Fear of Progression is Determined by Anxiety and Self-Efficacy but not Disease-Specific Parameters in Patients with Parkinson's Disease: Preliminary Data from a Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Fear of progression (FoP) is a reactive, conscious concern about chronic disease progression and its consequences which may limit quality of life substantially. Only one study has examined FoP in Parkinson's disease (PD), showing the second highest FoP scores among chronic diseases.

Objective: To examine FoP prevalence and to exploratorily analyze determinants of FoP in PD.

Evaluation of Individualized Multi-Disciplinary Inpatient Treatment for Functional Movement Disorders.

Background: Functional movement disorders (FMD) are associated with considerable morbidity and impairment of quality of life. Specialized treatment is scarce and data on efficacy of different therapies are limited.

Objective: To evaluate a multi-modal inpatient treatment program for patients with FMD.

[Driving ability in Parkinson's disease].

About 60 % of all patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and about 50 % of PD patients with deep brain stimulation (DBS) in possession of a driving license are active car-drivers. Parkinson patients, however, often display physical and/or psychological weaknesses that can lead to loss of or reduced driving ability. Driving capability can also be affected by Parkinson medication.

Impaired learning of punishments in Parkinson's disease with and without impulse control disorder.

To document specific learning mechanisms in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) with and without impulse control disorder (ICD). Thirty-two PD patients receiving dopamine replacement therapy (DRT) were investigated. Sixteen were diagnosed with ICD (ICD ) and 16 PD patients matched for levodopa equivalence dosage, and DRT duration and severity of disease did not show impulsive behavior (non-ICD).

Reactive oxygen species play an important role in iodoacetate-induced neurotoxicity in primary rat neuronal cultures and in differentiated PC12 cells.

The role of reactive oxygen species in the pathogenesis of the neurotoxicity associated with ischemia-reperfusion, was investigated in a model of primary rat neuronal cultures and of differentiated PC12 cells, subjected to chemical ischemia by iodoacetic acid (IAA, 2.5 h) followed by a short period of reperfusion (1 h). The injury to the cells was assessed by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release into the culture media.