Sarcopenia, low muscle strength, cognitive functions, and quality of life in parkinsonian syndromes.

Objectives: Parkinsonian syndromes are disabling neurodegenerative diseases resulting in reduced muscle function/performance and sarcopenia, but clinical manifestations could be systemic, including deterioration of cognitive function. As studies have reported an association between muscle dysfunction and cognitive decline yet no information on these syndromes is available, we investigated the relationship between sarcopenia, its components, and cognitive function, fatigue, and quality of life (QoL).

Methods: Consecutive patients affected by parkinsonian syndromes were assessed for the presence of sarcopenia using the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People-2 algorithm: low strength (handgrip strength: <27 kg [men]; <16 kg [women]) and low appendicular skeletal muscle index by impedance (<7.

Mucuna pruriens to treat Parkinson's disease in low-income countries: Recommendations and practical guidelines from the farmer to clinical trials. Paving the way for future use in clinical practice.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive and disabling neurodegenerative disease that rapidly worsens and results in premature mortality if left untreated. Although levodopa is the gold standard treatment for PD globally, its accessibility and affordability are severely limited in low- and middle-income countries worldwide. In this scenario, Mucuna pruriens (MP), a leguminous plant growing wild in tropical regions, emerges as a potential alternative or adjunct to levodopa-based medications due to its cost-effectiveness and global natural availability.

Metformin use is associated with reduced mortality risk in diabetic patients with Parkinson's disease.

Introduction: Parkinson's disease (PD) and type-2 diabetes (T2D) arguably share pathophysiologic mechanisms, resulting in a more severe phenotype and progression and diabetes is currently considered a risk factor of PD. Besides, research suggests antidiabetic therapies as potential disease-modifying strategies. The main aim was to assess the impact of a metformin-inclusive antidiabetic treatment on patient all-cause mortality.

Gut microbiota dysbiosis in Parkinson disease: A systematic review and pooled analysis.

Background And Purpose: The role of the gut microbiome in the pathogenesis of Parkinson disease (PD) is under intense investigation, and the results presented are still very heterogeneous. These discrepancies arise not only from the highly heterogeneous pathology of PD, but also from widely varying methodologies at all stages of the workflow, from sampling to final statistical analysis. The aim of the present work is to harmonize the workflow across studies to reduce the methodological heterogeneity and to perform a pooled analysis to account for other sources of heterogeneity.

Onset and mortality of Parkinson's disease in relation to type II diabetes.

Objectives: There is growing evidence that Parkinson's disease and diabetes are partially related diseases; however, the association between the two, and the impact of specific treatments, are still unclear. We evaluated the effect of T2D and antidiabetic treatment on age at PD onset and on all-cause mortality.

Research Design And Methods: The standardized rate of T2D was calculated for PD patients using the direct method and compared with subjects with essential tremor (ET) and the general Italian population.

Gut Microbiota in Monozygotic Twins Discordant for Parkinson's Disease.

Differences in gut microbiota between Parkinson's disease patients and controls seem to depend on multiple-frequently unmeasured-confounders. Monozygotic twins offer a unique model for controlling several factors responsible for interpersonal variation in gut microbiota. Fecal samples from 20 monozygotic twin pairs (n = 40) discordant for Parkinson's disease were studied (metagenomic shotgun analysis).

Vitamin D Status and Parkinson's Disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a complex and progressive neurodegenerative disease, characterized by resting tremor, rigidity, slowness of movement, and postural instability. Furthermore, PD is associated with a wide spectrum of non-motor symptoms that add to overall disability. In recent years, some investigations, from basic science to clinical applications, have focused on the role of vitamin D in PD, often with controversial findings.

Astrocytes expressing Vitamin D-activating enzyme identify Parkinson's disease.

Introduction: Astrocytes are involved in Parkinson's disease (PD) where they could contribute to α-Synuclein pathology but also to neuroprotection via α-Synuclein clearance. The molecular signature underlying their dual role is still elusive. Given that vitamin D has been recently suggested to be protective in neurodegeneration, the aim of our study was to investigate astrocyte and neuron vitamin D pathway alterations and their correlation with α-Synuclein aggregates (ie, oligomers and fibrils) in human brain obtained from PD patients.

Does Gut Microbiota Influence the Course of Parkinson's Disease? A 3-Year Prospective Exploratory Study in de novo Patients.

Background: Although abnormalities in gut microbiota are hypothesized to influence the pathogenesis and clinical phenotype of Parkinson's disease (PD), prospective studies on de novo patients are lacking.

Objective: To preliminarily investigate whether gut microbiota in early untreated PD may predict motor and non-motor features progression over a 3-year period.

Methods: 16S ribosomal RNA gene amplicons were sequenced on fecal samples of 39 de novo PD patients.

Vitamin D supplementation and outcomes in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients from the outbreak area of Lombardy, Italy.

• Vitamin D has antiinflammatory and immunoregulatory functions. • The involvement of vitamin D in the pathophysiology of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is still not clear. • Some studies support a link between vitamin D deficiency and worse COVID-19 outcomes.

Clinical correlates of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D in Parkinson's disease.

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) patients have lower levels of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) than the general population. Previous studies have suggested a negative association between 25(OH)D and clinical features of PD, but the data are inconsistent.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional, observational study.

COVID-19 in Parkinson's Disease Patients Living in Lombardy, Italy.

Background: It is unknown whether patients with PD are at greater risk of COVID-19, what their risk factors are, and whether their clinical manifestations differ from the general population.

Objectives: The study aimed to address all these issues.

Methods: In a case-controlled survey, we interviewed 1,486 PD patients attending a single tertiary center in Lombardy, Italy and 1,207 family members (controls).

Resting energy expenditure in Parkinson's disease patients under dopaminergic treatment.

Weight homeostasis is complex in Parkinson's disease (PD) and body weight changes substantially throughout the course of the disease. We designed a case-control study to (i) investigate whether PD is associated with changes in resting energy expenditure (REE), (ii) to assess how accurately REE could be predicted for individuals with PD utilizing the equations constructed for healthy individuals, and (iii) to eventually construct a new equation. Measured REE (mREE) was compared between 122 PD patients and 122 gender and body mass index (BMI)-matched controls.

Muscle-targeted nutritional support for rehabilitation in patients with parkinsonian syndrome.

Objective: We evaluated the efficacy of muscle-targeted nutritional support on the functional outcomes of multidisciplinary intensive rehabilitation treatment (MIRT) in patients with Parkinson disease (PD) or parkinsonism.

Methods: We conducted a pragmatic, bicentric, randomized (1:1), assessor-blind controlled trial (Protein, Leucine and Vitamin D Enhancing Rehabilitation [PRO-LEADER]; April 2017 to January 2018) in cognitively intact patients with PD or parkinsonism and undergoing a 30-day MIRT. Patients (n = 150) received a standard hospital diet with or without a whey protein-based nutritional supplement enriched with leucine and vitamin D twice daily.

Unraveling gut microbiota in Parkinson's disease and atypical parkinsonism.

Background: Although several studies have suggested that abnormalities in gut microbiota may play a critical role in the pathogenesis of PD, data are still extremely heterogeneous.

Methods: 16S gene ribosomal RNA sequencing was performed on fecal samples of 350 individuals, subdivided into idiopathic PD (n = 193, of whom 39 were drug naïve) stratified by disease duration, PSP (n = 22), MSA (n = 22), and healthy controls (HC; n = 113). Several confounders were taken into account, including dietary habits.

Nutritional characterisation of Zambian : acceptability and safety of short-term daily supplementation in a group of malnourished girls.

In Zambia, chronic malnutrition still is one of the most common problem among children. To fight against malnutrition, the easiest short-term solution could be to combine specific types of food with affordable local plants. A large variety of natural food resources grow in Zambia, such as (MO), whose leaves are known for their health benefits, but are not consumed much by local populations.

Daily intake of Mucuna pruriens in advanced Parkinson's disease: A 16-week, noninferiority, randomized, crossover, pilot study.

Background: Thousands of individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) in low-income countries have limited access to marketed levodopa preparations. Mucuna pruriens (MP), a levodopa-containing leguminous plant growing in tropical areas, may be a sustainable alternative therapy for indigent patients. Single-dose intake of MP proved noninferior to marketed levodopa preparations.

in Parkinson disease: A double-blind, randomized, controlled, crossover study.

Objective: To investigate whether (MP), a levodopa-containing leguminous plant growing in all tropical areas worldwide, may be used as alternative source of levodopa for indigent individuals with Parkinson disease (PD) who cannot afford long-term therapy with marketed levodopa preparations.

Methods: We investigated efficacy and safety of single-dose intake of MP powder from roasted seeds obtained without any pharmacologic processing. Eighteen patients with advanced PD received the following treatments, whose sequence was randomized: (1) dispersible levodopa at 3.

Dietary habits in Parkinson's disease: Adherence to Mediterranean diet.

Introduction: Our objective is to describe the dietary habits, food preferences and adherence to Mediterranean diet (MeDi) of a large sample of Italian Parkinson's Disease (PD) patients compared to a group of controls.

Methods: Dietary habits of 600 PD patients from throughout Italy and 600 controls matched by gender, age, education, physical activity level and geographical residence, were collected using the ON-GP Food Frequency Questionnaire. Then, we compared patients by disease duration and the presence of swallowing disturbances.

Survival and dementia in GBA-associated Parkinson's disease: The mutation matters.

Objective: The objective of this work was to investigate survival, dementia, and genotype-phenotype correlations in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) with and without mutations on the glucocerebrosidase gene (GBA).

Methods: We included 2,764 unrelated consecutive PD patients: 123 GBA carriers (67 mild-p.N370S and 56 severe mainly p.

Probiotics and prebiotic fiber for constipation associated with Parkinson disease: An RCT.

Objectives: Our objective was to evaluate the efficacy of probiotics and prebiotics in patients with Parkinson disease (PD) and constipation.

Methods: We conducted a tertiary setting, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in patients with PD with Rome III-confirmed constipation based on 2-week stool diary data at baseline. Patients (n = 120) were randomly assigned (2:1) to either a fermented milk, containing multiple probiotic strains and prebiotic fiber, or placebo, once daily for 4 weeks.

Dietary habits and neurological features of Parkinson's disease patients: Implications for practice.

Background & Aims: Parkinson's disease (PD) patients can benefit considerably from appropriate nutritional care, particularly from diet. However, there is limited evidence on the eating habits of PD patients and their relationship with the features of the disease.

Methods: We conducted a large case-control study.