Efficacy and safety of safinamide in Parkinson's disease patients with motor fluctuations without levodopa dosage escalation over 18 weeks: KEEP study.

This multicentre, prospective, single-arm study evaluated safinamide as add-on therapy to levodopa in Korean patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) with motor fluctuations with ≥ 1.5 h of "off" time daily, who took levodopa ≥ 3 times/day (n = 199). Baseline levodopa and dopamine agonist doses were maintained without escalation during the 18-week treatment period.

Validity and Reliability of the Korean Versions of the 9- and 19-Item Wearing-Off Questionnaires in Parkinson's Disease.

Background And Purpose: The wearing-off (WO) phenomenon is the most common motor complication in advanced Parkinson's disease (PD), but its identification remains challenging. The 9- and 19-item Wearing-off Questionnaires (WOQ-9 and WOQ-19) are self-assessment tools for motor and nonmotor symptoms that are widely used for WO screening. We produced Korean versions of the WOQ-19 and WOQ-9 (K-WOQ-19 and K-WOQ-9) and investigated their validity and reliability.

Effect of acceptance and commitment therapy on fear of falling and physical activity in Parkinson's disease: a randomised controlled trial.

Introduction: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) in reducing the fear of falling (FOF) and promoting physical activity in individuals diagnosed with Parkinson's disease (PD).

Methods And Analysis: This is a prospective, multicentre, rater-blinded and randomised controlled trial. Patients with PD and a history of falls will be randomly assigned to either an 8-week ACT intervention group or a control group receiving standard care.

Survey of the Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Neurologists Regarding Exercise in Parkinson's Disease.

Background And Purpose: Exercise and physiotherapy can exert potentially beneficial effects on the motor and nonmotor features of Parkinson's disease (PD). We conducted an e-mail survey to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of neurologists regarding exercise among patients with PD.

Methods: A total of 222 neurologists from the Korean Movement Disorder Society and the Korean Society of Neurologists completed the survey and were classified into 4 clusters using the k-means clustering algorithm based on their institute types, the proportions of PD patients in their clinics, and the number of years working as neurologists.

Trends in Physiotherapy Interventions and Medical Costs for Parkinson's Disease in South Korea, 2011-2020.

Objective: Physiotherapy (PT), which is an effective strategy for managing Parkinson's disease (PD), can influence health care utilization. We analyzed trends in health care utilization, PT interventions, and medical costs among patients with PD.

Methods: Using data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service from 2011 to 2020, we analyzed the number of patients with PD and their health care utilization and assessed the odds ratio (OR) for receiving regular PTs.

Effects of GV1001 on Language Dysfunction in Patients With Moderate-to-Severe Alzheimer's Disease: Analysis of Severe Impairment Battery Subscales.

Background And Purpose: The efficacy and safety of GV1001 have been demonstrated in patients with moderate-to-severe Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this study, we aimed to further demonstrate the effectiveness of GV1001 using subscales of the Severe Impairment Battery (SIB), which is a validated measure to assess cognitive function in patients with moderate-to-severe AD.

Methods: We performed a analysis of data from a 6 month, multicenter, phase 2, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with GV1001 (ClinicalTrials.

Validity and Reliability of the Korean-Translated Version of the International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale in Cerebellar Ataxia.

Objective: The International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale (ICARS) is a semiquantitative clinical scale for ataxia that is widely used in numerous countries. The purpose of this study was to investigate the validity and reliability of the Korean-translated version of the ICARS.

Methods: Eighty-eight patients who presented with cerebellar ataxia were enrolled.

Movement Disorders Associated With Cerebral Artery Stenosis: A Nationwide Study.

Background: Studies of secondary movement disorder (MD) caused by cerebrovascular diseases have primarily focused on post-stroke MD. However, MD can also result from cerebral artery stenosis (CAS) without clinical manifestations of stroke. In this study, we aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics of MD associated with CAS.

Semi-quantitative analysis of periventricular gray-white matter ratio on CT in patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus.

To investigate alterations in the periventricular gray-white matter ratio (GWR) on computed tomography (CT) in patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (INPH), a total of 140 patients with INPH and 52 age-and sex-matched controls were included by using Japanese guidelines published in 2021: possible, probable, and definite INPH for a retrospective case-control study. The non-enhanced brain CT was reviewed, and the Hounsfield unit (HU) was semi-quantitatively measured using the region of interest (ROI). The size (40 mm) and location of the ROI were standardized within the periventricular white matter (WM) and thalamus.

Anodal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Could Modulate Cortical Excitability and the Central Cholinergic System in Akinetic Rigid-Type Parkinson's Disease: Pilot Study.

Background: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive technique that has been widely studied as an alternative treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD). However, its clinical benefit remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of tDCS on the central cholinergic system and cortical excitability in mainly akinetic rigid-type patients with PD.

Existence and Significance of Internal Border Zone Infarcts with Accessory Lesions Located in the Anteromedial Temporal Lobe.

Objectives: To examine the existence and significance of internal border zone (IBZ) infarcts with accessory lesions in the anteromedial temporal lobe (ATL).

Materials And Methods: IBZ infarcts located at the corona radiata were selected based on diffusion-weighted imaging of 2535 consecutive patients with ischemic stroke and the presence of lesions in the ATL was identified. The Mann-Whitney U test, Student t-test, Pearson χ test, or Fisher exact test was used to analyze differences between the IBZ infarct groups with and without accessory lesions in the ATL.

Erratum: Validation Study of the Official Korean Version of the Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale.

This corrects the article on p. 633 in vol. 16, PMID: 33029970.

Quantitative gait and postural analyses in patients with diabetic polyneuropathy.

Background: Although gait disturbances are relatively common symptoms in diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN), few studies have quantitatively analyzed gait and posture in DPN patients. This study aimed to analyze gait and posture quantitatively in DPN patients and to determine the association between clinical and electrophysiological parameters and gait and posture parameters.

Methods: Sixty-four DPN patients were enrolled in this study.

Validation of a New Screening Tool for Dementia: The Simple Observation Checklist for Activities of Daily Living.

Background And Purpose: Screening tests for dementia such as the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment are widely used, but there are drawbacks to their efficient use. There remains a need for a brief and easy method of assessing the activities of daily living (ADL) that can be administered to elderly individuals by healthcare workers. We have therefore developed a new scale named the Simple Observation Checklist for Activities of Daily Living (SOC-ADL).

An investigation of thalamic nuclei volumes and the intrinsic thalamic structural network based on motor subtype in drug naïve patients with Parkinson's disease.

Introduction: This study aimed to investigate the alterations in thalamic nuclei volumes and the intrinsic thalamic structural network in patients with de novo Parkinson's disease (PD) based on their predominant symptoms.

Methods: We enrolled 65 patients with de novo PD (44 patients with tremor-dominant [TD] subtype and 21 patients with postural instability and gait disturbance [PIGD] subtype) and 20 healthy controls. All subjects underwent three-dimensional T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging.

Validation Study of the Official Korean Version of the Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale.

Background And Purpose: The Movement Disorder Society-Sponsored Revision of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) is widely used for estimating the symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Translation and validation of the MDS-UPDRS is necessary for non-English speaking countries and regions. The aim of this study was to validate the Korean version of the MDS-UPDRS.

A Supervised Machine Learning Approach to Detect the On/Off State in Parkinson's Disease Using Wearable Based Gait Signals.

Fluctuations in motor symptoms are mostly observed in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. This characteristic is inevitable, and can affect the quality of life of the patients. However, it is difficult to collect precise data on the fluctuation characteristics using self-reported data from PD patients.

Prolonged-release melatonin in Parkinson's disease patients with a poor sleep quality: A randomized trial.

Background: The present study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-center trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of prolonged-release melatonin (PRM) in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with poor sleep quality.

Methods: PD patients with a global Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score > 5 were included. Patients were assessed using the PSQI, a rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder screening questionnaire, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Non-Motor Symptoms Scale (NMSS), Parkinson's Disease Quality of Life-39 (PDQ-39), and Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS)-III at the beginning of the study and after 4 weeks of treatment with 2 mg of PRM.

Characteristics of Perfusion Computed Tomography Imaging in Patients with Seizures Mimicking Acute Stroke.

Introduction: Seizures as acute stroke mimics are a diagnostic challenge.

Objective: The aim of the study was to characterize the perfusion patterns on perfusion computed tomography (PCT) in patients with seizures masquerading as acute stroke.

Methods: We conducted a study on patients with acute seizures as stroke mimics.

Design of a Machine Learning-Assisted Wearable Accelerometer-Based Automated System for Studying the Effect of Dopaminergic Medicine on Gait Characteristics of Parkinson's Patients.

In the last few years, the importance of measuring gait characteristics has increased tenfold due to their direct relationship with various neurological diseases. As patients suffering from Parkinson's disease (PD) are more prone to a movement disorder, the quantification of gait characteristics helps in personalizing the treatment. The wearable sensors make the measurement process more convenient as well as feasible in a practical environment.

Cognitive Intervention with Musical Stimuli Using Digital Devices on Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Pilot Study.

The effect of music therapy on cognitive function has been widely reported; however, its clinical implications remain controversial. Performing therapeutic musical activities in groups using individualized instruments can help overcome the issues of engagement and compliance. We aimed to evaluate the effect of a cognitive intervention with musical stimuli using digital devices on mild cognitive impairment (MCI).