Data-Driven Subtypes of Multiple System Atrophy and Their Implications for Prognosis.

Background: While multiple system atrophy (MSA) presents with high heterogeneous motor and nonmotor symptoms, the associations between clinical phenotypes and prognosis are unclear.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate clinical phenotypes of MSA using data-driven approach and measure the impact of phenotypes on survival and bedbound status.

Methods: 193 MSA patients were recruited from Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, whose history, motor and non-motor symptoms were examined using cluster analysis.

Striatal and Extrastriatal Monoaminergic Disruption in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy.

Background: As a biomarker targeting vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2), F-9-fluoropropyldihydrotetrabenazine (F-FP-DTBZ) positron emission tomography (PET) is highly accurate in diagnosing Parkinson's disease (PD) and assessing its severity. However, evidence is insufficient in patients with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP).

Objective: We evaluated the striatal and extrastriatal monoaminergic disruption of PSP and differences in patterns between patients with PSP, PD, and healthy controls (HCs) using F-FP-DTBZ PET, as well as its correlations with the clinical characteristics of PSP.

F-FP-DTBZ PET/CT detectable associations between monoaminergic depletion in the putamen with rigidity and the pallidus with tremor in Parkinson's disease.

Introduction: The motor subtypes of Parkinson's disease (PD) are widely accepted and implemented. However, the motor subtypes have been thought to represent different stages of PD recently because some patients experience tremor-dominant (TD) conversion to the non-tremor-dominant subtype, such as postural instability-gait difficulty (PIGD). In this study, we explore the monoaminergic denervation features of the striatal and extra-striatal areas in patients with different subtypes of PD with F-9-fluoropropyl-(+)-dihydrotetrabenazine (F-FP-DTBZ) PET/CT.

Detection of Motor Dysfunction With Wearable Sensors in Patients With Idiopathic Rapid Eye Movement Disorder.

Patients with idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) are at high risk for conversion to synucleinopathy and Parkinson disease (PD). This can potentially be monitored by measuring gait characteristics of iRBD patients, although quantitative data are scarce and previous studies have reported inconsistent findings. This study investigated subclinical gait changes in polysomnography-proven iRBD patients compared to healthy controls (HCs) during 3 different walking conditions using wearable motor sensors in order to determine whether gait changes can be detected in iRBD patients that could reflect early symptoms of movement disorder.

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation improves Parkinson's freezing of gait via normalizing brain connectivity.

Robust, effective treatments for Parkinson's freezing of gait remain elusive. Our previous study revealed beneficial effects of high-frequency rTMS over the supplementary motor area. The present study aims to explore the neural mechanisms of rTMS treatments utilizing novel exploratory multivariate approaches.

Primary familial brain calcifications linked with a novel SLC20A2 gene mutation in a Chinese family.

It has been recently reported that mutations in SLC20A2 gene are a major cause of primary familial brain calcifications, a rare neurodegenerative disorder characterized by symmetrical and bilateral intracranial calcification. We conducted a pedigree study by performing next Generation Sequencing in a Chinese family with three generations. Three members in this family developed Parkinsonism in their sixth decade, also, the proband presented with schizophrenia for 40 years.

[Relationship between computed tomography perfusion imaging and prognosis in hyperacute cerebral infarction].

Objective: To explore the diagnostic valves of computed tomography perfusion imaging (CTP) in hyperacute cerebral infarction patients and examine the correlation of time period from symptom onset to examination and CTP parameters.

Methods: Non-enhancement CT and CTP were performed on 75 patients with acute cerebral infarction of internal carotid system within 8 hours of symptom onset at our department from January 2006 to May 2008. National Institute of Health Stroke Scale score (NIHSS), Barthel index (BI) and modified Rankin scale (mRS) were assessed at the same day, days 14 and 90 after stroke onset respectively for neurological function impairment, activity of daily living and extent of disability in prognosis.

Polymorphism of HD and UCHL-1 genes in Huntington's disease.

This study analyzed the association between the polymorphism of the Huntington's disease (HD) and ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCHL-1) genes and the age of HD onset. We examined the size of trinucleotide CAG repeats in the HD gene of 53 individuals from families with a history of HD, six unrelated HD patients, and 51 healthy controls. Polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism was performed to examine UCHL-1 S18Y polymorphism prevalence in this group.