Publications by authors named "M J Kasten"
Article Synopsis
- A large-scale genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted with over 6000 participants to investigate genetic risk factors for isolated dystonia, aiming to improve upon earlier studies that found no significant genetic links.
- The study included 4303 dystonia patients and 2362 healthy controls, analyzing various factors like age of onset and affected body areas, but ultimately failed to identify any common genetic variants associated with dystonia.
- The findings suggest that isolated dystonia may not be influenced by common genetic variations, highlighting the need for more extensive studies like whole-genome sequencing to uncover potential genetic contributions.
Article Synopsis
- Current estimates of genetic variants linked to Parkinson's disease (PD) show limitations and biases across different populations, complicating patient recruitment for clinical trials focused on genetic therapies.
- The Rostock Parkinson's disease (ROPAD) study analyzes data from 12,580 PD patients across 16 countries, revealing that 14.8% had a genetic test positive for PD-related variants, particularly in specific genes like GBA1 and LRRK2.
- Findings indicate higher positivity rates in patients with earlier onset (age ≤ 50) or a positive family history, emphasizing the need for more extensive genetic investigation to improve patient stratification for future clinical trials.
Background: Pathogenic variants in several genes have been linked to genetic forms of isolated or combined dystonia. The phenotypic and genetic spectrum and the frequency of pathogenic variants in these genes have not yet been fully elucidated, neither in patients with dystonia nor with other, sometimes co-occurring movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease (PD).
Objectives: To screen >2000 patients with dystonia or PD for rare variants in known dystonia-causing genes.
The role of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) convalescent plasma in the treatment of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in immunosuppressed individuals remains controversial. We describe the course of COVID-19 in patients who had received anti-CD20 therapy within the 3 years prior to infection. We compared outcomes between those treated with and those not treated with high titer SARS-CoV2 convalescent plasma.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDepressive symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD) are multifactorial and are partly linked to the underlying dopaminergic deficit. However, at least a subset of PD patients may exhibit an unspecific depressive reaction to chronic illness. Here, we compared the prevalence and severity of depressive symptoms in PD patients and disease controls (DC).
View Article and Find Full Text PDF