Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society
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Anxiety is a prevalent and disabling condition in Parkinson's disease (PD). The lack of anxiety rating scales validated for this population hampers research into anxiety in PD. The aim of this study is to assess the clinimetric properties of the Hamilton anxiety rating scale (HARS), the Beck anxiety inventory (BAI), and the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) in PD patients. ⋯ Given the adequate known groups validity of all three rating scales, each of these scales is likely to be useful in clinical practice or research for evaluation of symptom severity. Limitations in the construct validity of the anxiety scales in this study raise questions regarding suitability for their use in PD.
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Autosomal recessive hereditary spastic paraplegia with thin corpus callosum is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by spastic paraparesis, cognitive impairment, and peripheral neuropathy. The neuroradiologic hallmarks are thin corpus callosum and periventricular white matter changes. Mutations in the SPG11 gene have been identified to be a major cause of autosomal recessive hereditary spastic paraplegia with thin corpus callosum and recently also proven to be responsible for juvenile parkinsonism associated with spastic paraplegia. ⋯ This case confirms the high genetic and clinical heterogeneity associated with SPG11 mutations. It also offers further evidence that parkinsonism may initiate autosomal recessive hereditary spastic paraplegia with thin corpus callosum and that parkinsonian symptoms can have variable dopaminergic response in these patients.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Botulinum toxin A versus B in sialorrhea: a prospective, randomized, double-blind, crossover pilot study in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Parkinson's disease.
Either botulinum toxins (BoNTs) A and B have been used for improving drooling in different neurological conditions. ⋯ Either 250 U Dysport or 2500 U Neurobloc have similar effectiveness and safety in controlling sialorrhea. BoNT-B has a shorter latency and comparable duration. Cost analysis, considering the doses used in this study protocol favored BoNT-B treatment.