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Biomedical subjects

L J Cote

Publications and source records attributed to L J Cote.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Frequency of LRRK2 mutations in early- and late-onset Parkinson disease.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the frequency of leucine-rich repeat kinase gene (LRRK2) mutations and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in early-onset Parkinson disease (EOPD) and late-onset Parkinson disease (LOPD). METHODS: We genotyped five previously reported LRRK2 mutations (G2019S, L1114L, I1122V, R1441C, and Y1699C) and 17 coding SNPs for haplotype analysis in 504 cases with PD and 314 controls enrolled in the Genetic Epidemiology of PD Study. Cases and controls were recruited without knowledge of family history of PD and cases were oversampled in the < or =50 age at onset (AAO) category. RESULTS: The LRRK2 G2019S mutation was present in 28 cases with PD (5.6%) and two controls (0.6%) (chi(2) = 13.25; p < 0.01; odds ratio 9.18, 95% CI: 2.17 to 38.8). The mutations L1114L, I1122V, R1441C, and Y1699C were not identified. The frequency of the LRRK2 G2019S mutation was 4.9% in 245 cases with AAO < or =50 years vs 6.2% in 259 cases with AAO >50 (p = 0.56). All cases with PD with the G2019S mutation shared the same disease-associated haplotype. The frequency of the LRRK2 G2019S mutation was higher in the subset of 181 cases reporting four Jewish grandparents (9.9%) than in other cases (3.1%) (p < 0.01). Age-specific penetrance to age 80 was 24% and was similar in Jewish and non-Jewish cases. CONCLUSIONS: The G2019S mutation is a risk factor in both early- and late-onset Parkinson disease and confirms the previous report of a greater frequency of the G2019S mutation in Jewish than in non-Jewish cases with Parkinson disease.

Adult↗

Subthalamic nucleus stimulation in advanced Parkinson's disease: blinded assessments at one year follow up.

OBJECTIVE: To measure the effect of deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease. DESIGN: Open label follow up using blinded ratings of videotaped neurological examinations. PATIENTS: 30 patients with advanced Parkinson's disease (19 male, 11 female; mean age 58.8 years; mean disease duration 12.8 years), complicated by intractable wearing off motor fluctuations and dopaminergic dyskinesias. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Unified Parkinson's disease rating scale (UPDRS), part III (motor), score at one year, from blinded reviews of videotaped neurological examinations. Secondary outcomes included the other UPDRS subscales, Hoehn and Yahr scale, activities of daily living (ADL) scale, mini-mental state examination (MMSE), estimates of motor fluctuations and dyskinesia severity, drug intake, and patient satisfaction questionnaire. RESULTS: Subthalamic nucleus stimulation was associated with a 29.5% reduction in motor scores at one year (p<0.0001). The only important predictors of improvement in UPDRS part III motor scores were the baseline response to dopaminergic drugs (p = 0.015) and the presence of tremor (p = 0.027). Hoehn and Yahr scores and ADL scores in the "on" and "off" states did not change, nor did the mean MMSE score. Weight gain occurred in the year after surgery, from (mean) 75.8 kg to 78.5 kg (p = 0.028). Duration of daily wearing off episodes was reduced by 69%. Dyskinesia severity was reduced by 60%. Drug requirements (in levodopa equivalents) declined by 30%. CONCLUSIONS: The 30% improvement in UPDRS motor scores was a more modest result than previously reported. DBS did not improve functional capacity independent of drug use. Its chief benefits were reduction in wearing off duration and dyskinesia severity.

Activities of Daily Living↗

Motor impairment in PD: relationship to incident dementia and age.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the relationship of specific motor impairment in idiopathic PD to incident dementia. BACKGROUND: The total Unified PD Rating Scale (UPDRS) motor score at baseline has been associated with an increased risk of developing dementia in PD. METHODS: A cohort of 214 nondemented community-dwelling patients with PD was followed annually with neurologic and neuropsychological evaluations. The association of baseline motor impairment with incident dementia was analyzed using Cox proportional hazards models. Facial expression, tremor, rigidity, and bradykinesia were analyzed as part of subscore A (indicative of dopaminergic deficiency); speech and axial impairment were analyzed as part of subscore B (indicative of predominantly nondopaminergic deficiency). The correlation between the six motor domains and age was also analyzed. RESULTS: Of 173 patients followed for at least 1 year, 50 became demented according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, revised 3rd edition (DSM III-R) criteria (mean follow-up, 3.6 +/- 2. 2 years). When both subscores A and B were entered into the Cox model, subscore B was associated with incident dementia (relative risk = 1.19; 95% CI, 1.09 to 1.30; p = 0.0001), in addition to gender, age, and education, whereas subscore A was not (relative risk = 1.03; 95% CI, 0.99 to 1.07; p = 0.19). Of the six motor domains, speech and bradykinesia were associated with incident dementia (p < 0.05), and axial impairment approached significance (p = 0.06). Only axial impairment was correlated with age (correlation coefficient = 0.32; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that motor impairment mediated predominantly by nondopaminergic systems is associated with incident dementia in PD. Axial impairment may be the result of a combined effect of the disease and the aging process.

Age Factors↗

Cognitive and affective functioning in Parkinson's disease patients with lateralized motor signs.

Eleven patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and predominantly right-sided motor signs, 12 patients with PD and predominantly left-sided signs, and 11 demographically matched healthy controls were compared on tests assessing a range of cognitive and affective functions. Assuming a novel approach, our test battery was composed of measures drawn from ones previously used in the hemiparkinson' s disease and lateralized PD literature. The two patient groups were similar in illness duration, severity of motor signs, and degree of lateralized motor deficits. Statistical analyses did not reveal significant differences between patient groups, consistent with other studies that have failed to find differences in neuropsychological functioning between PD patients with right- and left-sided motor signs.

Affect↗

Is there a genetic susceptibility locus for Parkinson's disease on chromosome 22q13?

The cytochrome P450 mono-oxygenase gene, CYP2D6 on chromosome 22q13 (ch22q13), has been inconsistently associated with Parkinson's disease. Associations with CYP2D6 have either been absent altogether or have involved more than one polymorphism, many of which have the same metabolic effect on gene expression. We examined the association between CYP2D6 polymorphisms and Parkinson's disease in a case-control study and included 10 polymorphic dinucleotide repeat markers linked to CYP2D6 to determine whether the association was present or due to linkage disequilibrium. There was no association between any polymorphism of CYP2D6 and Parkinson's disease, but two of 10 dinucleotide repeat markers linked to CYP2D6 were associated with the disease. These results provide evidence to suggest that there may be an unidentified locus for susceptibility to Parkinson's disease that is in linkage disequilibrium with dinucleotide repeat markers mapping near CYP2D6 on ch22q13.

Adult↗

The frequency of idiopathic Parkinson's disease by age, ethnic group, and sex in northern Manhattan, 1988-1993.

Sex and ethnic differences in the frequency of Parkinson's disease have become increasingly important, because putative genetic and environmental risk factors have been identified. The authors estimated the prevalence and incidence of Parkinson's disease in a culturally diverse community in New York City over a 4-year period (January 1, 1988-December 31, 1991) using a disease registry substantiated, for older individuals, by a subsequent survey of a random sample of Medicare recipients between January 1, 1992, and December 31, 1993. The prevalence rate was 107 per 100,000 persons, and over a 3-year period the average incidence rate was 13 per 100,000 person-years. Age-adjusted prevalence rates were lower for women than for men in each ethnic group and were lower for blacks than for whites and Hispanics. Incidence rates were highest among black men, but they were otherwise comparable across the sex and ethnic groups. The estimated cumulative incidence of Parkinson's disease up to age 90 years was lower for women than for men, which could partially explain the lower prevalence rate. By ethnic group, the cumulative incidence was higher for blacks than for whites and Hispanics, but more deaths occurred among incident black cases. Discrepant prevalence and incidence rates of Parkinson's disease among blacks and women warrant further investigation. While selective mortality could partially account for this paradox, it is also possible that a delay in diagnosis due to limited access to appropriate health services among these individuals could have resulted in the observed discordant rates of disease.

Age Distribution↗

Executive function in Parkinson's disease: set-shifting or set-maintenance?

In order to distinguish impairment in set-shifting in Parkinson's disease (PD) from inability to inhibit distraction by stimuli that compete for attention, 18 nondemented patients with idiopathic PD and 13 normal controls equated for age and education, were administered the Odd-Man Out (OMO) test and the Stroop Color-Word Test. PD patients were significantly impaired on the OMO test but showed no evidence of interference during the Stroop test. Analysis of error patterns during the OMO test indicated that the requirement to repeatedly switch rules, rather than the requirement to maintain steady responding between rule switches, was responsible for impaired OMO performance. It is concluded that the OMO test is fundamentally a test of set shifting, rather than a test of set maintenance in PD. In addition, analysis of a larger sample of PD patients revealed a significant positive relationship between number and severity of extrapyramidal signs and error production on the OMO, and between the latter and global mental function. These relationships were independent of each other, suggesting that impairment in set-shifting function in PD may arise from pathology of the fronto-striatal system independently of changes in cognitive ability.

Aged↗

The relationship between visuospatial ability and perceptual motor function in Parkinson's disease.

To assess the contribution of visuoperceptual function to complex visuomotor responding in Parkinson's disease, 14 patients with idiopathic PD and 12 normal controls matched for age, education and general intellectual function were administered a visual tracing task. No difference was found between the groups on two visuoperceptual tests, the Benton Line Orientation test and a test of trajectory judgement. However, patients were significantly impaired in tracing a sawtooth design when two consecutive angles of the sawtooth were occluded. This impairment occurred in reproducing the basic form of the stimulus and not with accuracy of fine detail. These results suggest higher-order perceptual motor dysfunction independent of any breakdown in basic visuoperceptual processing or loss of fine motor control. It is concluded that Parkinsonian patients are unable to use sensory information accurately to plan and execute complex or new movements.

Activities of Daily Living↗

A population-based investigation of Parkinson's disease with and without dementia. Relationship to age and gender.

Because the prevalence of idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) with or without dementia remains controversial, we initiated a population-based investigation in the Washington Heights-Inwood section of New York, NY, so that nearly complete case ascertainment could be achieved. A "registry" was developed for the study, and we advertised in periodicals and on radio and television. Subjects, or their records, were examined by experienced neurologists, and most underwent a battery of neuropsychological tests specifically designed for assessment in this community. All data were reviewed by a team of clinicians to achieve a consensus diagnosis. The crude prevalence of idiopathic PD, with and without dementia, was 99.4 per 100,000, increasing from 2.3 per 100,000 for those younger than 50 years to 1144.9 per 100,000 for those aged 80 years and older. The crude prevalence for PD with dementia alone was 41.1 per 100,000 and also increased with age from zero for those younger than 50 years to 787.1 per 100,000 for those aged 80 years and older. Prevalence ratios were comparable with those of other published population-based studies in similar settings. After standardization, men had PD with and without dementia more frequently than did women. The major difference between patients with and without dementia was a later estimated age at onset of motor manifestations. We conclude that PD is a frequent disorder in the elderly population that affects men and whites more frequently than women and nonwhites. Moreover, dementia in patients with PD is more frequent than previously recognized and is strongly related to the age at onset of motor manifestations.

Aged↗

Putrescine, a source of gamma-aminobutyric acid in the adrenal gland of the rat.

Putrescine is the major source of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the rat adrenal gland. Diamine oxidase, and not monoamine oxidase, is essential for GABA formation from putrescine in the adrenal gland. Aminoguanidine, a diamine oxidase inhibitor, decreases the GABA concentration in the adrenal gland by more than 70% after 4 h, and almost to zero in 24 h. Studies using [14C]putrescine confirm that [14C]GABA is the major metabolite of putrescine in the adrenal gland. Inhibition of GABA transaminase by amino-oxyacetic acid does not change the GABA concentration in the adrenal gland, as compared with the brain, where the GABA concentration rises. With aminoguanidine, the turnover time of GABA originating from putrescine in the adrenal gland is 5.6 h, reflecting a slower rate of GABA metabolism compared with the brain. Since GABA in the adrenal gland is almost exclusively derived from putrescine, the role of GABA may relate to the role of putrescine as a growth factor and regulator of cell metabolism.

Adrenal Glands↗

The relationship of serotonin to depression in Parkinson's disease.

We have previously reported a correlation between depression in patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease and decreased concentrations of the cerebrospinal fluid content of the serotonin metabolite, 5-HIAA. To further examine this relationship, we repeated the study in a new cohort of patients while they remained on dopaminergic medications, conducted follow-up interviews and examinations in our original cohort, and conducted an open trial of the serotonin precursor, 5-hydroxytryptophan in a group of new patients with depression. We were again able to demonstrate a significant reduction in cerebrospinal 5-HIAA in depressed patients in comparison to controls and patients without depression. Demented patients with Parkinson's disease, particularly those with concurrent depression, had the lowest values of 5-HIAA. No new cases of depression occurred in our original cohort after 2 1/2 years of follow-up, and depression remitted following conventional or experimental treatment in four patients. Depression improved in six of the seven new patients following oral 5-hydroxytryptophan. Three of these patients allowed a repeat lumbar puncture, and the concentration of 5-HIAA increased following 5-hydroxytryptophan. These three studies support our hypothesis that depression in idiopathic Parkinson's disease is associated with a reduction in brain serotonin. However, it also suggests that other factors, biological or environmental, may be causal factors.

5-Hydroxytryptophan↗

Parkinson's disease and megacolon: concentric hyaline inclusions (Lewy bodies) in enteric ganglion cells.

Concentric hyaline inclusions (Lewy bodies), found in the cytoplasm of pigmented and nonpigmented neurons, are considered characteristic of idiopathic Parkinson's disease. The finding of cytoplasmic inclusions identical to Lewy bodies in ganglion cells of the colonic myenteric plexus in a patient with idiopathic Parkinson's disease and acquired megacolon suggests primary involvement of the enteric nervous system by Parkinson's disease.

Humans↗

Menopausal hot flashes: thermoregulatory, cardiovascular, and circulating catecholamine and LH changes.

Thermoregulatory, cardiovascular and endocrine changes were simultaneously monitored in 11 post-menopausal women with frequent hot flashes (catecholamine and LH levels were measured in 5 and 6 subjects respectively). Plasma samples were obtained at 1- and 5-min intervals. Hot flashes were accompanied by abrupt increases in plasma epinephrine (about 150%) and concomitant decreases in norepinephrine (about 40%). Increased luteinizing hormone was associated with most hot flashes. A detailed sequence of hot flash-associated changes was established. An aura preceded the onset of the hot flash by several seconds. HR and FBF increased just before the onset of the flash and reached peak levels of 10-20 beats/min and 30-fold respectively. Coincident with vasodilation and sweating, finger temperature increased an average of 3.9 degrees C and esophageal temperature fell 0.2-0.6 degrees C. Flashes of both discrete and prolonged intervals were observed. Sensation was a reliable index of flash occurrence and intensity as measured physiologically. Our observations are consistent with the hypothesis that hot flashes are due to a change in the thermoregulatory set point. Furthermore, the changes in catecholamine levels are consistent with the cardiovascular changes accompanying hot flashes.

Body Temperature Regulation↗

Taurine in developing rhesus monkey brain.

The concentrations of taurine in all regions of fetal and neonatal rhesus monkey brain are greater than in the same regions of adult monkey brain. [35S]Taurine injected into pregnant rhesus monkeys is accumulated by the fetus. This process occurs rapidly in most tissues, but occurs slowly in fetal brain. Neonatal rhesus monkey brain also accumulates [35S]taurine slowly compared with other tissues after i.v. injection, and continues to accumulate [35S]taurine for a long period of time. These results suggest that the accumulation and exchange of taurine in developing rhesus monkey brain is slow, as found in neonatal rats, and that if there is a period of development at which rapid exchange of brain taurine occurs in the rhesus monkey, it is before the rapid brain growth spurt.

Aging↗

The role of bromocriptine in the treatment of parkinsonism.

Fifty-three patients with parkinsonism, either with intractable symptoms despite optimum-dosage levodopa therapy or with adverse effects from levodopa limiting its usefulness, were treated with bromocriptine, with gradually increasing doses until benefit or adverse effect was encountered. All were initially maintained on optimal levodopa therapy. Improvement was seen in 26 patients, of whom 19 (36 percent of the total 53 patients) had sustained improvement. Effective doses of bromocriptine ranged from 5 to 90 mg per day. Improvement occurred in all categories of clinical problems, including patients who lost some benefit from chronic levodopa therapy as well as those with adverse effects from levodopa. A high incidence (70 percent) of adverse effects of bromocriptine limited the usefulness of this drug. Since one cannot predict which patients might benefit from bromocriptine, this drug is worth a trial in patients not doing well on levodopa therapy if other means to improve their condition are not successful.

Aged↗

Analysis of the clinical problems in parkinsonism and the complications of long-term levodopa therapy.

We evaluated the current status of 131 patients with idiopathic parkinsonism who were receiving levodopa therapy. The residual parkinsonian symptoms and signs were tabulated, as were the adverse effects from medication. Response to therapy was correlated with duration of the disease and with duration of treatment. Patients with on-off or wearing-off effects were likely to have been treated for 4 years or longer. Patients treated with levodopa for 4 to 8 years were significantly more impaired with parkinsonism than patients treated for 0 to 3 years, even when patients were matched for total duration of disease. These data suggest that the deterioration of responsiveness after several years of levodopa therapy may be due to the therapy itself. Our findings support the concept that utilization of levodopa therapy should be delayed until a patient becomes significantly impaired in occupational or social situations.

Adolescent↗