Clinical Outcome Assessments for Spasticity: Review, Critique, and Recommendations.

Background: Spasticity is a common feature in patients with disruptions in corticospinal pathways. However, the term is used ambiguously. Here, spasticity is defined as enhanced velocity-dependent stretch reflexes and placed within the context of deforming spastic paresis encompassing other forms of muscle overactivity.

Digital Outcomes as Biomarkers of Disease Progression in Early Parkinson's Disease: A Systematic Review.

Outcomes derived from digital health technologies (DHTs) are promising candidate markers for monitoring Parkinson's disease (PD) progression. They have the potential to represent a significant shift in clinical research and therapeutic development in PD. However, their ability to track disease progression is yet to be established.

In-Home Remote Assessment of the MDS-UPDRS Part III: Multi-Cultural Development and Validation of a Guide for Patients.

Background: The shift toward virtualized care introduces challenges in assessing the motor severity of Parkinson's disease (PD). The Movement Disorder Society Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) part III, the most used rating scale in PD, lacks validation for synchronous remote administration.

Objective: Our goal was to validate the usability of a patient guide to allow an accurate video-based MDS-UDPRS part III remote examination.

Dopaminergic denervation and associated MRI microstructural changes in the nigrostriatal projection in early Parkinson's disease patients.

Loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) and a profound reduction of striatal dopamine are two hallmarks of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, it's unclear whether degeneration starts at the neuronal soma or the striatal presynaptic terminals, and how microstructural degeneration is linked to dopaminergic loss is also uncertain. In this study, thirty de novo PD patients and twenty healthy subjects (HS) underwent 6-[F]-fluoro-L-dopa (FDOPA) PET and MRI studies no later than 12 months from clinical diagnosis.