Lifetime physical activity influences Parkinson's disease progression.

Introduction: Past studies suggested that Parkinson's disease (PD) patients who engage in physical activity (PA) after diagnosis have slower motor progression. Here, we examine the influence of lifetime PA prior to PD onset on motor, cognitive, and overall functional decline among PD patients.

Methods: For 495 participants in the Parkinson's Environment and Gene (PEG) studies, we collected PA-related measures through interviews and quantified these using metabolic equivalents (MET) scores.

Diet and the gut microbiome in patients with Parkinson's disease.

It has been suggested that gut microbiota influence Parkinson's disease (PD) via the gut-brain axis. Here, we examine associations between diet and gut microbiome composition and its predicted functional pathways in patients with PD. We assessed gut microbiota in fecal samples from 85 PD patients in central California using 16S rRNA gene sequencing.

Untargeted serum metabolomics reveals novel metabolite associations and disruptions in amino acid and lipid metabolism in Parkinson's disease.

Background: Untargeted high-resolution metabolomic profiling provides simultaneous measurement of thousands of metabolites. Metabolic networks based on these data can help uncover disease-related perturbations across interconnected pathways.

Objective: Identify metabolic disturbances associated with Parkinson's disease (PD) in two population-based studies using untargeted metabolomics.

Traffic-related air pollution and Parkinson's disease in central California.

Background: Prior studies suggested that air pollution exposure may increase the risk of Parkinson's Disease (PD). We investigated the long-term impacts of traffic-related and multiple sources of particulate air pollution on PD in central California.

Methods: Our case-control analysis included 761 PD patients and 910 population controls.

Diet quality and Parkinson's disease: Potential strategies for non-motor symptom management.

Introduction: Parkinson's disease (PD) is now considered a systemic disease, and some phenotypes may be modifiable by diet. We will compare the diet quality and intake of specific nutrients and food groups of PD patients with household and community controls to examine how diet may influence PD clinical features.

Methods: We conducted a case-control study of 98 PD patients and 83 controls (household = 53; community = 30) in central California, assessing dietary habits over the past month and calculating the Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2015.

Proximity to residential and workplace pesticides application and the risk of progression of Parkinson's diseases in Central California.

Background: Pesticide exposure has consistently been associated with Parkinson's disease (PD) onset. Yet, fewer epidemiologic studies have examined whether pesticides influence PD motor and non-motor symptom progression.

Objectives: Using a geographic information system tool that integrates agricultural pesticide use reports and land use records to derive ambient exposures at residences and workplaces, we assessed associations between specific pesticides previously related to PD onset with PD symptom progression in two PD patient cohorts living in agricultural regions of California.

Immune system disruptions implicated in whole blood epigenome-wide association study of depression among Parkinson's disease patients.

Although Parkinson's Disease (PD) is typically described in terms of motor symptoms, depression is a common feature. We explored whether depression influences blood-based genome-wide DNA methylation (DNAm) in 692 subjects from a population-based PD case-control study, using both a history of clinically diagnosed depression and current depressive symptoms measured by the geriatric depression scale (GDS). While PD patients in general had more immune activation and more accelerated epigenetic immune system aging than controls, the patients experiencing current depressive symptoms (GDS≥5) showed even higher levels of both markers than patients without current depressive symptoms (GDS<5).

Stochastic Epigenetic Mutations Influence Parkinson's Disease Risk, Progression, and Mortality.

Background: Stochastic epigenetic mutations (SEM) reflect a deviation from normal site-specific methylation patterns. Epigenetic mutation load (EML) captures the accumulation of SEMs across an individual's genome and may reflect dysfunction of the epigenetic maintenance system in response to epigenetic challenges.

Objective: We investigate whether EML is associated with PD risk and time to events (i.

Ambient Pyrethroid Pesticide Exposures in Adult Life and Depression in Older Residents of California's Central Valley.

Pyrethroid pesticide exposures may be associated with the onset of depression in later life via disruption of dopaminergic, serotonergic, and neurological functioning. We sought to investigate the association between living near agricultural pyrethroid pesticide applications and depression measures in central California, using two waves (PEG 1&2, total N = 1,654) of a case control study of Parkinson's disease (PD). At enrollment, participants self-reported history of use of depression medications and dates of MD-diagnosed depression and anxiety.

Longitudinal Epigenome-Wide Methylation Study of Cognitive Decline and Motor Progression in Parkinson's Disease.

Background: DNA methylation studies in Parkinson's disease (PD) thus far have focused on disease susceptibility but not progression.

Objective: In this epigenome-wide association study (EWAS), we aim to identify methylation markers associated with faster cognitive decline or motor progression in PD.

Methods: We included 232 PD patients from the Parkinson's Environment and Gene follow-up study who provided blood samples at enrolment.

[Social representation of Alzheimer's disease for family caregivers: stressful and rewarding].

Objective: To understand the content of Social Representation (SR) of family caregivers of Alzheimer's disease patients.

Method: Interviews were conducted with 26 caregivers and analyzed by the ALCESTE software.

Results: The SR content was structured in two thematic axes called Daily Life and Care and Medical and Emotional Concepts and Outcomes.