Publications by authors named "Nils Schnalke"
Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is associated with psychosocial distress that affects patients' quality of life. The distress thermometer (DT) is an 11-point visual analogue scale that is used as a screening tool for the assessment of psychosocial distress, originally developed for oncological diseases.
Objectives: To validate the DT for PD and to explore contributing factors.
Article Synopsis
- Different stages of Parkinson's disease (PD) are characterized by clinical criteria, with late-stage PD showing significant deterioration marked by specific morbidity milestones like hallucinations and falls.
- The study investigated the role of serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL) as a biomarker for neurodegeneration progression in late-stage PD, involving 118 patients with a mean disease duration of 15 years.
- Results indicated that higher sNfL levels correlated with more clinical milestones and were associated with significantly increased mortality risk, suggesting that neurodegeneration rates are more pronounced in advanced PD stages compared to earlier ones.
Background: Deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN-DBS) is an effective treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD). The long-term benefit in PD patients with STN-DBS in comparison to medical treatment (MT) alone has not yet been demonstrated conclusively.
Objectives: To judge the long-term outcome of patients with STN-DBS.
Development and Validation of a Fall Questionnaire for Patients with Parkinson's Disease.
Mov Disord Clin Pract
October 2022
Background: In Parkinson's disease, postural instability and falls are of particular socioeconomic relevance. Although effective fall prevention and the prophylaxis of fall-related injuries depend on low-threshold symptom monitoring, validated instruments are lacking.
Objectives: To develop a self-report questionnaire for the assessment of falls, near falls, fear of falling, fall-related injuries, and causes of falls for patients with Parkinson's disease (PwPD).