NEUROPATHY IS 20 TIMES MORE LIKELY IN PARKINSON'S DISEASE

14th October 2015 - New research

Polyeuropathy has been found to be 20 times more likely in people with Parkinson's Disease. Polyneuropathy is the simultaneous malfunction of many peripheral nerves throughout the body. Acute polyneuropathy begins suddenly in both legs and progresses rapidly upward to the arms. Symptoms include weakness and a pins-and-needles sensation or loss of sensation. In the most common chronic form only sensation is affected. For more information go to : http://www.msdmanuals.com/en-gb/home/brain-spinal-cord-and-nerve-disorders/peripheral-n erve-disorders/polyneuropathy

Polyneuropathy was found to be twenty times more likely to occur in people with Parkinson's Disease. As many as 45% of people with Parkinson's Disease were found to be affected by Polyneuropathy. Researchers did not establish a relationship between Polyneuropathy occuring and either : the long term use of L-dopa, the duration of Parkinson's Disease, or the age of the people affected.

In previous studies neuropathy was also found to be far more common in Parkinson's Disease. In those studies around 37% of people with Parkinson's Disease were affected. Neuropathy was related to vitamin B12 deficiency, age, serum folate levels, and even more so to L-dopa use. Neuropathy was more than twice as likely in people with Parkinson's Disease who have been taking L-dopa for a long time.

Reference : Neuro Endocrinology Letters [2015] 36 (4) : 363-367 [Epub ahead of print] (Z.Grambalova, M.Kaiserova, M.Vastik, K.Mensíkova, P.Otruba, J.Zapletalova, J. Dufek, P.Kanovsky)

Complete abstract : http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26454492
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