During the past decade, a number of large drug trials suggested that the initiation of levodopa therapy should be delayed to reduce the risk of motor complications in patients with Parkinson's disease. However, the relative contribution of the cumulative exposure to levodopa and of disease progression to the pathophysiology of motor fluctuations and dyskinesias is still poorly understood. In this 4-year multicentre study, we investigated a large cohort of patients with Parkinson's disease in a sub-Saharan African country (Ghana), where access to medication is limited and the initiation of levodopa therapy often occurs many years after onset. The primary objective was to investigate whether the occurrence of motor complications is primarily related to the duration of levodopa therapy or to disease-related factors. Study design included a cross-sectional case-control analysis of data collected between December 2008 and November 2012, and a prospective study of patients followed-up for at least 6 months after the initiation of levodopa therapy. Ninety-one patients fulfilled criteria for clinical diagnosis of idiopathic Parkinson's disease (58 males, mean age at onset 60.6 ± 11.3 years). Demographic data were compared to those of 2282 consecutive Italian patients recruited during the same period, whereas nested matched subgroups were used to compare clinical variables. Demographic features, frequency and severity of motor and non-motor symptoms were comparable between the two populations, with the only exception of more frequent tremor-dominant presentation in Ghana. At baseline, the proportion of Ghanaian patients with motor fluctuations and dyskinesias was 56% and 14%, respectively. Although levodopa therapy was introduced later in Ghana (mean disease duration 4.2 ± 2.8 versus 2.4 ± 2.1 years, P < 0.001), disease duration at the occurrence of motor fluctuations and dyskinesias was similar in the two populations. In multivariate analysis, disease duration and levodopa daily dose (mg/kg of body weight) were associated with motor complications, while the disease duration at the initiation of levodopa was not. Prospective follow-up for a mean of 2.6 ± 1.3 years of a subgroup of 21 patients who were drug-naïve at baseline [median disease duration 4.5 (interquartile range, 2.3-5) years] revealed that the median time to development of motor fluctuations and dyskinesias after initiation of levodopa therapy was 6 months. We conclude that motor fluctuations and dyskinesias are not associated with the duration of levodopa therapy, but rather with longer disease duration and higher levodopa daily dose. Hence, the practice to withhold levodopa therapy with the objective of delaying the occurrence of motor complications is not justified.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is affecting about 1.2 million patients in Europe with a prevalence that is expected to have an exponential increment, in the next decades. This epidemiological evolution will be challenged by the low number of neurologists able to deliver expert care for PD. As PD is better recognized, there is an increasing demand from patients for rigorous control of their symptoms and for therapeutic education. In addition, the highly variable nature of symtoms between patients and the fluctuations within the same patient requires innovative tools to help doctors and patients monitor the disease in their usual living environment and adapt treatment in a more relevant way. Nowadays, there are various body-worn sensors (BWS) proposed to monitor parkinsonian clinical features, such as motor fluctuations, dyskinesia, tremor, bradykinesia, freezing of gait (FoG) or gait disturbances. BWS have been used as add-on tool for patients’ management or research purpose. Here, we propose a practical anthology, summarizing the characteristics of the most used BWS for PD patients in Europe, focusing on their role as tools to improve treatment management. Consideration regarding the use of technology to monitor non-motor features is also included. BWS obviously offer new opportunities for improving management strategy in PD but their precise scope of use in daily routine care should be clarified.

Background: Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients are affected by hypokinetic dysarthria, characterized by hypophonia and dysprosody, which worsens with disease progression. Levodopa’s (L-dopa) effect on quality of speech is inconclusive; no data are currently available for late-stage PD (LSPD). Objective: To assess the modifications of speech and voice in LSPD following an acute L-dopa challenge. Method: LSPD patients (Schwab and England 3 [MED ON]) performed several vocal tasks before and after an acute L-dopa challenge. The following was assessed: respiratory support for speech, voice quality, stability and variability, speech rate and motor performance (MDS-UPDRS-III). All voice samples were recorded and analyzed by a speech and language therapist blinded to patients’ therapeutic condition using Praat 5.1 software. Results: 24/27 (14 men) LSPD patients succeeded in performing voice tasks. Median age and disease duration of patients was 79 [IQR: 71.5-81.7] and 14.5 [IQR: 11-15.7] years, respectively. In MED OFF, respiratory breath support and pitch break time of LSPD patients were worse than the normative values of non-parkinsonian. A correlation was found between disease duration and voice quality (R=0.51; p=0.013) and speech rate (R= -0.55; p=0.008). L-dopa significantly improved MDS-UPDRS-III score (20%), with no effect on speech as assessed by clinical rating scales and automated analysis. Conclusion: Speech is severely affected in LSPD. Although L-dopa had some effect on motor performance, including axial signs, speech and voice did not improve. The applicability and efficacy of non-pharmacological treatment for speech impairment should be considered for speech disorder management in PD.