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Impulsive and compulsive behaviors in Parkinson's disease: a one-year follow-up study.

Impulsive and compulsive behaviors (ICBs) have been reported to occur frequently in Parkinsons disease (PD) and include impulse control disorders (ICDs), punding and dopamine dysregulation syndrome (SSD). We report on the outcomes of 25 PD patients who developed ICBs. Information was collected on changes in parkinsonian and psychiatric medication follow-up (median=12.1 months). At time 1, only 18 patients (72%) were taking dopamine agonists (DA). At time 2, fifteen patients (83.33%) either discontinued or decreased their DA treatment. Of these patients, thirteen (86.67%) reported experiencing full or partial remission of their ICBs symptoms. When analyzing separately the 11 patients with punding, these symptoms remained unchanged in 9 patients (81.82%) independently of changes in dopaminergic drugs. In conclusion, the current study suggests that there are clear similarities, but also important differences, between punding and ICDs over time. Pathological gambling, binge or compulsive eating, pathological hypersexuality and compulsive shopping in PD were robustly associated with the use of DA but the relationship between dopaminergic medications and punding is less clear. It is important to determine if other treatment strategies may be effective for punding in PD.

Agomelatine for Depression in Parkinson Disease: Additional Effect on Sleep and Motor Dysfunction.

AbstractDepression and sleep disorders are among the most prevalent nonmotor symptoms of Parkinson disease (PD). Because agomelatine acts as a MT1 and MT2 agonist and as a 5HT2c antagonist, this study was designed to assess the efficacy of agomelatine in treating depressive symptoms in PD patients, and the potential changes both in sleep quality and motor symptoms. Depressed patients with PD were treated with agomelatine for 6 months, and they were evaluated with an array of scales. Completed nocturnal video-polysomnography was performed at baseline and week 12. The efficacy analysis population included 24 patients (12 men). The mean (SD) age was 75.2 (8.3) years. The mean (SD) daily dose of agomelatine was 25.00 (10.43) mg at 24 weeks. No changes in dopamine replacement therapy were made. There was a significant decrease in the 17-item Hamilton Depression Scale score over the course of the study (P < 0.0005). The Scales for Outcomes in Parkinson disease Sleep Questionnaire showed a statistically significant improvement over time in each of its subscales: nighttime sleep (P < 0.005), last month nighttime sleep (P < 0.0005), and daytime sleepiness (P < 0.0005). Surprisingly, changes over time in the motor subscale of Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale were statistically significant (P < 0.0005). Periodic limb movements and awakenings measured by polysomnography improved significantly (P < 0.005 and P < 0.05, respectively). We concluded that the use of agomelatine in PD depressed patients may have a considerable therapeutic potential because of its dual action for treating both symptoms of depression and disturbed sleep given its secondary beneficial effects regarding the reduction of extrapyramidal symptoms.

Levodopa Does Not Aggravate Postural Tremor in Parkinson's Disease

Characterization of postural tremor in Parkinsons disease (PD) is incomplete. It was suggested to be an exaggerated physiological tremor and to be enhanced by the action of levodopa. We compared the magnitude of postural tremor to the magnitude of rest tremor and to plasma levodopa levels in 20 PD patients, 10 with stable motor response to oral levodopa, and 10 with the wearing-off phenomenon. Tremor assessment included motor scores of the Unified Parkinsons Disease Rating Scale and accelerometric measurements. Accelerometric data showed that the absolute power of both rest and postural basal dominant tremor frequencies significantly diminished with the increase in plasma levodopa levels and increased with their decrease. Tremor frequencies were also significantly changed by levodopa, which slowed rest tremor and increased postural tremor dominant frequency. This latter, however, did not reach the 8- to 12-Hz frequency band said to be typical of exaggerated physiological tremor. No significant differences between groups were found in their tremor response to levodopa. This study shows that the net postural tremor exhibited by PD patients is improved by levodopa, that levodopa does not augment tremor in the 8- to 12-Hz range, and that this effect is independent of the patients motor response pattern of oral levodopa.

Abnormalities of the Bereitschaftspotential and MRI pallidal signal in non-encephalopathic cirrhotic patients

In cirrhotic patients, even in the non-encephalopathic state, MRI may show an increased signal in globus pallidus in T1-weighted sequences, the clinical significance of which is still poorly characterized. A dysfunction of the motor circuit of the basal ganglia might be predicted if the increased MRI signal expressed alterations in the globus pallidus activity. We compared the Bereitschaftspotential (BP) in 15 non-encephalopathic cirrhotic patients and 15 age-matched controls and found that the amplitude of the early component and the peak negativity of the BP before the electromyogram onset were significantly reduced in the patient group. The intensity of the pallidal signal was related to the plasma ammonia level but the amplitudes of the BP were not related to the pallidal signal or to ammonia. These findings indicate that a defective activity of the cortical areas implicated in the preparation of movement, not specifically related to the pallidal signal, can be present in cirrhotic patients, even in the non-encephalopathic state.

Double-Blind Trial of Flumazenil in Hemiballismus

Three patients with hemiballismus received intravenous flumazenil and placebo in a double-blind cross-over study aimed to investigate whether an antagonistic action at the level of the GABA-benzodiazepine receptors may improve choreoballistic movements. No clinical benefit was seen.

Myoclonus-dominant corticobasal degeneration: Myoclonus-dominant CBD

Corticobasal degeneration (CBD) is a rare neurodegenerative four-repeat (4R) tauopathy with a wide clinical spectrum. Corticobasal syndrome (CBS) is characterized by highly asymmetric parkinsonism combined with dystonia, myoclonus, apraxia, cortical sensory deficits, or alien limb phenomena. Whereas asymmetric limb rigidity and bradykinesia are the most common motor features in cases of pathologically confirmed CBD presenting as CBS (CBD-CBS cases), myoclonus has been recently found to be much less prevalent than previously reported. Here, we describe a patient with CBD-CBS highlighting a myoclonuspredominant phenotype.