Health care utilization at the end of life in Parkinson's disease: a population-based register study.

Background: Knowledge of health care utilization at the end of life in Parkinson's disease (PD) is sparse. This study aims to investigate end of life health care utilization, characterized by emergency room (ER) visits, receipt of specialized palliative care (SPC), and acute hospital deaths in a Swedish population-based PD cohort.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study on deceased patients (≥ 18 years) with a PD diagnosis during their last year of life (n = 922), based on health care-provider data from Region Stockholm´s data warehouse, for the study period 2015-2021.

Challenges of Teleneurology in the Care of Complex Neurodegenerative Disorders: The Case of Parkinson's Disease with Possible Solutions.

Teleneurology is a specialist field within the realm of telemedicine, which is dedicated to delivering neurological care and consultations through virtual encounters. Teleneurology has been successfully used in acute care (e.g.

Gender differences in diagnostic tools, medication, time to medication, and nonmotor symptoms in Parkinsonian patients.

Background: Swedish National Quality Registers (NQRs) play an important role in collecting large amounts of diagnosis-specific data, symptoms, and treatments. The subset of data, Parkinson's Registry, has been in use for more than 20 years and represents all counties and hospitals in Sweden where neurological care is provided.

Objective: To study the differences between genders regarding diagnostic tools, pharmacological interventions, and self-reported symptoms in patients with symptoms originating from basal ganglia disease, either idiopathic or secondary Parkinsonism (PD).

Intra-flexor retinaculum steroid injection in elderly patients with carpal tunnel syndrome: A randomized clinical trial.

Introduction: The efficacy of ultrasonography-guided intra-flexor retinaculum corticosteroid injection is compared to within-carpal tunnel steroid injection, for the treatment of elderly patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS).

Material & Methods: In this prospective, double-blind, randomized trial, the elderly patients with CTS are allocated 1:1 into the two treatment groups. Subjects and assessors remained blinded to group allocation throughout the trial.

Mediating effect of mutuality on caregiver burden in Parkinson's disease partners.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a complex neurodegenerative disorder with a broad list of motor and non-motor symptoms (NMS) that has been shown to affect the relationship quality (mutuality) and caregiver burden. However, little is known if the effect of motor and NMS on caregiver burden is mediated by mutuality. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore if perceived mutuality by patients and partners mediates the effect of motor and NMS on caregiver burden.

Preoperative geriatric assessment and follow-up of patients older than 75 years undergoing elective surgery for suspected colorectal cancer.

Objectives: We investigated the predictive value of specific tools used in a Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) with regard to postoperative outcome in patients 75 years and older undergoing elective colorectal cancer (CRC) surgery. Furthermore, recovery was followed over the first postoperative year using the same assessment tools.

Material And Methods: Baseline clinical and CGA variables including functional and nutritional status, pressure sore risk, fall risk, cognition, depression, polypharmacy, comorbidity, and health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) were prospectively recorded.

Neuropathic Pain Prevalence of Older Adults in an Urban Area of Iran: A Population-Based Study.

Background: Pain prevalence would increase as the population grows older, but the exact prevalence rate is not apparent in Iran.

Objectives: This study, therefore, set out to reveal the prevalence of pain, especially neuropathic type and explore its associated comorbidities among Iranian older adults in a large urban population-based survey.

Methods: 5326 older people, aged ≥ 60 years, were randomly chosen by a multistage, cluster sampling method.

The diagnostic accuracy of median nerve ultrasonography in elderly patients with carpal tunnel syndrome: sensitivity and specificity assessment.

Background: Accurate diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), the most common entrapment neuropathy, and its differentiation from other diseases are essential, especially in older individuals with advanced symptoms and modified electrophysiological abnormalities. The current study was conducted to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonography (US), regarding sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of CTS in elderly patients.

Methods: Individuals with upper limb complaints and reference subjects were recruited from the Rofaydeh Hospital, Tehran, Iran, from June 2013 to October 2014 - (15 months).

Mediating Effect of Mutuality on Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Parkinson's Disease.

The relationship quality, mutuality, has been identified as a protective factor in family care situations, but its role in mediating health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients having Parkinson's disease (PD) is not known. Data on patients' and partners' mutuality (MS), motor signs (UPDRS III), non-motor symptoms (NMSQuest), impaired cognition (IQCODE), dependency in activities of daily life (ADL), and HRQoL (PDQ8) were collected from 51 dyads. Structural equation model with manifest variables was applied to explore if the MS score mediated the effect of UPDRS III, NMSQuest, IQCODE, and dependency in ADL on PDQ8.

No Significant Difference in Cognitive Decline and Mortality between Parkinson's Disease Dementia and Dementia with Lewy Bodies: Naturalistic Longitudinal Data from the Swedish Dementia Registry.

Background: Whether dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD) are distinct disorders or two subtypes of the same entity, is not yet fully understood. There is a dearth of knowledge on differences in longitudinal clinical outcomes between DLB and PDD.

Objective: We aimed to compare longitudinal trend of cognitive decline, mortality, and their determinant factors between patients with DLB and PDD.

Sensitivity of high-resolution ultrasonography in clinically diagnosed carpal tunnel syndrome patients with hand pain and normal nerve conduction studies.

Background: Suspecting carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in patients with hand pain is usual. Considering the variable rate of false-negative results in nerve conduction study (NCS), as a frequent reference confirmatory standard test, we aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of neuromuscular ultrasound in patients with clinical evidence of CTS and normal NCS.

Methods: It was a diagnostic accuracy study conducted in the outpatient clinic of Rofaydeh Hospital, Tehran, Iran, between July 2012 and December 2016; it recruited clinically diagnosed CTS patients and a control group.

The older patient's experience of the healthcare chain and information when undergoing colorectal cancer surgery according to the enhanced recovery after surgery concept.

Aims And Objectives: To describe how older patients experience the healthcare chain and information given before, during and after colorectal cancer surgery.

Background: Most persons with colorectal cancer are older than 70 years and undergo surgery with subsequent enhanced recovery programmes aiming to quickly restore preoperative function. However, adaptation of such programmes to suit the older patient has not been made.

Different doses of steroid injection in elderly patients with carpal tunnel syndrome: a triple-blind, randomized, controlled trial.

Background: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is commonly seen in elderly populations, in part due to increased presence of predisposing comorbidities as well as physiological changes. We aimed at comparing the effectiveness of different doses of steroid using the ultrasound-guided hydrodissection method in elderly patients with CTS.

Methods: We conducted a prospective, triple-blind, randomized, controlled trial in elderly patients with CTS.

Evolution of Orofacial Symptoms and Disease Progression in Idiopathic Parkinson's Disease: Longitudinal Data from the Jönköping Parkinson Registry.

Background: Orofacial symptoms are common in Parkinson's disease (PD) both as initial manifestations and late markers of disease complications. We aimed to investigate the evolution of orofacial manifestations and their prognostic value throughout PD progression.

Methods: Data was obtained from "Jönköping Parkinson Registry" database on routine care visits of 314 people with idiopathic PD in southern Sweden.

Hyperechogenicity of substantia nigra for differential diagnosis of Parkinson's disease: A meta-analysis.

Studies have suggested that the majority of patients with Parkinson's disease have abnormal ultrasound hyperechogenicity of the substantia nigra, and that this may be useful in diagnosis. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate diagnostic value of substantia nigra ultrasound to differentiate Parkinson's disease from atypical parkinsonism and from essential tremor. We systematically searched PubMed and EMBASE for relevant studies published until November 2016.

Assessing postural balance in early Parkinson's Disease-validity of the BDL balance scale.

Background: There is a need for a valid assessment test of balance in early Parkinson's disease (PD).

Objective: To validate the Bäckstrand Dahlberg Liljenäs Balance Scale (BDL), a test of balance performance constructed to assess mild to moderate balance disability due to neurological disease, for use in persons with early PD.

Methods: Cross-sectional psychometric evaluation study from a convenience sample community-dwelling persons with PD (n = 28).

Determinants of Dyadic Relationship and Its Psychosocial Impact in Patients with Parkinson's Disease and Their Spouses.

The caregiver-care receiver relationship (mutuality) in Parkinson's disease (PD) and its association with motor and non-motors symptoms, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and caregiver burden have not fully been investigated. The aim of our study was to explore if (1) the level of mutuality perceived by PD-patients and PD-partners differs, (2) different factors are associated with perceived mutuality by PD-patients and PD-partners, and (3) mutuality is associated with PD-patients health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and caregiver burden. We collected data on motor signs (UPDRS III), non-motor manifestations (NMSQuest), PD-patients' cognition (IQCODE), mutuality scale (MS), PD-patients' HRQoL (PDQ8), and caregiver burden (CB) from 51 PD dyads.

Prevalence and associated comorbidities of restless legs syndrome (RLS): Data from a large population-based door-to-door survey on 19176 adults in Tehran, Iran.

Background: Discrepancies have been reported in the prevalence rate of restless legs syndrome (RLS) among different ethnic groups and geographic populations. Furthermore, there are disagreements on determinant factors and associated comorbidities of RLS. We aimed to estimate prevalence of RLS and investigate its associated comorbid conditions and risk factors in a large population-based door-to-door survey.

Sexual dimorphism in Parkinson's disease: differences in clinical manifestations, quality of life and psychosocial functioning between males and females.

Introduction: Sex-related differences in clinical manifestations and consequences of Parkinson's disease (PD) have been poorly explored. Better understanding of sexual dimorphism in neurologic diseases such as PD has been announced as a research priority. The aim of our study was to determine independent sex differences in clinical manifestations and subtypes, psychosocial functioning, quality of life (QoL) and its domains between male and female individuals with PD.

Pre- and unplanned walking turns in Parkinson's disease - Effects of dopaminergic medication.

Although dopaminergic medication improves functional mobility in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD), its effects on walking turns are uncertain. Our goals was to determine whether dopaminergic medication improves preplanned and unplanned walking turns in individuals with PD, compared to healthy controls. Nineteen older adults with mild-to-moderate PD and 17 healthy controls performed one of the following three tasks, presented randomly: walking straight, or walking and turning 180° to the right or left.

Pain management in patients with Parkinson's disease: challenges and solutions.

This review focuses on the diagnosis and management of Parkinson-related pain which is one of the more frequently reported nonmotor symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD), which is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's disease. Pain is ranked high by patients as a troublesome symptom in all stages of the disease. In early-stage PD, pain is rated as the most bothersome symptom.

Increased 1-year survival and discharge to independent living in overweight hip fracture patients: A prospective study of 843 patients.

Background And Purpose: Hip fracture patients usually have low body mass index (BMI), and suffer further postoperative catabolism. How BMI relates to outcome in relatively healthy hip fracture patients is not well investigated. We investigated the association between BMI, survival, and independent living 1 year postoperatively.

Mortality in Iranian Patients with Parkinson's Disease: Cumulative Impact of Cardiovascular Comorbidities as One Major Risk Factor.

Mortality rate, life expectancy, survival, and the impact of comorbidities on them in people with Parkinson's disease (PD) need to be assessed in settings with different sociodemographic backgrounds. We investigated mortality features in Iranian PD patients focusing on the role of cardiovascular multimorbidity on their survival. Data on mortality and comorbidity profile was gathered in a cohort of 190 individuals with idiopathic PD referred to a Movement Disorders Clinic.

Heterogeneous Determinants of Quality of Life in Different Phenotypes of Parkinson's Disease.

Objectives: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is considered a very important outcome indicator in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). A broad list of motor and non-motor features have been shown to affect HRQoL in PD, however, there is a dearth of information about the complexity of interrelationships between determinants of HRQoL in different PD phenotypes. We aimed to find independent determinates and the best structural model for HRQoL, also to investigate the heterogeneity in HRQoL between PD patients with different phenotypes regarding onset-age, progression rate and dominant symptom.