ABSTRACT
AIM: To assess the relationship of the lipid spectrum, smoking, coffee drinking and brachiocephalic artery intima-media thickness with clinical characteristics of Parkinson's disease (PD). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Authors examined 46 patients with PD, I-IV stages according to the Hoehn and Yahr scale, and 30 people without extrapyramidal pathology or cardiovascular diseases (controls). RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Patients with PD had lower levels of triglycerides and lower intima-media complex thickness compared to the controls. There was a trend towards the lower levels of total blood cholesterol, the differences were most marked in the late stage of PD. It can be suggested that the factors studied do not play a significant role in the development of degenerative process in PD. The marked differences may be related to a possible influence of antiparkinsonian treatment on the indicators of lipid metabolism.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Cognitive impairment is a main symptom of chronic vascular encephalopathy (CVE) that impact the severity of illness. Symptomatic treatment is needed for the improvement of cognitive functions and quality of life. We studied the efficacy of piribedyl in patients with severe CVE. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thirty-six patients with mild cognitive impairment who met diagnostic criteria for CVE were enrolled. Patients were stratified into 3 groups: two groups received piribedyl in dose 50 mg per day during 3 months as monotherapy (group 1) or in the combination with ginkgo biloba in dose 240 mg per day (group 2). RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Piribedyl reduced cognitive impairment and improved quality of life. Comorbid affective disorders can predict the effect of piribedyl on cognitive impairment in CVE. The similar efficacy of piribedyl was noted for monotherapy and in combination with ginkgo biloba.
