Falls in persons with Parkinson's disease: Do non-motor symptoms matter as much as motor symptoms?

Introduction: Falls are common among persons with Parkinson's disease (PD). On the other hand, predicting falls is complex as there are both generic and PD-specific contributors. In particular, the role of non-motor symptoms has been less studied.

[Breve recorrido histórico de la enfermedad de Parkinson a 200 años de su descripción].

The original description of what currently is known as Parkinson's disease was published 200 years ago. During both these centuries, knowledge on symptomatology, pathophysiology, genetics and pharmaceutical and surgical treatment has significantly increased; however, this nosological entity continues to be of imprecise origin and progressive evolution. In the present review, the historical events that contributed to describe and improve the understanding of this disease are summarized.

Motor and non-motor wearing-off and its impact in the quality of life of patients with Parkinson's disease.

Objectives: The wearing-off phenomenon is common in patients with Parkinson's disease. Motor and non-motor symptoms can fluctuate in relation to the "on/off" periods. To assess the impact of motor and non-motor wearing-off on activities of daily living and quality of life of patients with PD.

Who Can Diagnose Parkinson's Disease First? Role of Pre-motor Symptoms.

In 1817, James Parkinson described the disease which bears his name. The disease was defined as a neurological syndrome characterized by tremor, rigidity, and slowness of movements. Almost one hundred years later, degeneration of neurons in the substantia nigra and low levels of dopamine were identified as the putative cause of the disease, thus the disease remained as a pure neurological disorder.

A Polysomnographic Study of Parkinson's Disease Sleep Architecture.

Sleep disturbance is a common nonmotor phenomenon in Parkinson's disease (PD) affecting patient's quality of life. In this study, we examined the association between clinical characteristics with sleep disorders and sleep architecture patterns in a PD cohort. Patients underwent a standardized polysomnography study (PSG) in their "on medication" state.

Prevalence and correlates of sleep disorders in Parkinson's disease: a polysomnographic study.

Objective: Sleep disorders in Parkinson's disease are very common. Polysomnography (PSG) is considered the gold standard for diagnosis. The aim of the present study is to assess the prevalence of nocturnal sleep disorders diagnosed by polysomnography and to determine the associated clinical factors.

Factors associated with the quality of life of subjects with Parkinson's disease and burden on their caregivers.

Introduction: Parkinson's disease affects the quality of life of the individual with the disease in addition to creating a burden on the caregiver. Factors related to these effects include motor and non-motor aspects of the disease, as well as traits inherent to the caregiver.

Methods: We evaluated subjects with Parkinson's disease using the following instruments: Quality of Life Questionnaire PDQ-8, Movement Disorders Society Unified Parkinson's disease Rating Scale part i to iv (MDS-UPDRS), and Hoehn and Yahr staging.

[Sialorrhea in patients with Parkinson. A six year prospective study].

Introduction: The sialorrhea has been recognised as one of the manifestations of Parkinson's disease, with a frequency of up to 80%. The evolution of patients with sialorrhea is unknown.

Patients And Methods: We study 26 male and 17 female patients with Parkinson's disease and sialorrhea.

[Subthalamic nucleus targeting and spatial variability].

Aim: The effectiveness of anatomic localization of the subthalamic nucleus (EAL) was assessed and the mapping method is described here. The symmetry of contralateral nuclei (SCN) was analyzed on 11 parkinsonian patients submitted to bilateral subthalamotomy with ablative lesioning.

Patients And Methods: To assess EAL the percentage so much of first trajectory (p1) as the total of trajectories (pt) that hit the target and the rest of subthalamic nucleus average distance (d) was calculated.