs671(GG) had higher scores in the item "depressed mood." More importantly, we found the effect of rs4680 to be moderated by rs671 SNP for the symptom of "hand movements." The detrimental impact of rs4680(A) is more pronounced in the presence of genotype rs671(GG). (4) Conclusions: This study facilitates a deeper understanding of the detrimental effect of reduced activity of COMT and ALDH2 conferred by genetic variation and provides novel insight into the interactions between enzymes metabolizing monoamine neurotransmitters in the pathogenesis of PD.

The Development of the Social Functioning Scale for Patients with Parkinson's Disease.

BACKGROUND: Social functioning is crucial for the determinants of Parkinson's disease (PD) with dementia; however, there is no social functioning scale applicable to PD. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to develop a social functioning scale specific to PD (PDSFS) and provide a cut-off score to improve diagnosis accuracy. METHODS: The items were developed through literature, interview patients, and PD expertise. After the pilot study, one hundred fifty-seven patients and 74 healthy participants were enrolled and completed the Mini-Mental State Examination, Clock Drawing Test, Activities of Daily Living, Neuropsychiatric Inventory, Adaptive Behavior Assessment System-Second Edition (ABAS-II) and part III of the Movement Disorder Society-sponsored revision of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS). RESULTS: The final PDSFS has 23 items. The exploratory factor analysis revealed three factors, including "Family Life, Hobbies and Self-Care", "Interpersonal Relationship and Recreational Leisure", and "Social Bond". The internal consistency coefficient was 0.883, and the test-retest reliability was 0.774, respectively. The total score of the PDSFS was significantly related to the total score of ABAS-II (r = 0.609, p < 0.001), and was not correlated with the third part of MDS-UPDRS (p = 0.736). A significant intergroup difference was found (p < 0.001), and the healthy controls had the highest PDSFS score, followed by non-demented PD and PD dementia. The optimal cut-off score for PD patients with dementia was 39 (sensitivity: 0.735; specificity: 0.857). CONCLUSIONS: PDSFS is a practical and psychometrically sound tool to access the social functioning of the PD population.

Evaluating Mild Cognitive Dysfunction in Patients with Parkinson's Disease in Clinical Practice in Taiwan.

Our study aimed to examine the contribution of commonly used tools, including the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and develop a formula for conversion of these tests in the Chinese population. We also create a predictive model for the detection of Chinese patients' mild cognitive impairment (MCI). We recruited 168 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) from 12 medical centres or teaching hospitals in Taiwan, and each participant received a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to find predictors of MCI with the help of a generalized additive model. We found that patients with an MMSE > 25 or a MoCA > 21 were less likely to have MCI. The discrimination powers of the two tests used for detecting MCI were 0.902 and 0.868, respectively, as measured by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC). The best predictive model suggested that patients with a higher MMSE score, delayed recall scores of the 12-item Word Recall Test ≥ 5.817, and no test decline in the visuospatial index were less likely to have MCI (ROC = 0.982). Our findings have clinical utility in MCI detection in Chinese PD and need a larger sample to confirm.

Effect of ALDH2 on Sleep Disturbances in Patients with Parkinson's Disease.

Monoamine neurotransmitters play essential roles in the regulation of arousal and sleep. Impaired metabolism of monoamine neurotransmitters could result in the accumulation of neurotoxic aldehyde metabolites and, hence, neuronal degeneration. Aldehyde dehydrogenases play an important role in the metabolism of the neurotoxic aldehyde metabolites, including the aldehyde metabolites of dopamine, serotonin, and noradrenaline. Deficient aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) has been suggested to result in the accumulation of these biogenic aldehydes. An ALDH2 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), rs671 (A), results in significantly reduced ALDH2 enzyme activity. A total of 83 Parkinson's disease (PD) patients were recruited in this study. In addition to the genotypes of rs671, the patients were assessed with the PD sleep scale-2nd version (PDSS-2) and the Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) for symptoms of daytime and nocturnal sleep disturbances. The patients carrying rs671 (A) had more frequent dozing while lying down to rest in the afternoon (ESS item5) (F = 7.308, p = 0.008) than the rs671 (GG) patients. The patients with rs671 (A) reported a trend toward more frequent difficulty staying asleep than the patients with rs671 (GG). (F = 3.278, p = 0.074). The results indicate that patients carrying allele rs671 (A) are more likely to experience impairment in the regulation of arousal and sleep. The results also support the hypothesis that the accumulation of neurotoxic monoamine neurotransmitter aldehyde metabolites secondary to reduced ALDH2 enzyme activity may cause more severe monoaminergic neuronal loss and, hence, more severe symptoms in the regulation of wakefulness and sleep.

More than an "inverted-U"? An exploratory study of the association between the catechol-o-methyltransferase gene polymorphism and executive functions in Parkinson's disease.

Executive dysfunction is common in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. The catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met polymorphism has been proposed to affect executive functions (EFs) in the prefrontal cortex. The present study attempted to explore the influence of the COMT polymorphism on EFs in patients with PD. Fifty-four PD patients were recruited and underwent neuropsychological assessments for three core EFs. The COMT polymorphism was genotyped using the TaqMan SNP Genotyping Assay. Participants were divided into three study groups: Val homozygotes, heterozygotes, and Met homozygotes. The three COMT genotype groups had significantly different performances in set-shifting [χ2 (2, 54) = 9.717, p = 0.008] and working memory tasks [χ2 (2, 54) = 7.806, p = 0.020]. Post-hoc analyses revealed that PD Val homozygotes performed significantly poorer in the set-shifting task than did either the PD Met homozygotes (z = -2.628, p = 0.009) or PD heterozygotes (z = -2.212, p = 0.027). Our explorative results suggest that the putative level of prefrontal dopamine influenced set-shifting through a "cane-shaped" dopamine level-response relationship. Our results have clinical implications, which may influence PD treatment with dopamine in the future because the optimal dopamine level to maximize EFs may vary based on the clinical course and COMT polymorphism status. Further study recruiting a larger number of participants is needed to confirm our preliminary findings.

Emotion-Specific Affective Theory of Mind Impairment in Parkinson's Disease.

The neuropathology of Parkinson's disease (PD) involves the frontal-subcortical circuit, an area responsible for processing affective theory of mind (ToM). Patients with PD are expected to experience deficits in the affective ToM. This study aims to investigate whether the ability to infer emotion in others is affected in either young-onset Parkinson's disease (YOPD) or middle-onset PD (MOPD) patients and to test whether the impairments in affective ToM are associated with the motor symptoms. The affective ToM, global mental abilities, and clinical symptoms were assessed in a total of 107 MOPD, 30 YOPD, and 30 normal controls (NCs). The MOPD patients exhibited deficits in affective ToM to the negative and neutral valences, when compared to the participants in the NCs and YOPD group. By conducting gender-stratified analysis, the deficits in affective ToM was only found in female participants. After adjusting for demographic variables, the multiple linear regression model revealed that affective ToM predicted motor symptoms, especially in female MOPD patients. The present study may aid in the development of medical care programs by advocating for a more comprehensive therapeutic plan that includes continuous disease progression monitoring and social skills training for female MOPD patients or their caregivers.

Cross-Cultural Differences of the Non-Motor Symptoms Studied by the Traditional Chinese Version of the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society- Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale.

BACKGROUND: Given the importance of ethnic differences in the evaluation of various aspects of symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), we present the formal procedure for completing the traditional Chinese translation of the International and Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society/UPDRS (MDS-UPDRS) and highlight the discrepancy in nonmotor symptoms (NMS) between patients in Eastern and Western countries. METHODS: A total of 350 native Chinese-speaking PD patients were recruited from multiple hospitals in Eastern countries; they completed the MDS-UPDRS. The translation process was executed and factor analysis was performed to determine the structure of the scale. Chi-squared and t tests were used to compare frequency and severity of PD symptoms between the Chinese-speaking and English-speaking groups (n = 876). RESULTS: NMS and motor symptoms were more severe in the Western population (Part I: t(1205) = 5.36, P < 0.0001; and Part III: t(1205) = 7.64, P < 0.0001); however, the prevalence of cognitive dysfunction and impairments in activities of daily living were more frequent in the Eastern patients. The comparative fit index was 0.93 or greater, and the exploratory factor analysis revealed compatible results between the translated scale and the original version. CONCLUSION: The traditional Chinese version of the MDS-UPDRS can be designated as an official translation of the original scale, and it is now available for use. Moreover, NMS in PD constitute a major issue worldwide, and the pattern of NMS among the Chinese population is more marked in terms of cognition-based symptoms and activities of daily living.