AN ASSESSMENT OF HAVING PARKINSON'S DISEASE FOR 35 YEARS

July 8, 2018

An assessment was carried out of the clinical, neuropsychological, electrophysiological, and neuroimaging features of Parkinson's Disease since the onset of motor symptoms in people who had Parkinson's Disease for over 35 years.

The patients who were assessed had been treated with L-dopa and subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS). Despite the amount of time that had elapsed there was still a sustained motor response to L-dopa (range 14%-35%), a sustained response to STN-DBS (range 23%-38%), and also to L-dopa plus STN-DBS (37%-63%). There were mild to moderate non-motor symptoms (within a range of 19 to 83 on a scale of 0 to 360), and autonomic dysfunction (within a range of 8-28 on a scale of 0-69).

Two patients were demented, one had mild cognitive impairment, and two were cognitively preserved. Three of the patients had a peripheral neuropathy and two had a moderate- to-severe autonomic neuropathy. Their genetic tests were unremarkable.

Even after more than 35 years of having Parkinson's Disease, L-dopa and STN-DBS remained effective to some extent, and were even more effective in combination, on the cardinal symptoms of Parkinson's Disease.

Reference : Journal of Neurology [2018] Jun 26 [Epub ahead of print] (A.Romagnolo, M.Fabbri, A.Merola, E.Montanaro, S.Palermo, T.Martone, A.Seresini, S.Goldwurm, M.G. Rizzone, L.Lopiano) 

Complete abstract : http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29943201

http://www.viartis.net/parkinsons.disease/news/180708.pdf