Non-motor symptoms (NMSs) significantly contribute to increased morbidity and poor quality of life in patients with parkinsonian disorders. This study aims to explore the profile of NMSs in patients with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) using the validated Non-Motor Symptom Scale (NMSS). Seventy-six patients with PSP were evaluated in this study. Motor symptoms and NMSs were evaluated using the PSP Rating Scale (PSPRS), Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale-III, Montreal Cognitive Assessment, Hamilton Depression (HAMD) and Anxiety Rating Scales, Parkinson's Disease Sleep Scale (PDSS) and NMSS. NMS severity and prevalence were also compared between patients with PSP-Richardson syndrome (PSP-RS) and those with PSP-parkinsonism. All subjects in this cohort reported at least 2 NMSs. The most prevalent NMSs in patients with PSP were in the domains of sleep/fatigue, mood/cognition, and sexual function. The least prevalent NMSs were in the domains of cardiovascular including falls, and perceptual problems/hallucinations. Significant correlations were observed between the NMSS scores and HAM-D, PDSS, PSPRS scores and PSPRS sub-scores. The severity of NMSs was unrelated to the duration of illness. Patients with PSP-RS reported a higher severity of drooling, altered smell/taste, depression and altered interest in sex and a higher prevalence of sexual dysfunction. NMSs are commonly observed in patients with PSP, and the domains of sleep, mood and sexual function are most commonly affected. These symptoms contribute significantly to disease morbidity, and clinicians should pay adequate attention to identifying and addressing these symptoms.
13 January 2016 in Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences / Journal Canadien des Sciences Neurologiques
Background: Psychogenic movement disorders (PMD) is a group of disorders that cannot be attributed to any structural or biochemical abnormality, but has an underlying psychiatric illness. The profile of PMD varies according to country and socioeconomic factors. Methods: The present study reports the clinical profile of patients with PMD from India. Seventy-three patients with documented or clinically established PMD were seen over a period of 14 years with detailed neurological and psychiatric examinations. Results: The mean age at presentation was 29.1±15.1 years (women, 51%). Approximately 30% were ≤18 years of age (boys, 63.6%). The onset of symptoms was abrupt in 61.6% and the initial body part most often affected was right upper limb (adults, 29.4%; children, 31.8%). Tremor was observed in 31.4% of adults and 9% of children, whereas myoclonus was more common in children (36.4%). Tremors were more often seen in women (42.3%) than in men (20%), whereas myoclonus was almost equally prevalent in girls (37.5%) and boys (35.7%). Depression was the most common psychiatric comorbidity (men, 16%; women, 15.4%). About 42.5% required hospital admission and 57.5% had significant reduction or complete cessation of PMD after counseling, antidepressants, and/ or placebo. Conclusions: PMD was equally prevalent among women and men. Tremor was most often observed in adults, whereas myoclonus was most often observed in children. Electrophysiology and placebo were useful supplementary tools for diagnosing PMD.
Introduction: Spinocerebellar ataxia type-12 (SCA12) is a rare form of SCA, most commonly reported from the Indian Agarwal and related families. In this study we describe the clinical, genetic, and radiological characteristics of a sizeable cohort of genetically proven SCA12.Methods: A retrospective chart-review of the genetically confirmed SCA12 patients from our centre. The demographic, clinical, and investigation findings were reviewed. Correlation of expanded repeats length with various demographic and clinical features were studied.Results: A total of 49 patients (34 males, 42 families) were included of which 79.6% belonged to Agarwal community. The mean age at onset and age at presentation were 46.38 ± 11.7 years and 53.16 ± 12.78 years respectively. The most common initial symptom was tremor (73.5%), followed by ataxia (18.4%). At presentation, 95.9% of the patients had tremor with predominant distribution in the bilateral upper limbs (85.7%). At presentation, 73.5% of patients had ataxia and 22.4% had cognitive dysfunction. The mean CAG repeat length in PPP2R2B in the expanded allele was 53.26 ± 6.10 (40–72). The lowest pathogenic expanded repeat sizes in PPP2R2B recorded in our cohort was 40 & 42 repeats from two patients with a consistent clinical phenotype. Another unusual phenotype was the presence of prominent myoclonus. There was no significant correlation between the age at onset of symptoms and the repeat size of CAG repeat.Conclusion: SCA12 is not confined to a single ethnicity. Upper limb tremor and ataxia were the most common presentation. Unusual presentation may cause diagnostic confusion especially when recorded in patients from non-Aggarwal families.