Prediction of Phenoconversion into Alpha-Synucleinopathy in Patients with isolated REM Sleep Behavior Disorder Using Event-Related Potentials During Visuospatial Attention Tasks.

Study Objectives: Isolated REM sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) is recognized as a prodromal stage of alpha-synucleinopathies. Predicting phenoconversion in iRBD patients remains a key challenge. We aimed to investigate whether event-related potentials (ERPs) recorded during visuospatial attention task can serve as predictors of phenoconversion in iRBD patients.

Prognosis prediction and immunotherapy optimisation for cryptogenic new-onset refractory status epilepticus.

Background: Cryptogenic new-onset refractory status epilepticus (cNORSE) currently lacks comprehensive knowledge regarding its clinical dynamics, prognostic factors and treatment guidance. Here we present the longitudinal clinical profiles, predictive factors for outcomes and the optimal duration of immunotherapy in patients with cNORSE.

Methods: This retrospective secondary endpoint analysis investigated patients with cNORSE identified from a prospective autoimmune encephalitis cohort at a national referral centre in Korea.

Associations of Orthostatic Hypotension and Orthostatic Intolerance with Domain-Specific Cognitive Decline in Patients with Early Parkinson Disease: An 8-Year Follow-up.

Objective: Although orthostatic hypotension (OH) and orthostatic intolerance (OI) are prevalent in patients with Parkinson disease (PD), it remains unclear how these conditions primarily affect the trajectory of decline in specific cognitive domains. This study aimed to explore the effects of OH and OI on longitudinal domain-specific cognitive changes in patients with PD.

Design: An 8-year follow-up of the Parkinson Progression Markers Initiative cohort study.

Effects of physical exercise interventions on cognitive function in Parkinson's disease: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Objective: To determine whether physical exercise interventions can improve cognitive function, including overall performance and specific domains, in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and to provide potential evidence on how cognitive benefits can be optimized by exercise prescriptions.

Methods: Using PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library (from inception to August 2022), four independent reviewers screened the search results and extracted data from randomized controlled trials of physical exercise interventions in patients with PD with an outcome measure of cognitive function. Random-effects meta-analysis models were used to report standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs).

Effects of high-intensity interval training and moderate-intensity continuous training on sarcopenia-related parameters in participants with Parkinson's disease: A 24-week randomized pilot trial substudy.

Objective: To evaluate the potential efficacy of two different supervised exercise regimens, namely high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT), on sarcopenia-related parameters in participants with Parkinson's disease (PD).

Methods: We analyzed data from a randomized controlled pilot trial (CRIS identifier: KCT0007130). An aerobic exercise intervention using a cycle ergometer (40-60 min) in combination with calisthenics (5 min) was performed in three sessions/week for 24 weeks for HIIT (60% maximum aerobic power for 30-50 s with 1-min rest intervals) and MICT (50% peak oxygen consumption) groups.

Peripheral blood inflammatory cytokines in prodromal and overt α-synucleinopathies: a review of current evidence.

While the pathomechanisms of α-synucleinopathies are not completely understood, accumulating evidence suggests a role of neuroinflammation in the development and progression of the diseases. In addition, emerging data provide insights into the potential role of central neuroinflammation in prodromal α-synucleinopathies. Given the considerable bidirectional crosstalk between peripheral and central inflammation, peripheral blood inflammatory cytokines may be a useful tool to understand immune responses in association with α-synucleinopathies.

Prognostic significance of peripheral neutrophils and lymphocytes in early untreated Parkinson's disease: an 8-year follow-up study.

Background: To explore whether peripheral blood neutrophils and lymphocytes are associated with longitudinal motor and cognitive decline in patients with early Parkinson's disease (PD) and, to uncover the disease-specific mechanisms underlying these associations.

Methods: Data were obtained from the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative cohort. We included 376 patients with recently diagnosed, drug-naïve PD and 178 matched healthy controls.

Trends in sleep duration in Korea: The Korean time use survey.

Objectives: An accurate assessment of sleep duration is important in that it can be one of the indicators of a country's overall health and well-being. The global trend in sleep duration is controversial according to study types. We investigated trends in sleep duration in South Korea with a time diary method.

Association of Early Weight Change With Cognitive Decline in Patients With Parkinson Disease.

Background And Objective: To examine whether early weight change is associated with subsequent deterioration in cognitive function, including overall performance and specific domains, in Parkinson disease (PD).

Methods: This observational study used data from the Parkinson Progression Markers Initiative cohort. The patients underwent annual nonmotor assessments covering neuropsychiatric, sleep-related, and autonomic symptoms for up to 8 years of follow-up.

Emotional and Environmental Factors Aggravating Dream Enactment Behaviors in Patients with Isolated REM Sleep Behavior Disorder.

Objective: To identify emotional and environmental factors that aggravate dream enactment behaviors (DEBs) in isolated rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (iRBD).

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 96 polysomnography-confirmed iRBD patients (mean age, 68.5 years; men, 68%) and their caregivers completed questionnaires regarding potential aggravating factors related to DEBs, including emotion/feelings (stress, anger, anxiety, depressive mood, fatigue, pain), food (alcohol, caffeine, overeating in the evening, fasting/hunger), activities and sleep patterns (strenuous exercise, sex before bed, conflict/fighting, sleep deprivation, oversleeping, sleeping away from home, watching TV before bed), weather/environmental factors (cloudy or rainy weather, heat, cold, noise) and medication (skipping medication, taking hypnotics).

White matter tract-specific microstructural disruption is associated with depressive symptoms in isolated RBD.

Objective: White matter (WM) tract-specific changes may precede gray matter loss in isolated rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (iRBD). We aimed to evaluate tract-specific WM changes using tract-specific statistical analysis (TSSA) and their correlation with clinical variables in iRBD patients.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional single-center study of 50 polysomnography-confirmed iRBD patients and 20 age- and sex-matched controls.

Association of Nucleus Basalis of Meynert Functional Connectivity and Cognition in Idiopathic Rapid-Eye-Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder.

Background And Purpose: Cognitive impairments are common in isolated rapid-eye-movement sleep behavior disorder (iRBD), in which the cholinergic system may play an important role. This study aimed to characterize the cortical cholinergic activity using resting-state functional connectivity (FC) of the nucleus basalis of Meynert (NBM) according to the cognitive status of iRBD patients.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 33 patients with polysomnography-confirmed iRBD and 20 controls underwent neuropsychological evaluations and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Alerting network alteration in isolated rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder patients with mild cognitive impairment.

Objective: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) was found in 30-50% of the isolated REM sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) patients. Furthermore, it is known that patients with Parkinson's disease have attention network defects. Given that iRBD is known to be the prodromal disease of α-synucleinopathies, our aim was to investigate whether there are attention network dysfunctions in iRBD patients following the presence of MCI.

Apolipoprotein E ε4 is not associated with cognitive impairment in patients with idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder.

We analyzed 136 patients (age, 67.5 ± 6.9 years; men, 59.

Characteristics and prognosis of patients with cryptogenic stroke and suggestive of patent foramen ovale.

Aims: The purpose of this study were to identify the usefulness of screening for PFO using agitated saline echocardiography (ASE) and characteristics and prognosis of patients with suggestive of patent foramen ovale (PFO).

Methods: Three hundred three patients (mean age, 53 ± 9 years; 199 [66%] men) admitted with acute stroke or suspicion of stroke were included. Patients were classified into those with and without right-to-left shunt (RLS) according to the ASE results (positive ASE [n = 92] vs.

A new rapid titration protocol for lamotrigine that reduces the risk of skin rash.

Objective: Lamotrigine is one of the most widely used antiepileptic drugs, but it has a critical issue of a skin rash if the starting dose is too high or the escalation rate is too rapid. We investigated the efficacy and safety of a novel and rapid titration protocol for lamotrigine that takes only 11 days to reach a daily dose of 200 mg.

Methods: We prospectively enrolled 33 adult patients (age 18-85) who were diagnosed with epilepsy and started lamotrigine administration for the first time at a single tertiary hospital.

Content Analysis of Korean Videos Regarding Restless Legs Syndrome on YouTube.

Objective: To evaluate the accuracy and quality of Korean videos associated with restless legs syndrome (RLS) on YouTube.

Methods: A YouTube search was performed on April 1, 2020 using the term "restless legs syndrome" in the Korean language. Two reviewers coded the source, content, and demographics of the included videos.

Association of Physical Activity and Genotype With Longitudinal Cognitive Change in Early Parkinson Disease.

Objective: To determine whether greater physical activity could modify the negative association of ε4 with longitudinal cognitive changes in early Parkinson disease (PD) and to uncover the disease-specific mechanism for explaining such benefits of physical activity.

Methods: We used data from the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative cohort. Because self-reported physical activity, measured by the Physical Activity Scale of the Elderly, was initiated at 2 years after enrollment, this longitudinal analysis was based on assessments performed at years 2, 3, and 4.

Impact of the apolipoprotein E ε4 allele on early Parkinson's disease progression.

Objective: Emerging evidence shows that apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 exacerbates alpha-synuclein pathology. We aimed to investigate whether the APOE ε4 allele contributes to early Parkinson's disease (PD) progression.

Methods: This cohort study included 361 early PD patients who were classified as APOE ε4 carriers (n = 90) and noncarriers (n = 271).