Associations between gut microbiota characteristics and non-motor symptoms following pharmacological and surgical treatments in Parkinson's disease patients.

Background: The gut microbiota has been implicated in Parkinson's disease (PD), with alterations observed in microbial composition and reduced microbial species richness, which may influence gastrointestinal symptoms in PD patients. It remains to be determined whether the severity of gastrointestinal symptoms correlates with microbiota variations in PD patients treated pharmacologically or with subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS) therapy. This study aims to explore how these treatments affect gut microbiota and gastrointestinal symptoms in PD, identifying specific microbial differences associated with each treatment modality.

Cathepsin B p.Gly284Val Variant in Parkinson's Disease Pathogenesis.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is generally considered a sporadic disorder, but a strong genetic background is often found. The aim of this study was to identify the underlying genetic cause of PD in two affected siblings and to subsequently assess the role of mutations in Cathepsin B in susceptibility to PD. A typical PD family was identified and whole-exome sequencing was performed in two affected siblings.

Frequency of mutations in PRKN, PINK1, and DJ1 in Patients With Early-Onset Parkinson Disease from neighboring countries in Central Europe.

Introduction: Approximately 10% of patients with Parkinson disease (PD) present with early-onset disease (EOPD), defined as diagnosis before 50 years of age. Genetic factors are known to contribute to EOPD, with most commonly observed mutations in PRKN, PINK1, and DJ1 genes. The aim of our study was to analyze the frequency of PRKN, PINK1, and DJ1 mutations in an EOPD series from 4 neighboring European countries: Czech Republic, Germany, Poland, and Ukraine.

Validation of the Polish version of the Unified Dyskinesia Rating Scale (UDysRS).

Background: In 2008, the Movement Disorders Society published the Unified Dyskinesia Rating Scale (UDysRS). This has become the established tool for assessing the severity and disability associated with dyskinesia in patients with Parkinson's Disease (PD). We translated and validated the Polish version of the UDysRS, explored its dimensionality, and compared it to the Spanish version, which is the Reference Standard for UDysRS translations.

Validation of the Polish version of the Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS).

Background: In 2008, the Movement Disorders Society (MDS) published a new Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) as the official benchmark scale for Parkinson's Disease (PD). We have translated and validated the Polish version of the MDS-UPDRS, explored its dimensionality, and compared it to the original English one.

Methods: The MDS-UPDRS was translated into Polish by a team of Polish investigators led by JS and GO.

Assessments of plasma acyl-ghrelin levels in Parkinson's disease patients treated with deep brain stimulation.

Gastrointestinal dysfunction is the most common non-motor symptom in Parkinson's disease (PD) with rates rising as the disease progresses. Deep brain stimulation of subthalamic nucleus (STN DBS) improves motor functions in advanced PD. However, the effect of STN DBS on ghrelin concentration and consequently on motility disturbances as well as body weight is unclear.

Gene polymorphisms and motor levodopa-induced complications in Parkinson's disease.

Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the association of individual and combined single-nucleotide polymorphisms in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), dopamine transporter (DAT), and catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) genes with the occurrence of motor levodopa-induced complications (MLIC) in Parkinson's disease (PD).

Materials And Methods: We studied 76 patients with PD (MLIC occurred in 56.6%) and 60 controls.

Activities of Daily Living and Their Relationship to Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Parkinson Disease After Subthalamic Nucleus Deep Brain Stimulation.

Background: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) can reduce motor symptoms in patients with Parkinson disease (PD) and improve their health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The effect of STN DBS on activities of daily living (ADL), an important component of quality of life, is poorly understood. We aimed to investigate effects of STN DBS on HRQoL and ADL in patients with PD.

Acute treatment with doxorubicin induced neurochemical impairment of the function of dopamine system in rat brain structures.

Background: The clinical studies have shown that chemotherapy may impair cognitive functions especially in the patients treated for breast cancer. It should be mention that only few studies have made use of animals to investigate the effects of chemotherapy on the brain function. Doxorubicin (Adriamycin) is an anthracycline antibiotic commonly used for chemotherapy of breast cancer.

The effect of subthalamic deep brain stimulation on gastric motility in Parkinson's disease.

Objective: Deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN-DBS) is well established for treating the motor symptoms for advanced Parkinson's disease (PD) but its effects on gastric myoelectrical activity and gastrointestinal symptoms have not been well studied. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of STN-DBS on gastric motility using electrogastrography (EGG).

Methods: Twenty patients with PD (5 females, 15 males; mean aged 58.

[Evaluation of heart rate and blood pressure variability in Parkinson's disease patients after bilateral subthalamic deep brain stimulation].

Introduction: Autonomic dysfunctions are the most common non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD) and often precede the motor symptoms of the disease. Autonomic dysfunction may be a dominant symptom of the advanced stages of PD as well as a major cause of patient disability. Despite the wide use of neurostimulation in clinical practice, the effect of deep brain stimulation of subthalamic nucleus (STN DBS) on autonomic symptoms of PD still remains only partially understood.

Mitochondrial targeting sequence variants of the CHCHD2 gene are a risk for Lewy body disorders.

Objective: To assess the role of CHCHD2 variants in patients with Parkinson disease (PD) and Lewy body disease (LBD) in Caucasian populations.

Methods: All exons of the CHCHD2 gene were sequenced in a US Caucasian patient-control series (878 PD, 610 LBD, and 717 controls). Subsequently, exons 1 and 2 were sequenced in an Irish series (355 PD and 365 controls) and a Polish series (394 PD and 350 controls).

Prolonged-release oxycodone-naloxone for treatment of severe pain in patients with Parkinson's disease (PANDA): a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: Pain is a common non-motor symptom of Parkinson's disease. We investigated the analgesic efficacy of prolonged-release oxycodone-naloxone (OXN PR) in patients with Parkinson's disease and chronic, severe pain.

Methods: We did this phase 2 study in 47 secondary care centres in the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Spain, and the UK.

Role for the microtubule-associated protein tau variant p.A152T in risk of α-synucleinopathies.

Objective: To assess the importance of MAPT variant p.A152T in the risk of synucleinopathies.

Methods: In this case-control study, we screened a large global series of patients and controls, and assessed associations between p.

Exonic Re-Sequencing of the Chromosome 2q24.3 Parkinson's Disease Locus.

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in Parkinson's disease (PD) have identified over 20 genomic regions associated with disease risk. Many of these loci include several candidate genes making it difficult to pinpoint the causal gene. The locus on chromosome 2q24.

Peripheral vagus nerve stimulation significantly affects lipid composition and protein secondary structure within dopamine-related brain regions in rats.

Recent immunohistochemical studies point to the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus nerve as the point of departure of initial changes which are related to the gradual pathological developments in the dopaminergic system. In the light of current investigations, it is likely that biochemical changes within the peripheral nervous system may influence the physiology of the dopaminergic system, suggesting a putative role for it in the development of neurodegenerative disorders. By using Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy, coupled with statistical analysis, we examined the effect of chronic, unilateral electrical vagus nerve stimulation on changes in lipid composition and in protein secondary structure within dopamine-related brain structures in rats.

Genetic variation of the retromer subunits VPS26A/B-VPS29 in Parkinson's disease.

We recently showed that mutation of the VPS35 gene can cause late-onset Parkinson's disease. In the present study we sequenced 702 affected subjects from the Mayo Clinic Parkinson's disease patient-control series for the VPS29 and VPS26A/B genes. We identified only 2 rare nonsynonymous variants in the VPS26A p.

GWAS risk factors in Parkinson's disease: LRRK2 coding variation and genetic interaction with PARK16.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a multifactorial movement disorder characterized by progressive neurodegeneration. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have nominated over fifteen distinct loci associated with risk of PD, however the biological mechanisms by which these loci influence disease risk are mostly unknown. GWAS are only the first step in the identification of disease genes: the specific causal variants responsible for the risk within the associated loci and the interactions between them must be identified to fully comprehend their impact on the development of PD.

Novel A18T and pA29S substitutions in α-synuclein may be associated with sporadic Parkinson's disease.

Objective: Mutations in the α-synuclein-encoding gene SNCA are considered as a rare cause of Parkinson's disease (PD). Our objective was to examine the frequency of the SNCA point mutations among PD patients of Polish origin.

Methods: Detection of the known SNCA point mutations A30P (c.

TREM2 in neurodegeneration: evidence for association of the p.R47H variant with frontotemporal dementia and Parkinson's disease.

Background: A rare variant in the Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) gene has been reported to be a genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease by two independent groups (Odds ratio between 2.9-4.5).

Chronic impairment of the vagus nerve function leads to inhibition of dopamine but not serotonin neurons in rat brain structures.

Background: Recent clinical studies have shown that the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus nerve is one of the brain areas that are the earliest affected by α-synuclein and Lewy body pathology in Parkinson's disease. This observation raises the question: how the vagus nerve dysfunction affects the dopamine system in the brain?

Methods: The rats underwent surgical implantation of the microchip (MC) in the abdominal region of the vagus. In this study, we examined the effect of chronic, unilateral electrical stimulation of the left nerve vagus, of two different types: low-frequency (MCL) and physiological stimulation (MCPh) on the dopamine and serotonin metabolism determined by high-pressure chromatography with electrochemical detection in rat brain structures.

Efficacy of deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus on autonomic dysfunction in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Subthalamic nucleus (STN) deep brain stimulation (DBS) is well established for the treatment of the motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the effect of STN DBS on autonomic symptoms has not been well studied. We examined 19 patients undergoing STN DBS for PD.

Visual feedback training using WII Fit improves balance in Parkinson's disease.

Postural instability including imbalance is the most disabling long term problem in Parkinson's disease (PD) that does not respond to pharmacotherapy. This study aimed at investigating the effectiveness of a novel visual-feedback training method, using Wii Fit balance board in improving balance in patients with PD. Twenty four patients with moderate PD were included in the study which comprised of a 6-week home-based balance training program using Nintendo Wii Fit and balance board.

A multi-centre clinico-genetic analysis of the VPS35 gene in Parkinson disease indicates reduced penetrance for disease-associated variants.

Background: Two recent studies identified a mutation (p.Asp620Asn) in the vacuolar protein sorting 35 gene as a cause for an autosomal dominant form of Parkinson disease . Although additional missense variants were described, their pathogenic role yet remains inconclusive.

Elemental micro-imaging and quantification of human substantia nigra using synchrotron radiation based x-ray fluorescence--in relation to Parkinson's disease.

Synchrotron radiation based x-ray fluorescence (SRXRF) was applied to the quantitative evaluation of elemental changes in substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) in Parkinson's disease (PD) in the framework of a study on the role of chemical elements in the pathophysiology of PD. The analysis was carried out for dopaminergic nerve cells and extraneuronal spaces. The mass fractions of P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Fe, Cu, Zn, Br and Rb were determined.