Comparable indicators of therapeutic misconception between epilepsy or Parkinson's disease patients between those with clinical trial experience and trial non-participants.

Purpose: Study design, personal persuasions, and experiences can influence willingness to participate in clinical trials (CTs). A study assessed differences between Parkinson's disease (PD) or epilepsy patients having participated in CTs and non-participants in knowledge of and attitudes toward CTs. Also considered were factors in willingness to take part and how CT participants experienced the informed consent process.

Clinical features of Parkinson's disease patients are associated with therapeutic misconception and willingness to participate in clinical trials.

Background: Clinical trials (CTs) are the "gold standard" to ensure the development of new effective treatments in medicine. A study was conducted to assess knowledge of, and attitudes toward, clinical trials among patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), along with factors that motivate them to participate.

Methods: A 50-item questionnaire on the views of patients with PD about CTs was developed.

[Update on Current Care Guideline: Parkinson's disease].

The treatment of Parkinson's disease may be initiated with dopamine agonist or MAO-B-inhibitor for people under 60-65 years of age. For older patients, the treatment may also be started with levodopa. If there are motor complications, such as on-off-symptoms, apomorphin injections can be beneficial in addition to other medications.

Parkinson's disease and insomnia.

There is a broad spectrum of sleep disturbances observed in Parkinson's disease (PD). The prevalence of symptoms of insomnia and chronic inability to sleep and their association with other sleep disorders were studied. Altogether 1447 randomly selected Parkinson patients, aged 43-89 years, participated in a questionnaire study.

Parkinson's disease and restless legs syndrome.

Aims: Various sleep-related complications are common in Parkinson's disease (PD). The prevalence of restless legs syndrome (RLS) and its association with other symptoms were studied.

Methods: Altogether, 1,447 Parkinson patients, aged 43-89, participated in a questionnaire study.

Parkinson's disease and narcolepsy-like symptoms.

Objective: Various sleep-related problems, for example, insomnia and symptoms of rapid eye movement behavior disorder (RBD), are common in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). We studied the prevalence of symptoms of narcolepsy (NARC), hallucinations, and RBD and their association with other symptoms.

Methods: Altogether, 1447 randomly selected patients with PD, aged 43-89 years, participated in a questionnaire study.

Parasomnias and isolated sleep symptoms in Parkinson's disease: a questionnaire study on 661 patients.

Background: Sleep disorders are among the most common non-motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease.

Method: The prevalence of parasomnias and their association with other symptoms were studied in a questionnaire study among 1447 randomly selected Parkinson patients, aged 43 to 89 years. The response rate was 59.

Impulse control disorders are associated with multiple psychiatric symptoms in Parkinson's disease.

Background: Impulse control disorders can have serious adverse consequences to the life of a patient with Parkinson's disease. Although impulse control disorders are common, a possible psychiatric comorbidity has not been fully characterized.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the psychiatric symptoms exhibited by Parkinson's disease patients with impulse control disorders.

Effects of dopamine agonist dose and gender on the prognosis of impulse control disorders in Parkinson's disease.

Introduction: Cross-sectional studies have demonstrated that Parkinson's disease patients have an increased risk of impulse control disorders, and that the disorders frequently co-exist with depressive symptoms. There have been no previous large-scale prospective studies investigating predictive and prognostic factors of these disorders.

Methods: A population of 290 Parkinson's disease patients was studied at baseline and approximately 15 months later.

Parallel appearance of compulsive behaviors and artistic creativity in Parkinson's disease.

A 55-year-old male with idiopathic Parkinson's disease developed three behavioral changes under combination therapy with selegiline, cabergoline and levodopa. Co-existent behaviors included severe pathological gambling, punding and novel skills in writing poetry (published poetry books). Brain [(18)F]fluorodopa PET imaging showed decreased tracer uptake in the striatum contralateral to the predominant motor symptoms, consistent with the clinical diagnosis of Parkinson's disease.

Increased medial orbitofrontal [18F]fluorodopa uptake in Parkinsonian impulse control disorders.

Background: Impulse control disorders (ICDs) occur frequently in PD patients.

Methods: To investigate the possible involvement of the mesostriatal and mesolimbic monoaminergic function in ICDs associated with PD, we examined patients with (n = 10) and without (n = 10) ICDs using the brain [(18) F]fluorodopa PET.

Results: Patients with ICDs (e.

Impulse control disorders and depression in Finnish patients with Parkinson's disease.

Introduction: Impulse control disorders occur frequently in patients with Parkinson's disease. However, the frequencies have been investigated mainly in patients from secondary or tertiary care centers, and thus, the prevalence rates in general community are not known.

Objective: Our objective was to study the prevalence rates of impulse control disorders and related factors in a large, non-selected sample of Parkinson's disease patients.

Outcome and consequences according to the type of transient loss of consciousness: 1-year follow-up study among primary health care patients.

Unlabelled: The prognosis of transient loss of consciousness (LOC) was studied in a one-year follow-up survey. Included were adult patients referred by primary health care physicians for a non-acute specialist consultation during the 2-year period from 01.10.

Working capacity and cervical dystonia.

The objective of this questionnaire study was to assess the effect of cervical dystonia on patients' working capacity. Of the 303 working-aged members of the Finnish Dystonia Association (N = 433) who participated in the study 247 (82%) had cervical dystonia. Their median age was 50 years, the median duration of CD symptoms was 12.

Geographical variation of medicated parkinsonism in Finland during 1995 to 2000.

We performed a nation-wide study on geographical variation in the incidence and prevalence of medicated parkinsonism among the Finns aged > or =30 years using Bayesian spatial conditional autoregressive models. Registry of reimbursed medication for parkinsonism and a prescription database of purchase of these drugs were used to identify the study subjects. They were located by the map coordinates of the place of residence and aggregated into regular 100 km(2) grid cells.

Parkinson's disease and working capacity.

The purpose of the present study was to establish how Parkinson's disease (PD) affects working capacity. Altogether, 937 (70%) of 1,343 working-aged members of the Finnish Parkinson Association participated in a questionnaire study. The ages of the subjects were between 29 and 65 years, median 59.

Transient loss of consciousness with and without injuries: where to treat these patients?

Objectives: Transient loss of consciousness (LOC) is a fairly common phenomenon and frequently carries a risk of injury. The aim was to study the occurrence of injuries and causes of emergency referrals versus later specialist consultation in association with LOC in the primary healthcare setting.

Methods: A four-month survey was carried out in the Primary Healthcare Emergency Department of the City of Tampere, Finland (198,000 inhabitants).

The impact of somatic health problems on insomnia in middle age.

Objective: The objective of this study is to assess the impact on insomnia symptoms of somatic diseases, psychological factors, living habits and life events during the previous year.

Background: Although health problems are a significant cause of insomnia, psychosocial factors are considered to be even more important. The relative impact of these and other factors on insomnia calls for further evaluation.

Transient loss of consciousness as reason for admission to primary health care emergency room.

Objective: To study the occurrence and main causes of transient loss of consciousness in primary health care.

Design: A 4-month prospective survey.

Setting: Primary health care emergency room of the City of Tampere, Finland.