Hypomania and saccadic changes in Parkinson's disease: influence of D2 and D3 dopaminergic signalling.

In order to understand the influence of two dopaminergic signalling pathways, TaqIA rs1800497 (influencing striatal D2 receptor density) and rs6280 (influencing the striatal D3 dopamine-binding affinity), on saccade generation and psychiatric comorbidities in Parkinson's disease, this study aimed to investigate the association of saccadic performance in hypomanic or impulsive behaviour in parkinsonian patients; besides we questioned whether variants of D2 (A1+/A1-) and D3 (B1+/B1-) receptor polymorphism influence saccadic parameters differently, and if clinical parameters or brain connectivity changes modulate this association in the nigro-caudatal and nigro-collicular tract. Initially, patients and controls were compared regarding saccadic performance and differed in the parameter duration in memory-guided saccades (MGS) and visually guided saccades (VGS) trials ( < 0.0001) and in the MGS trial ( < 0.

Catabolic and anabolic periarticular bone changes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a computed tomography study on the role of age, disease duration and bone markers.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to determine the factors, including markers of bone resorption and bone formation, which determine catabolic and anabolic periarticular bone changes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: Forty RA patients received high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) analysis of the metacarpophalangeal joints II and III of the dominantly affected hand at two sequential time points (baseline, one year follow-up). Erosion counts and scores as well as osteophyte counts and scores were recorded.