ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Parkin related Parkinson's disease (PD) is differentiated from idiopathic PD by absent or sparse Lewy bodies, and preserved olfaction. The significance of single Parkin mutations in the pathogenesis of PD is debated. OBJECTIVES: To assess olfaction results according to Parkin mutation status. To compare the prevalence of Parkin single heterozygous mutations in patients diagnosed with PD to the rate in healthy controls in order to establish whether these single mutations could be a risk factor for developing PD. METHODS: Parkin gene mutation testing was performed in young onset PD (diagnosed <50 years old) to identify three groups: Parkin homozygous or compound heterozygote mutation carriers, Parkin single heterozygote mutation carriers, and non-carriers of Parkin mutations. Olfaction was tested using the 40-item British version of the University of Pennsylvania smell identification test (UPSIT). RESULTS: Of 344 young onset PD cases tested, 8 (2.3%) were Parkin compound heterozygotes and 13 (3.8%) were Parkin single heterozygotes. Olfaction results were available in 282 cases (eight compound heterozygotes, nine single heterozygotes, and 265 non-carriers). In Parkin compound heterozygotes, the median UPSIT score was 33, interquartile range (IQR) 28.5-36.5, which was significantly better than in single Parkin heterozygotes (median 19, IQR 18-28) and non-carriers (median score 22, IQR 16-28) (ANOVA P < 0.001). These differences persisted after adjusting for age, disease duration, gender, and smoking (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in UPSIT scores between single heterozygotes and non-carriers (P = 0.90). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with Parkin compound heterozygous mutations have relatively preserved olfaction compared to Parkin single heterozygotes and non-carriers. The prevalence of Parkin single heterozygosity is similar to the 3.7% rate reported in healthy controls.
Subject(s)
Parkinson Disease/genetics , Parkinson Disease/psychology , Smell/genetics , Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases/genetics , Adult , Age of Onset , Aged , Cognition Disorders/epidemiology , Cognition Disorders/etiology , Cognition Disorders/genetics , Cohort Studies , DNA/genetics , Female , Gene Frequency , Genotype , Heterozygote , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Mutation/genetics , Neuropsychological Tests , Parkinson Disease/epidemiology , PrevalenceABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Infusion tests are important tools to assess cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)dynamics used in the preoperative selection of patients for shunt surgery, or to predict the scope of improvement from shunt revision. The aim of this study was to assess the repeatability of the key quantitative parameters describing CSF dynamics that are determined with infusion testing. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighteen patients in whom a constant infusion test was repeated within 102 days, without any intermediate surgical intervention, were studied. From each test baseline ICP, baseline pulse amplitude, outflow resistance, elastance coefficient and slope of the amplitude-pressure line were calculated and investigated with a regression and Bland-Altman analysis. RESULTS: Significant correlations (P < 0.01) were found for the outflow resistance (R = 0.96), the elastance coefficient (R = 0.778) and the slope of the amplitude-pressure line (R = 0.876). The estimated 95% confidence level for outflow resistance was 3 mmHg/ml min. Likewise, the elastance coefficient lay within a range of 0.16/ml and the slope of the amplitude-pressure line within 0.25. The most inconsistent parameter found were baseline ICP (R = 0.272) and baseline pulse amplitude (R = 0.171). CONCLUSION: The results of this study imply that the parameters resulting from an infusion study have to be considered within a range rather than as an absolute value.
