End of life care of hospitalized patients with Parkinson disease: a retrospective analysis and brief review.

Background: Towards the end of life (EOL), persons with parkinsonism (PwP) have complex needs and can present with unique palliative care (PC) challenges. There are no widely accepted guidelines to aid neurologists, hospitalists, or PC clinicians in managing the symptoms of PwP at EOL. We examined a population of PwP at EOL, aiming to describe trends of in-hospital management and utilization of PC services.

Adopting a palliative care mindset is an unmet need in Parkinson's disease.

Introduction: Parkinson's disease (PD) affects multiple facets of patients' lives, many of which may not be recognized or addressed by their healthcare team. A growing body of evidence has shown that palliative care improves patients' quality of life with PD; however, little is currently known about how patients with PD perceive palliative care.

Methods: An 8-question multiple choice survey was created and given to patients with established care for PD at a movement disorders clinic in a quaternary care center.

Delivery models of neuropalliative care.

Drawing its beginnings from end-of-life care, palliative care has developed into a specialized interdisciplinary effort aiming to alleviate distress in all its form, and spanning the whole serious illness trajectory. With this evolution came the inevitable expansion to different sites and modes of care delivery. This section discusses the various models of bringing palliative care to patients with neurologic illness.

Impact of behavioral side effects on the management of Parkinson patients treated with dopamine agonists.

Dopamine agonists are one of the main stay of treatment option for Parkinson disease (PD). Side effects that develop from their use are generally categorized into and . Behavioral side effects include: impulse control behavior disorder (ICD), psychosis and cognitive impairment.

Non-Motor Fluctuations in Parkinson's Disease: Validation of the Non-Motor Fluctuation Assessment Questionnaire.

Background: In patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), sleep, mood, cognitive, autonomic, and other non-motor symptoms may fluctuate in a manner similar to motor symptoms.

Objectives: To validate a final version of a patient-rated questionnaire that captures the presence and severity of non-motor fluctuations in levodopa-treated PD patients (NoMoFA).

Methods: We recruited PD subjects from five movement disorders centers across the US and Canada.

Tardive Dyskinesia: Treatment Update.

Purpose Of Review: Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is caused by exposure to medications with dopamine antagonism, mainly antipsychotics. It often distresses individuals, physically and emotionally and affects their quality of life. We evaluated peer-reviewed recently published articles with a goal of providing a critically appraised update on the latest advancements in this field.

Current treatment of tardive dyskinesia.

Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a common, iatrogenic movement disorder affecting many individuals treated with dopamine-receptor blocking agents (DRBAs). Studying treatment of TD can be complex, as the symptoms can be affected by changes in either dosage or type of DRBA, as well as by the variable natural course of the disease. Historically many pharmacological therapies have been studied in TD, finding varying degrees of treatment success.

Predictors of clinically meaningful change in PDQ-39 in Parkinson's disease.

Objective: To determine predictors of clinically meaningful change in Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQL) in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD).

Background: There is limited literature on longitudinal predictors of change in HRQL in PD.

Methods: Data were collected from the National Parkinson Foundation Quality Improvement Initiative (NPF-QII) registry, a multicenter, longitudinal observational study.