Analysis of gait characteristics and related factors in patients with Parkinson's disease based on wearable devices.

BACKGROUND: Postural instability and gait disorder dominant (PIGD) is one of the most common disabling symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD), which seriously affects patients' quality of life. Therefore, it is essential to identify PIGD and develop targeted interventions to reduce the risk of PIGD in PD patients. AIM: This study aimed to investigate the gait characteristics of PD patients based on wearable devices and to establish a predictive model for their related influencing factors. METHODS: The retrospective medical records of patients from January 2020 to September 2023 were collected, including 159 patients with PD (divided into PIGD [n = 73] and non-PIGD [n = 86] groups) and 200 healthy patients (as the healthy control group). Information from social demographic data, a blood test, scale scores, gait analysis based on wearable devices, white matter lesions, and the Fazekas scale was extracted and analyzed. RESULTS: Compared with the healthy control group, the mean step length, mean rate, mean angular velocity, and step length were lower in the PD group, while the mean steps were higher in the turning test. The incidence of PIGD was 46% in PD patients, and PD patients with the non-tremor onset mode were more likely to develop PIGD than those with the tremor onset mode. Compared to the non-PIGD group, the PIGD group showed more serious gait problems in different experimental tasks and had a higher Hoehn and Yahr (H-Y) stage, Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) score, Hamilton Depression Scale score, periventricular white matter (PVWM) score, deep white matter score, and Fazekas scale score, but they had lower hemoglobin levels, D-dimer levels, Tinetti Balance scores, Tinetti Gait scores, Berg Balance Scale scores, and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores. Logistic regression analysis showed that the MMSE score was negatively correlated with the occurrence of PIGD, while the HAMA score, H-Y stage, PVWM score, and non-tremor form of onset were positively correlated with the occurrence of PIGD CONCLUSION: The incidence of gait disorder in PD patients is higher than that in the normal population. Moreover, cognitive dysfunction, anxiety state, H-Y stage, PVWM score, and the non-tremor mode of onset can be considered independent risk factors for PIGD.

Quenching effects of (-)-Epigallocatechin gallate for singlet oxygen production and its protection against oxidative damage induced by Ce6-mediated photodynamic therapy in vitro.

BACKGROUND: Singlet oxygen (1O2) is highly reactive to biological components such as lipids, proteins and DNA, which induces oxidative damage to cells and tissues. Natural antioxidants may function as 1O2 quencher to prevent 1O2 involved photosensitized oxidation in biological system. METHODS: Time-resolved measurement of 1O2 luminescence was employed to evaluate the 1O2 quenching abilities of natural antioxidants in air-statured phosphate buffered saline (PBS), including (-)-Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), Proanthocyanidins, L-carnosine and Vitamin C. The 1O2 quenching effects and rate constant of EGCG were investigated by detecting the absorption, fluorescence and 1H-NMR spectroscopy and 1O2 luminescence decay curves, respectively. In addition, the protective activity of EGCG against 1O2 oxidative damage caused by Ce6-mediated photodynamic therapy (PDT) was verified in cells. RESULTS: EGCG, proanthocyanidins, L-carnosine and Vitamin C efficiently quenched 1O2 luminescence at 1270 nm. The triplet-state quenching rate constants of EGCG for Rose Bengal (RB), Chlorin e6, AlPcS and HiPorfin are 2.21 × 109, 4.90 × 108, 3.30 × 108, 1.78 × 109 M-1s-1, while the 1O2 quenching rate constants are 2.80 × 108, 1.50 × 108, 1.30 × 108, 1.70 × 108 M-1s-1, respectively. Furthermore, EGCG could effectively quench 1O2 production to prevent NIH/3T3 cells oxidative damage induced by Ce6-mediated PDT. CONCLUSIONS: EGCG is an efficient quencher for both triplet-state photosensitizers and 1O2. The quenching ability of EGCG during photosensitization for selected photosensitizers is: RB > HiPorfin > Ce6 > AlPcS. EGCG could be used to protect normal cells and tissue against oxidative damage.