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BACKGROUND: Parkinson's disease (PD) can cause impulsivity with premature responses, but there are several potential mechanisms. We proposed a distinction between poor decision-making and the distortion of temporal perception. Both effects may be present and interact, but with different clinical and pharmacological correlates.OBJECTIVES: This study assessed premature responding during time percept

BACKGROUND: Parkinson's disease has been reported in a small number of patients with chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. In this study, we screened a series of large, independent Parkinson's disease case-control studies for deletions at 22q11.2.METHODS: We used data on deletions spanning the 22q11.2 locus from four independent case-control Parkinson's disease studies (UK Wellcome Trust Case Cont

BACKGROUND: The detection of prodromal Parkinson's disease (PD) is desirable to test drugs with neuroprotective potential, but will be affected by known disease variations.OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of four key non-motor prodromal PD markers, and evaluate the sensitivity of case detection when non-motor screening tools for prodromal PD are implemented in an early clinical PD cohort.METHOD

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have long been used to produce safe and high quality products as they are potential producers of a wide range of antimicrobial compounds that exert either narrow or wide spectrum antimicrobial activity towards spoilage or disease-causing organisms. The present investigation aimed to study the antimicrobial effect of three LAB strains, viz., Lactobacillus plantarum (86),

BACKGROUND: The immune system is a promising therapeutic target for disease modification in Parkinson's disease (PD), but appropriate immune-related biomarkers must be identified to allow patient stratification for trials and tracking of therapeutic effects. The objective of this study was to investigate whether immune markers in peripheral blood are candidate prognostic biomarkers through determi

Complex health systems make it difficult to ensure a continuity of care for older persons with multi-morbidity, and risk fragmented care. Fragmented care could affect the quality and safety of the care provided. Case management could provide an approach to counteract this unfavourable situation. Case management is practised by case managers and aims to improve the coordination of healthcare and soComplex health systems make it difficult to ensure a continuity of care for older persons with multi-morbidity, and risk fragmented care. Fragmented care could affect the quality and safety of the care provided. Case management could provide an approach to counteract this unfavourable situation. Case management is practised by case managers and aims to improve the coordination of healthcare and so

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have suggested that melatonin-a hormone produced by the pineal gland under circadian control-contributes to PD-related sleep dysfunction. We hypothesized that degenerative changes to the neural structures controlling pineal function (especially the suprachiasmatic nuclei of the anterior hypothalamus) may be responsible for reduced melatonin output in these patients. We c

OBJECTIVE: To develop a prognostic model to predict disease outcomes in individual patients with Parkinson disease (PD) and perform an external validation study in an independent cohort.METHODS: Model development was done in the Comorbidity and Aging in Rehabilitation Patients: The Influence on Activities (CARPA) cohort (Netherlands). External validation was performed using the Cambridgeshire Park

Recent studies indicate that selective noradrenergic (atomoxetine) and serotonergic (citalopram) reuptake inhibitors may improve response inhibition in selected patients with Parkinson's disease, restoring behavioral performance and brain activity. We reassessed the behavioral efficacy of these drugs in a larger cohort and developed predictive models to identify patient responders. We used a doubl

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is an ultrasensitive vibrational fingerprinting technique widely used in analytical and biosensing applications. For intracellular sensing, typically gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are employed as transducers to enhance the otherwise weak Raman spectroscopy signals. Thus, the signature patterns of the molecular nanoenvironment around intracellular unlabeled A

BACKGROUND: Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder characterised by a triad of motor, psychiatric and cognitive deficits with the latter classically attributed to disruption of frontostriatal networks. However, emerging evidence from animal models of HD suggests that some of the early cognitive deficits may have a hippocampal basis. The objective of this stud

Progressive supranuclear palsy and Parkinson's disease have distinct underlying neuropathology, but both diseases affect cognitive function in addition to causing a movement disorder. They impair response inhibition and may lead to impulsivity, which can occur even in the presence of profound akinesia and rigidity. The current study examined the mechanisms of cognitive impairments underlying disin

INTRODUCTION: Huntington's disease (HD) is an incurable chronic neurodegenerative disorder that typically presents in mid-life with a range of motor, cognitive and affective problems. Patients are currently managed using a combination of drug treatments and non-pharmacological therapies but at present there is no "gold standard" treatment for any aspect of the disease.AREAS COVERED: In this review

We evaluated the effect of anticholinergic burden on 219 participants with incident Parkinson's disease (PD) and 99 controls at study baseline and 18 months. Anticholinergic burden for each individual was calculated and summed according to the Anticholinergic Drug Scale (ADS). Medication with anticholinergic activity was more commonly prescribed in PD compared to controls, although mean ADS scores

BACKGROUND: We investigated the use of a simple novel nut and bolt task in premanifest and manifest Huntington's disease (HD) patients to detect and quantify motor impairments at all stages of the disease.METHODS: Premanifest HD (n=24), manifest HD (n=27) and control (n=32) participants were asked to screw a nut onto a bolt in one direction, using three different sized bolts with their left and ri

BACKGROUND: There is wide variation in the phenotypic expression of Parkinson's disease (PD), which is driven by both genetic and epidemiological influences.OBJECTIVES: To define and explain variation in the clinical phenotype of PD, in relation to genotypic variation.METHODS: Tracking Parkinson's is a multicentre prospective longitudinal epidemiologic and biomarker study of PD. Patients attending

BACKGROUND: Apathy is a common feature of Huntington’s disease (HD), even from early disease. However, patients are believed to lack insight into their own apathy and therefore clinicians and/or companions are relied upon to estimate the extent of a patient’s apathy. In addition, the evolution of apathy over time in HD has not been unequivocally established. OBJECTIVEs: The purpose of this study w

Adult hippocampal neurogenesis is a highly dynamic process in which new cells are born, but only some of which survive. Of late it has become clear that these surviving newborn neurons have functional roles, most notably in certain forms of memory. Conventional methods to look at adult neurogenesis are based on the quantification of the number of newly born neurons using a simple cell counting met