Neuropsychiatric comorbidities in Huntington's and Parkinson's Disease: A United States claims database analysis.

Objective: Huntington's disease is a rare, genetic, neurodegenerative disease characterized by a triad of cognitive, behavioral, and motor symptoms. The condition gradually results in increasing disability, loss of independence, and ultimately death. Our objective was to use United States claims data (which offer valuable insight into the natural history of disease) to compare the prevalent comorbidities of people with Huntington's disease against matched controls with Parkinson's disease or with no major neurodegenerative diseases (general population controls).

Inventory of real world data sources in Parkinson's disease.

Background: Real world data have an important role to play in the evaluation of epidemiology and burden of disease; and in assisting health-care decision-makers, especially related to coverage and payment decisions. However, there is currently no overview of the existing longitudinal real world data sources in Parkinson's disease (PD) in the USA. Such an assessment can be very helpful, to support a future effort to harmonize real world data collection and use the available resources in an optimal way.

Development and validation of an algorithm for identifying urinary retention in a cohort of patients with epilepsy in a large US administrative claims database.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to develop and validate an insurance claims-based algorithm for identifying urinary retention (UR) in epilepsy patients receiving antiepileptic drugs to facilitate safety monitoring.

Methods: Data from the HealthCore Integrated Research Database(SM) in 2008-2011 (retrospective) and 2012-2013 (prospective) were used to identify epilepsy patients with UR. During the retrospective phase, three algorithms identified potential UR: (i) UR diagnosis code with a catheterization procedure code; (ii) UR diagnosis code alone; or (iii) diagnosis with UR-related symptoms.

Physician and Pharmacist Understanding of the Risk of Urinary Retention with Retigabine (Ezogabine): A REMS Assessment Survey.

Background: The Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) for retigabine/ezogabine (RTG/EZG) required an evaluation of the effectiveness of the communication plan to communicate about the risks with use of RTG/EZG.

Objective: GlaxoSmithKline conducted a survey to assess understanding of the risk of urinary retention (UR) with RTG/EZG and to evaluate the effectiveness of the communication plan.

Methods: This was a US-based, cross-sectional, non-interventional, observational survey, conducted from February to April 2013, of physicians who had prescribed RTG/EZG in the past year, and pharmacists who had dispensed an antiepileptic drug within the past 3 months.

European Survey of Prescriber Understanding of Risks Associated with Retigabine.

Background: We conducted a survey to assess physicians' knowledge and understanding of key risks associated with retigabine.

Objective: The survey evaluated the effectiveness of the educational plan for retigabine, as specified in the GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) European Risk Management Plan.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey of physicians across seven European countries (Denmark, Germany, Norway, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, and the UK) who had prescribed an antiepileptic drug at least once within the past 3 months, and to whom a letter containing the retigabine Physician's Guide was sent.

Parkinson's Disease Case Ascertainment in the EPIC Cohort: The NeuroEPIC4PD Study.

Background/aims: Large epidemiological prospective studies represent an important opportunity for investigating risk factors for rare diseases such as Parkinson's disease (PD). Here we describe the procedures we used for ascertaining PD cases in the EPIC (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition) study.

Methods: The following three-phase procedure was used: (1) elaboration of a NeuroEPIC4PD template for clinical data collection, (2) identification of all potential PD cases via record linkage and (3) validation of the diagnosis through clinical record revision, in a population of 220,494 subjects recruited in 7 European countries.

Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy in lamotrigine randomized-controlled trials.

Purpose: Nonrandomized studies of the relationship of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) with sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) may be susceptible to confounding by tonic-clonic seizure frequency, polypharmacy, and other potential risk factors for SUDEP. We evaluated the risk of SUDEP with lamotrigine (LTG) compared to active comparators and placebo in randomized controlled clinical trials conducted by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) between 1984 and 2009.

Methods: Among 7,774 subjects in 42 randomized clinical trials, there were 39 all-cause deaths.

Incidence of new-onset seizures in mild to moderate Alzheimer disease.

Objective: To estimate the incidence rate and predictors of seizures in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer disease (AD).

Design: Cohort study of patients with mild to moderate AD in clinical trials. Risk factors for potential seizures were evaluated by stratified descriptive statistics and univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regressions.

Exploring differential prescribing between anti-epileptic drugs in epilepsy patients with a history of mood disorders.

Purpose: To explore differential prescribing of anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) to patients with epilepsy by history of mood disorder.

Methods: Epilepsy was defined as at least one diagnosis code and one AED prescription, and all patients must have been on the database 182 days before and after their first AED prescription. The Integrated HealthCare Information Services (IHCIS) insurance claims database included 44 557 patients with epilepsy between January 1997 and March 2007.

Estimated life expectancy of Parkinson's patients compared with the UK population.

Objective: To calculate the best possible estimates for age specific life expectancy (LE) and anticipated age at the time of death (AAD) in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) compared with the general population in the UK. These may be of greater value to patients than standardised mortality ratios (SMRs), which are usually reported in studies on mortality in PD.

Methods: A literature review identified articles with data on age stratified life expectancy or SMRs to calculate estimations of LE using the Gompertz function and data on mortality and LE in the UK from the Office of National Statistics and Actuarial Department for the year 2003.

Screening for Lrrk2 G2019S and clinical comparison of Tunisian and North American Caucasian Parkinson's disease families.

Mutations in the leucine-rich repeat kinase-2 gene (LRRK2) are responsible for some forms of familial as well as sporadic Parkinson's disease (PD). The purpose of this study was to examine the frequency of a single pathogenic mutation (6055G > A) in the kinase domain of this gene in United States and Tunisian familial PD and to compare clinical characteristics between patients with and without the mutation. Standardized case report forms were used for clinical and demographic data collection.

Clinical features of Parkinson disease patients with homozygous leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 G2019S mutations.

Background: The G2019S mutation is the most common pathogenic substitution in the leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) gene, which has recently been identified in familial and sporadic Parkinson disease (PD).

Objectives: To report the clinical characteristics of PD patients with homozygous LRRK2 6055G>A (G2019S) mutations and to compare them with previously published descriptions of heterozygous patients.

Design: Descriptive clinical report from an international consortium of studies.

The frequency and validity of self-reported diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease in the UK elderly: MRC CFAS cohort.

Background: Estimates of the incidence and prevalence of chronic diseases can be made using established cohort studies but these estimates may have lower reliability if based purely on self-reported diagnosis.

Methods: The MRC Cognitive Function & Ageing Study (MRC CFAS) has collected longitudinal data from a population-based random sample of 13004 individuals over the age of 65 years from 5 centres within the UK. Participants were asked at baseline and after a two-year follow-up whether they had received a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease.

What is the evidence for a premorbid parkinsonian personality: a systematic review.

Rigid and introverted personality type has been suggested as possibly associated with risk of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, to be a risk, the measurement of personality must precede the onset of PD, more than simply reported as personality in PD cases. Several reviews have been published examining the literature base for this suggestion; however, the issue of "premorbid" personality measurement was not emphasized.

A systematic review of nutritional risk factors of Parkinson's disease.

A wide variety of nutritional exposures have been proposed as possible risk factors for Parkinson's disease (PD) with plausible biological hypotheses. Many studies have explored these hypotheses, but as yet no comprehensive systematic review of the literature has been available. MEDLINE, EMBASE, and WEB OF SCIENCE databases were searched for existing systematic reviews or meta-analyses of nutrition and PD, and one meta-analysis of coffee drinking and one meta-analysis of antioxidants were identified.

Self-reported parkinsonian symptoms in the EPIC-Norfolk cohort.

Background: Parkinsonian symptoms have been associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Several studies have reported on the prevalence of signs and symptoms. Symptoms questionnaires can identify potential PD cases for further neurological examination to save resources.