Psychosocial Impact of Huntington's Disease and Incentives to Improve Care for Affected Families in the Underserved Region of the Slovak Republic.

Introduction: Huntington's disease (HD) is often on the margin of standard medical practice due to its low prevalence, the lack of causal treatment, and the typically long premanifest window prior to the onset of the symptoms, which contrasts with the long-lasting burden that the disease causes in affected families.

Methods: To capture these socio-psychological aspects of HD and map the experiences of affected individuals, persons at risk of HD, and caregivers, we created a questionnaire using a qualitative research approach. The questionnaire containing 16 questions was conducted online for a period of three months through patient associations in Slovakia and their infrastructures.

Alzheimer's Disease-Associated SNP rs708727 in May Increase Risk for Parkinson's Disease: Report from Enlarged Slovak Study.

() SNPs rs11240569 and rs823156 are associated with altered risk for Parkinson's disease (PD), predominantly in Asian populations, and rs708727 has been linked to Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this study, we have examined a potential association of the three aforementioned SNPs and of rs9438393, rs56152218, and rs61822602 (all three lying in the promoter region) with PD in the Slovak population. Out of the six tested SNPs, we have identified only rs708727 as being associated with an increased risk for PD onset in Slovaks.

Adherence to Pharmacotherapy in Patients With Parkinson's Disease Taking Three and More Daily Doses of Medication.

Once-daily treatment formulation is associated with better adherence in comparison to more complex medication regimens. The study aimed to detect the extent of adherence to pharmacotherapy in Parkinson disease (PD) patients who take a minimum of three daily doses of drugs, and to identify factors associated with lower levels of adherence. The cohort was selected from non-demented PD patients.

Efficacy and safety of abobotulinumtoxinA in spastic lower limb: Randomized trial and extension.

Objective: To demonstrate single abobotulinumtoxinA injection efficacy in lower limb vs placebo for adults with chronic hemiparesis and assess long-term safety and efficacy of repeated injections.

Methods: In a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, single-cycle study followed by a 1-year open-label, multiple-cycle extension, adults ≥6 months after stroke/brain injury received one lower limb injection (abobotulinumtoxinA 1,000 U, abobotulinumtoxinA 1,500 U, placebo) followed by ≤4 open-label cycles (1,000, 1,500 U) at ≥12-week intervals. Efficacy measures included Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) in gastrocnemius-soleus complex (GSC; double-blind primary endpoint), physician global assessment (PGA), and comfortable barefoot walking speed.

Effects of rasagiline on freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease - an open-label, multicenter study.

Aims: Freezing of gait is a disabling symptom in advanced Parkinson's disease. Positive effects have been suggested with MAO-B inhibitors. We report on an open label clinical study on the efficacy of rasagiline as add-on therapy on freezing of gait and quality of life in patients with Parkinson's disease.