Preferences regarding Disclosure of Risk for Parkinson's Disease in a Population-based Study.

Background: Preferences for risk disclosure in population-based studies assessing Parkinson's disease (PD) risk have not been assessed so far.

Objectives: To examine preferences for risk disclosure in a subset of the European Healthy Brain Aging (HeBA) multicenter study.

Methods: After a remote PD risk assessment, a structured pilot-questionnaire on risk disclosure was first presented to participants (≥50 years, without neurodegenerative diseases) during in-person visits at the Innsbruck study site.

Comparison of different risk scores for Parkinson disease in a population-based 10-year study.

Background And Purpose: Different algorithms aiming to identify individuals at risk of Parkinson disease (PD) have been proposed. Comparative studies of these scores and their recent updates in the general elder population are needed.

Methods: We have previously applied the "basic" PREDICT-PD algorithm, designed for remote screening, and the original and updated Movement Disorder Society (MDS) criteria for prodromal PD to the longitudinal population-based Bruneck study cohort.

Associations of Gait Disorders and Recurrent Falls in Older People: A Prospective Population-Based Study.

Background: Recurrent falls represent a major source of serious adverse health outcomes in the general older population. Gait impairment has been linked to recurrent falls, but there are only limited long-term data on this association.

Objectives: The objective of the study was to investigate the association of gait disorders (GDs) and gait tests with future falls in an existing longitudinal population-based cohort.

Rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder and rapid eye movement sleep without atonia are more frequent in advanced versus early Parkinson's disease.

Study Objectives: To evaluate macro sleep architecture and characterize rapid eye movement (REM) sleep without atonia (RWA) by using the SINBAR excessive electromyographic (EMG) montage including mentalis and upper extremity muscles in early and advanced Parkinson's disease (PD).

Methods: We recruited 30 patients with early- and advanced-stage of PD according to Movement Disorder Society (MDS) Clinical Diagnostic Criteria. Participants were classified as early-stage PD if they were treatment-naïve or had no motor complications and had been diagnosed with PD within the previous 6 years.

Non-Motor Symptoms in Parkinson's Disease are Reduced by Nabilone.

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of nabilone, a synthetic tetrahydrocannabinol analogue, as a treatment for non-motor symptoms (NMS) in Parkinson's disease (PD).

Methods: This was a phase II placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel-group, enriched enrollment randomized withdrawal trial conducted at the Medical University Innsbruck. A random sample of 47 patients with PD with stable motor disease and disturbing NMS defined by a score of ≥4 points on the Movement Disorder Society - Unified PD Rating Scale-I (MDS-UPDRS-I) underwent open-label nabilone titration (0.

Application of a Simple Parkinson's Disease Risk Score in a Longitudinal Population-Based Cohort.

Background: Identifying individuals at risk of developing Parkinson's disease (PD) is critical to define target populations for future neuroprotective trials.

Objective: The objective of this study was to apply the PREDICT-PD algorithm of risk indicators for PD in a prospective community-based study (the Bruneck study), representative of the general elderly population.

Methods: PREDICT-PD risk scores were calculated based on risk factor assessments obtained at baseline (2005, n = 574 participants).

Midbrain hyperechogenicity, hyposmia, mild parkinsonian signs and risk for incident Parkinson's disease over 10 years: A prospective population-based study.

Introduction: Associations of substantia nigra (SN) hyperechogenicity on transcranial sonography, olfactory dysfunction, and mild parkinsonian signs (MPS) with incident Parkinson's disease (PD) have only been studied over limited periods of follow-up and their long-term predictive properties are unclear. We aimed to prospectively assess the risk for incident PD over 10 years in community-dwelling elderly individuals with these risk markers.

Methods: SN-hyperechogenicity, olfactory function, and MPS were assessed in the prospective population-based Bruneck Study (2005 in-person assessment; n = 574, aged 55-94 years).

Prevalence and Associated Factors of Sarcopenia and Frailty in Parkinson's Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Sarcopenia and frailty are found in up to one-third of the general elderly population. Both are associated with major adverse health outcomes such as nursing home placement, disability, decreased quality of life, and death. Data on the frequency of both syndromes in Parkinson's disease (PD), however, are very limited.

Performance of the Movement Disorders Society criteria for prodromal Parkinson's disease: A population-based 10-year study.

Objective: We aimed to identify prodromal Parkinson's disease (PD) and its predictive accuracy for incident PD in an unselected elderly population and to estimate the relevance of this approach for future neuroprotection trials.

Methods: We applied the recently published Movement Disorders Society (MDS) research criteria for prodromal PD to participants of the prospective population-based Bruneck Study of the 2005 assessment (n = 574, ages 55-94 years). Cases of incident PD were identified at 3-year, 5-year, and 10-year follow-up visits.

Characterization of patients with longstanding idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder.

Objective: To evaluate the presence of prodromal markers of Parkinson disease (PD) in patients with longstanding idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder (IRBD), a small subgroup of individuals with IRBD with long-term follow-up thought not to be at risk of developing PD.

Methods: Demographic, clinical, and neuroimaging markers of PD were evaluated in 20 patients with polysomnographic-confirmed longstanding IRBD and in 32 matched controls.

Results: Patients were 16 men and 4 women with mean age of 72.

Consistency of "Probable RBD" Diagnosis with the RBD Screening Questionnaire: A Follow-up Study.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to evaluate the consistency of "probable RBD" diagnosis with the RBD screening questionnaire (RBDSQ) assessed 2 years apart in a population-based study.

Methods: Probable RBD was assessed by RBDSQ in 2008 and in 2010 in the Bruneck Study Cohort, with participants aged ≥60 years.

Results: A total of 437 participants completed the RBDSQ in 2008 and 2010.

Prodromal Parkinson's disease as defined per MDS research criteria in the general elderly community.

Background: Recently, the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society has defined research criteria for prodromal Parkinson's disease (PD), but to date their predictive value has not yet been tested in population-based cohorts.

Methods: We retrospectively applied these criteria to the longitudinal Bruneck Study cohort aged 55-94 years using recorded data on all included risk and prodromal markers that are quick and easily assessable.

Results: After excluding participants with idiopathic PD or secondary parkinsonism, prevalence of probable prodromal PD in the remaining 539 participants was 2.

Substantia nigra hyperechogenicity and Parkinson's disease risk in patients with essential tremor.

Background: Several studies have reported an increased risk for patients with essential tremor to develop Parkinson's disease. In addition, hyperechogenicity in the area of the substantia nigra has been associated with a markedly increased risk for Parkinson's disease. The objective of this study was to evaluate the validity of substantia nigra hyperechogenicity in patients with essential tremor as a risk marker for Parkinson's disease.

Probable RBD and association with neurodegenerative disease markers: A population-based study.

Background: The prevalence of rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) and its association with markers of neurodegeneration in the general population are poorly defined.

Methods: We assessed the prevalence of probable RBD defined by two validated questionnaires, the RBD Screening Questionnaire (RBDSQ) and the Innsbruck RBD-Inventory (RBD-I), and studied its associations with clinical and imaging markers for neurodegeneration in the Bruneck Study cohort aged 60 y or older.

Results: Of the 456 participants without Parkinson's disease, 4.

Long-Term Follow-up Investigation of Isolated Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Without Atonia Without Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder: A Pilot Study.

Study Objectives: Idiopathic rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is a harbinger of synuclein-mediated neurodegenerative diseases. It is unknown if this also applies to isolated REM sleep without atonia (RWA). We performed a long-term follow-up investigation of subjects with isolated RWA.

Predictors for mild parkinsonian signs: a prospective population-based study.

Objective: Mild parkinsonian signs (MPS) are common in the elderly population and are associated with a wide range of adverse health outcomes, including incident Parkinson's disease (PD). We aimed to prospectively evaluate potential risk factors for incident MPS.

Methods: Participants of the population-based Bruneck Study representative for the general elderly community underwent a baseline assessment of substantia nigra (SN)-echogenicity with transcranial sonography, olfactory function with the Sniffin' Sticks identification test and vascular risk according to the Framingham risk score as well as a baseline and 5-year follow-up neurological examination.

Five-year follow-up of substantia nigra echogenicity in idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder.

Hyperechogenicity of the substantia nigra visualized by transcranial sonography occurs in most Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. Idiopathic rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (IRBD) subjects eventually develop PD and other synucleinopathies. This study was undertaken to evaluate whether in IRBD, transcranial sonography identifies subjects who convert to PD and other synucleinopathies, and whether substantia nigra echogenic size changes with time.

Risk factors and prodromal markers and the development of Parkinson's disease.

Identification of risk factors and prodromal markers for Parkinson's disease (PD) and the understanding of the point in time of first occurrence is essential for the early detection of incident PD. In this three-center longitudinal, observational study, we evaluated the specific risk for PD associated with single or combinations of risk factors and prodromal markers. In addition, we evaluated which risk factors and prodromal markers emerge at which time before the diagnosis of PD.

Correlation of dopaminergic terminal dysfunction and microstructural abnormalities of the basal ganglia and the olfactory tract in Parkinson's disease.

Signal abnormalities of the substantia nigra and the olfactory tract detected either by diffusion tensor imaging, including measurements of mean diffusivity, a parameter of brain tissue integrity, and fractional anisotropy, a parameter of neuronal fibre integrity, or transcranial sonography, were recently reported in the early stages of Parkinson's disease. In this study, changes in the nigral and olfactory diffusion tensor signal, as well as nigral echogenicity, were correlated with clinical scales of motor disability, odour function and putaminal dopamine storage capacity measured with 6-[(18)F] fluorolevodopa positron emission tomography in early and advanced stages of Parkinson's disease. Diffusion tensor imaging, transcranial sonography and positron emission tomography were performed on 16 patients with Parkinson's disease (mean disease duration 3.

Substantia nigra hyperechogenicity as a marker for Parkinson's disease: a population-based study.

Background: The clinical diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD) is currently anchored in its cardinal motor symptoms. According to hospital-based studies, an enlarged echogenicity in the area of the substantia nigra (SN) assessed with transcranial sonography (TCS) may represent a useful biomarker in the diagnosis of PD.

Objective: To evaluate SN hyperechogenicity as a marker for PD in the Bruneck Study cohort, which is representative of the general elderly community.

Enlarged hyperechogenic substantia nigra as a risk marker for Parkinson's disease.

Background: SN hyperechogenicity (SN+), determined by transcranial sonography, has been proposed as a risk factor for Parkinson's disease (PD). Recently, we reported a 17.4-fold increased risk for PD in individuals with SN+ older than 50 years within 3 years.