1,721,181 research outputs found
Restless legs syndrome
No full textThe term restless legs syndrome (RLS) was first introduced by Karl A Ekbom, a Swedish neurologist and surgeon, in 1945, although the earliest description of restless legs associated with sleep disabilities possibly came from Sir Thomas Willis, an English physician, in 1672.1 2 More recently, abnormal involuntary movements during sleep such as nocturnal myoclonus (subsequently termed periodic limb movements during sleep (PLMS)) have been reported to be associated with RLS.3
Achieving 24-Hour Control of Parkinson’s Disease Symptoms:Use of Objective Measures to Improve Nocturnal Disability
No full textSleep-related problems are common in Parkinson's disease (PD) and may occur due to the disease process, alteration in sleep architecture or nocturnal motor problems such as akinesia and dystonia. Neuropsychiatric problems and nocturia can also cause significant sleep disruption in PD. Poor sleep may lead to daytime consequences such as excessive daytime sleepiness or fatigue. As there are no PD-specific sleep scales, we have devised a simple visual analogue scale - the Parkinson's disease sleep scale (PDSS) which is aimed at formal quantification of various aspects of nocturnal sleep disturbance in PD. In this paper, we discuss the development of this scale, its clinical use and how the scale could be used to devise targeted treatment strategies for nocturnal problems in PD.</p
Rotigotine transdermal system and evaluation of pain in patients with Parkinson’s disease: a post hocanalysis of the RECOVER study
Full text linkBackgroundPain is a troublesome non-motor symptom of Parkinson’s disease (PD). The RECOVER (Randomized Evaluation of the 24-hour Coverage: Efficacy of Rotigotine; Clintrials.gov: NCT00474058) study demonstrated significant improvements in early-morning motor function (UPDRS III) and sleep disturbances (PDSS-2) with rotigotine transdermal system. Improvements were also reported on a Likert pain scale (measuring any type of pain). This post hoc analysis of RECOVER further evaluates the effect of rotigotine on pain, and whether improvements in pain may be attributable to benefits in motor function or sleep disturbance.MethodsPD patients with unsatisfactory early-morning motor impairment were randomized to optimal-dose (up to 16 mg/24 h) rotigotine or placebo, maintained for 4 weeks. Pain was assessed in the early-morning using an 11-point Likert pain scale (rated average severity of pain (of any type) over the preceding 12 hours from 0 [no pain] to 10 [worst pain ever experienced]). Post hoc analyses for patients reporting ‘any’ pain (pain score ≥1) at baseline, and subgroups reporting ‘mild’ (score 1–3), and ‘moderate-to-severe’ pain (score ≥4) were performed. Likert pain scale change from baseline in rotigotine-treated patients was further analyzed based on a UPDRS III/PDSS-2 responder analysis (a responder defined as showing a ≥30% reduction in early morning UPDRS III total score or PDSS-2 total score). As post hoc analyses, all p values presented are exploratory.ResultsOf 267 patients with Likert pain data (178 rotigotine, 89 placebo), 187 (70%) reported ‘any’ pain; of these 87 (33%) reported ‘mild’, and 100 (37%) ‘moderate-to-severe’ pain. Change from baseline pain scores decreased with rotigotine compared with placebo in patients with ‘any’ pain (-0.88 [95% CI: -1.56, -0.19], p = 0.013), and in the subgroup with ‘moderate-to-severe’ pain (-1.38 [-2.44, -0.31], p = 0.012). UPDRS III or PDSS-2 responders showed greater improvement in pain than non-responders.ConclusionsThe results from this post hoc analysis of the RECOVER study suggest that pain was improved in patients with PD treated with rotigotine; this may be partly attributable to benefits in motor function and sleep disturbances. Prospective studies are warranted to investigate this potential benefit and the clinical relevance of these findings
Clinically relevant cut-off values for the Parkinson's Disease Sleep Scale-2 (PDSS-2): a validation study
No full textBackground: Sleep disturbances are a major problem encountered by neurologists attending Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. The Parkinson's Disease Sleep Scale-2 (PDSS-2) assesses a wide spectrum of disease-specific sleep problems and is easy to administer as a patient self-rating scale. The validation study showed that the scale is reliable, valid, and precise. Until now, however, only one Japanese study has assessed cut-off scores to define poor sleepers. Objectives: In this context we aimed to determine the PDSS-2 cut-off values that define a sleep disturbance severe enough to require referral of the patient to a sleep center or the need for specific treatment. Methods: Inpatients with idiopathic PD consecutively admitted to our hospital were enrolled. Patients completed the PDSS-2. The attending physician, who was blinded to the PDSS-2 results, but familiar with the patients' history and current disease status, completed a questionnaire consisting of two general questions on the presence of PD-specific and non-PD related sleep problems. Statistical analysis was performed to determine cut-off values for the PDSS-2 and correlation with the physician's evaluation of sleep disturbance severity. A natural cohort of non-PD patients with sleep disorders represented the control group. Results: The sample consisted of 52 (56%) men and 41 (44%) women with an average age of 69.22 +/- 8.74 years. PDSS-2 showed a sensitivity of 77.6% and a specificity of 74.3% in relation to physician's evaluation of PD-specific sleep problems. According to the physician's evaluation, PD-specific sleep disturbances occurred in 62% of the patients. 83% of patients with PDSS-2 scores >= 18 had clinically relevant sleep disturbances compared to only 33% of PD patients with scores = 18 define clinically relevant PD-specific sleep disturbances. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
The range and nature of non-motor symptoms in drug-naive Parkinson's disease patients: a state-of-the-art systematic review
Full text linkNon-motor symptoms (NMS) are a key component of Parkinson's disease (PD). A range of NMS, most notably impaired sense of smell, sleep dysfunction, and dysautonomia are present from the 'pre-motor' phase to the final palliative stage. Theories as to the pathogenesis of PD such as those proposed by Braak and others also support the occurrence of NMS in PD years before motor symptoms start. However, research addressing the range and nature of NMS in PD has been confounded by the fact that many NMS arise as part of drug-related side effects. Thus, drug-naive PD (DNPD) patients provide an ideal population to study the differences in the presentation of NMS. The aim of this paper is therefore to systematically review all the available studies of NMS in DNPD patients. We believe this is the first review of its kind. The current review confirms the increasing research being conducted into NMS in DNPD patients as well as the necessity for further investigation into less-studied NMS, such as pain. Moreover, the data confirms non-motor heterogeneity among PD patients, and, therefore, further research into the concept of non-motor subtyping is encouraged. The review suggests that the clinical assessment of NMS should be integral to any assessment of PD in clinical and research settings
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
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