Search results for "PARKINSON’S DISEASE"
showing 10 items of 90 documents
PGC-1α: a master gene that is hard to master
2012
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) is a transcriptional coactivator that favorably affects mitochondrial function. This concept is supported by an increasing amount of data including studies in PGC-1α gene-deleted mice, suggesting that PGC-1α is a rescue factor capable of boosting cell metabolism and promoting cell survival. However, this view has now been called into question by a recent study showing that adeno-associated virus-mediated PGC-1α overexpression causes overt cell degeneration in dopaminergic neurons. How is this to be understood, and can these seemingly conflicting findings tell us something about the role of PGC-1α in cell stress and in cont…
Restoring Neurological Physiology: The Innovative Role of High-Energy MR-Guided Focused Ultrasound (HIMRgFUS). Preliminary Data from a New Method of …
2017
Background Tremor is a disabling condition, common to several neurodegenerative diseases. Lesioning procedures and deep brain stimulation, respectively, of the ventralis intermedius nucleus for intentional tremor, and of the subthalamic nucleus for parkinsonian resting tremor, have been introduced in clinical practice for patients refractory to medical treatment. The combination of high-energy focused ultra-sound (HIFUS) with sophisticated magnetic resonance (MR) instrumentation, together with accurate knowledge of the stereotactic brain coordinates, represents a revolution in neuromodulation. Methods At the Neurosurgical Clinic and the Radiology Department of the University of Palermo,, tw…
Advanced technologies for detecting tremor in Parkinson's disease.
2019
Objective Accurate and reliable detection of tremor onset in Parkinson’s disease (PD) is critical to the success of adaptive deep brain stimulation (aDBS) therapy. Here, we investigated the potential use of feature engineering and machine learning methods for more accurate detection of rest tremor in PD. Methods We analyzed the local field potential (LFP) recordings from the subthalamic nucleus region in 12 patients with PD (16 recordings). To explore the optimal biomarkers and the best performing classifier, the performance of state-of-the-art machine learning (ML) algorithms and various features of the subthalamic LFPs were compared. We further used a Kalman filtering technique in feature…
Ambulatory Treatment and Telemonitoring of Patients with Parkinson’s Disease
2011
Body sensor networks (BSN) promise to enhance quality of life in common human habitats. The very next and natural step towards the improvement of the already valuable applications based on BSN is the incorporation of body actuator devices which adapt its actuation dynamically based on the information provided by the body sensors, thus forming Body Sensor and actuator Networks (BS&AN). This paper shows how BS&AN can be exploited to create an innovative system to support the treatment of patients affected by Parkinson’s Disease (PD). The combination of clinical and technological knowledge in BS&AN allows to significantly improve the quality of life of patients suffering from PD.
Distinct Incidence of Takotsubo Syndrome Between Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Synucleinopathies : A Cohort Study
2018
Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is an acute cardiac syndrome characterized by regional left ventricular dysfunction with a peculiar circumferential pattern, which typically results in apical ballooning. Evidence indicates a pivotal role of catecholamines in TTS, and researchers have discussed multiple hypotheses on the etiology, including multivessel coronary spasm, myocardial stunning, excessive transient ventricular afterload, and cardiac sympathetic overactivity with local noradrenaline spillover. Although central nervous system disorders, such as stroke and epilepsy, are known to trigger TTS, the incidence and clinical features of TTS in neurodegenerative disorders are poorly understood. Here,…
Development of a Parkinson’s disease specific falls questionnaire
2020
Abstract Background Falls are a major health burden for older adults with Parkinson’s disease (PD), but there is currently no reliable questionnaire to capture the circumstances and consequences of falls in older adults with PD. This study aimed to develop a PD-specific falls questionnaire and to evaluate its test-retest reliability in older adults with PD. Methods A novel PD-specific falls questionnaire (PDF-Q) was developed in two modes (online and paper-based version) and used to assess falls and near-falls events over the past 12-months. Questions were agreed upon by an expert group, with the domains based on previous falls-related questionnaires. The questions included the number and c…
Transcranial direct current stimulation for treatment of freezing of gait: a cross-over study.
2014
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Progression of Parkinson's disease (PD) is frequently characterized by the occurrence of freezing of gait (FOG) representing a disabling motor complication. We aim to investigate safety and efficacy of transcranial direct current stimulation of the primary motor cortex of PD patients with FOG. METHODS: In this cross-over, double-blind, sham-controlled study, 10 PD patients with FOG persisting in "on" state underwent anodal and sham direct current stimulation for 5 consecutive days. Clinical assessment over a 1-month period was performed. RESULTS: A significant improvement of gait, as assessed by the Stand Walk Sit test, with reduction in number and duration of FOG …
Fragment‐ and Negative Image‐Based Screening of Phosphodiesterase 10A Inhibitors
2019
A novel virtual screening methodology called fragment‐ and negative image‐based (F‐NiB) screening is introduced and tested experimentally using phosphodiesterase 10A (PDE10A) as a case study. Potent PDE10A‐specific small‐molecule inhibitors are actively sought after for their antipsychotic and neuroprotective effects. The F‐NiB combines features from both fragment‐based drug discovery and negative image‐based (NIB) screening methodologies to facilitate rational drug discovery. The selected structural parts of protein‐bound ligand(s) are seamlessly combined with the negative image of the target's ligand‐binding cavity. This cavity‐ and fragment‐based hybrid model, namely its shape and electr…
Assessment of the Kinematic Adaptations in Parkinson’s Disease Using the Gait Profile Score: Influences of Trunk Posture, a Pilot Study
2021
Introduction: Postural abnormalities are common in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and lead to gait abnormalities. Relationships between changes in the trunk posture of PD patients and gait profile score (GPS) and gait spatiotemporal parameters are poorly investigated. The aim of the current study was to investigate the relationships between trunk posture, GPS, and gait spatiotemporal parameters, in patients with PD. Materials and Methods: Twenty-three people with PD and nineteen age-matched healthy people participated in this study. A 3D gait kinematical analysis was applied to all participants using the Plug-In Gait Full BodyTM tool. Trunk and limb kinematics patterns and gait spat…
Tumor diagnosis preceding Parkinson's disease: A case-control study
2004
Lower cancer risk in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients compared to the general population has been reported. However, most of the studies were based on death certificates. We designed a case– control study to estimate the association of tumor preceding PD onset and PD. PD patients were matched by age and gender to PD-free individuals, randomly selected from the municipalities of residence of cases. Occurrence of tumors preceding PD onset was assessed through a structured questionnaire. Neoplasms were categorized as benign, malignant, or of uncertain classification, and endocrine-related or not. Odds ratios (OR) were calculated using conditional logistic regression and adjusted for tumor cat…