Caitlin Walton-Doyle, Beatrice Heim, Eleanor Sinclair, Sze Hway Lim, Katherine A. Hollywood, Joy Milne, Evi Holzknecht, Ambra Stefani, Birgit Högl, Klaus Seppi, Monty Silverdale, Werner Poewe, Perdita Barran, Drupad K. Trivedi
{"title":"Classification of Parkinson’s disease and isolated REM sleep behaviour disorder: delineating progression markers from the sebum volatilome","authors":"Caitlin Walton-Doyle, Beatrice Heim, Eleanor Sinclair, Sze Hway Lim, Katherine A. Hollywood, Joy Milne, Evi Holzknecht, Ambra Stefani, Birgit Högl, Klaus Seppi, Monty Silverdale, Werner Poewe, Perdita Barran, Drupad K. Trivedi","doi":"10.1038/s41531-025-01026-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41531-025-01026-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Parkinson’s Disease (PD) has been associated with a distinct odour, emanating from the skin and strongest in sebum-rich areas. Here, volatile components from sebum were analysed directly with Thermal Desorption Gas Chromatography - Mass Spectrometry. We analysed samples from subjects with clinically established PD (<i>n</i> = 46), controls (<i>n</i> = 28) and participants with isolated REM sleep behaviour disorder (iRBD, <i>n</i> = <i>9</i>) to investigate metabolite changes in probable prodromal PD. We found 55 significant features where abundance from individuals with iRBD was intermediate between PD and control and assigned putative identifications. Olfactory analysis of the iRBD samples showed three classified as PD, of which two displayed PD symptoms on clinical follow-up. Further, we analysed PD participants sampled at yearly intervals and investigated features displaying regulation over the visits. Our findings support the use of sebum as an accessible biofluid, rich with measurable volatile compounds that alter in abundance in individuals with PD and iRBD.</p>","PeriodicalId":19706,"journal":{"name":"NPJ Parkinson's Disease","volume":"39 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144629895","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jan H. L. Ypinga, Lieke H.H.M. Boonen, Marten Munneke, Patrick P. T. Jeurissen, Yoav Ben-Shlomo, Bastiaan R. Bloem, Nienke M. de Vries, Sirwan K. L. Darweesh
{"title":"Effects of specialised physiotherapy on mortality in Parkinson’s disease: a prospective observational study","authors":"Jan H. L. Ypinga, Lieke H.H.M. Boonen, Marten Munneke, Patrick P. T. Jeurissen, Yoav Ben-Shlomo, Bastiaan R. Bloem, Nienke M. de Vries, Sirwan K. L. Darweesh","doi":"10.1038/s41531-025-01069-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41531-025-01069-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Previous studies found that specialised allied health interventions in people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) are associated with fewer complications and lower costs, as compared to usual care. Here we studied the association between specialised physiotherapy with mortality risk in a real world setting. We performed a retrospective cohort study using a health insurance claims database capturing persons with PD in the Netherlands with a follow-up of ten years. In persons treated for PD-related indications (<i>n</i> = 37,729), specialised physiotherapy was associated with a lower mortality rate ratio (0.89; 95% CI [0.86; 0.92]; <i>P</i> < 0.0001) than usual care physiotherapy. The association was attenuated in persons with PD with worse mental health (1.00), higher healthcare costs (0.91) in the year prior to enrolment and for females (0.91). These findings suggest that specialised physiotherapy for PD-related indications may delay death in persons with PD, although we cannot exclude the possibility of residual confounding.</p>","PeriodicalId":19706,"journal":{"name":"NPJ Parkinson's Disease","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144629896","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Henrique José Cavalcanti Bezerra Gouveia, Osmar Henrique dos Santos-Júnior, Johannes Frasnelli
{"title":"Fasting and postprandial Ghrelin levels in Parkinson’s disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis","authors":"Henrique José Cavalcanti Bezerra Gouveia, Osmar Henrique dos Santos-Júnior, Johannes Frasnelli","doi":"10.1038/s41531-025-01066-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41531-025-01066-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive movement disorder with motor and non-motor symptoms, including gastrointestinal and olfactory dysfunctions. These symptoms may be associated with plasma concentrations of the hormone ghrelin. Lower fasting and postprandial plasma levels of total and active ghrelin were reported in PD, despite heterogeneous findings. In this meta-analysis, we assessed the magnitude of ghrelin dysregulation in PD and explored associated factors. We included quasi-experimental and observational studies assessing fasting and postprandial plasma concentrations of total and/or active ghrelin in individuals with PD and controls (eight studies; 985 subjects). Compared to controls, fasting individuals with PD exhibited a significant reduction in total and active ghrelin concentrations. PD also showed significantly reduced postprandial concentrations of total and active ghrelin. This meta-analysis suggests that ghrelin may be crucially involved in the dysfunctions often observed in PD. Further studies should explore factors such as sex, drug therapy, and disease stages.</p>","PeriodicalId":19706,"journal":{"name":"NPJ Parkinson's Disease","volume":"668 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144622448","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Circadian clock dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease: mechanisms, consequences, and therapeutic strategy","authors":"Müge Yalçin, Valentina Grande, Tiago Fleming Outeiro, Angela Relόgio","doi":"10.1038/s41531-025-01009-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41531-025-01009-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a prevalent neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. This leads to hallmark motor features that include bradykinesia, resting tremor, rigidity, and postural instability, alongside with a range of non-motor symptoms including sleep disturbances, mood disorders, and cognitive decline. As global life expectancy rises, the prevalence of PD is expected to continue to increase, highlighting the urgent need for effective therapeutic strategies. Despite tremendous advances in our understanding of disease-associated mechanisms, we still do not fully understand the aetiology of PD. Emerging evidence points to the circadian clock—a system that regulates physiological processes such as sleep-wake cycles and hormone release—as a critical factor in PD pathophysiology. Disruptions in circadian rhythms (CR) are common in PD patients and may exacerbate both motor and non-motor symptoms, potentially influencing the progression of neurodegeneration. This review examines the global impact of PD within the context of an aging population, delves into the molecular underpinnings of the disease, and explores the role of CR in PD. We summarize and discuss key reports on molecular links between PD and CR using unbiased systematic search strategies to cover a broad literature. Finally, we discuss the potential of chronotherapy, the alignment of treatment with the body’s natural rhythms, as a personalized approach in PD management, aiming to improve treatment efficacy and patient quality of life. Understanding the interplay between circadian biology and PD could pave the way for innovative, personalized therapeutic strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":19706,"journal":{"name":"NPJ Parkinson's Disease","volume":"40 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144629719","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Andrew Dagay, Shlomit Katzav, Noa Elisha, Jana Volkov, Riva Tauman, Nir Giladi, Jeffrey M. Hausdorff, Anat Mirelman, Jennifer Zitser
{"title":"REM density in Parkinson’s disease: association with motor, cognitive, autonomic function, and dopaminergic medication","authors":"Andrew Dagay, Shlomit Katzav, Noa Elisha, Jana Volkov, Riva Tauman, Nir Giladi, Jeffrey M. Hausdorff, Anat Mirelman, Jennifer Zitser","doi":"10.1038/s41531-025-01057-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41531-025-01057-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Recent work has shown that REM density, defined as the number of rapid eye movements per REM sleep minute, is decreased in people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and is associated with greater bradykinesia, suggesting a motor component. This study explored the association of REM density with gait, cognitive function, and heart rate variability (HRV). Seventy-seven PD patients underwent overnight polysomnography. Gait was evaluated using wearable technology during preferred-speed walking and while walking with a cognitive task (dual tasking). Lower REM density was associated with poorer gait and mobility, particularly during dual-tasking and turning, but not with HRV. Patients taking evening slow-release dopaminergic medication showed higher REM density compared to drug-naïve patients or those on daytime medication. These findings highlight the role of motor and cognitive functions in the generation of rapid eye movements in PD. Administration of evening medications appears to improve REM density, likely by alleviating motor control deficits.</p>","PeriodicalId":19706,"journal":{"name":"NPJ Parkinson's Disease","volume":"109 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144622449","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Salvatore Falciglia, Laura Caffi, Claudio Baiata, Chiara Palmisano, Ioannis Ugo Isaias, Alberto Mazzoni
{"title":"Transformer-based long-term predictor of subthalamic beta activity in Parkinson’s disease","authors":"Salvatore Falciglia, Laura Caffi, Claudio Baiata, Chiara Palmisano, Ioannis Ugo Isaias, Alberto Mazzoni","doi":"10.1038/s41531-025-01011-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41531-025-01011-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) is a mainstay treatment for patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). The adaptive DBS approach (aDBS) modulates stimulation, based on the power in the beta range ([12–30] Hz) of STN local field potentials, aiming to follow the patient’s clinical state. Control of aDBS relies on identifying the correct thresholds of pathological beta power. Currently, in-person reprogramming sessions, due to changes in beta power distribution over time, are needed to ensure clinical efficacy. Here we present LAURA, a Transformer-based framework predicting the nonlinear evolution of subthalamic beta power up to 6 days in advance, based on the analysis of chronic recordings. High prediction accuracy (>90%) was achieved in four PD patients with chronic DBS over months of recordings, independently of stimulation parameters. Our study paves the way for remote monitoring strategies and the implementation of new algorithms for personalized auto-tuning aDBS devices.</p>","PeriodicalId":19706,"journal":{"name":"NPJ Parkinson's Disease","volume":"109 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144612841","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Elijah Mak, Robert I Reid, Scott A Przybelski, Angela J Fought, Timothy G Lesnick, Christopher G Schwarz, Matthew L Senjem, Sheelakumari Raghavan, Prashanthi Vemuri, Clifford R Jack, Hoon Ki Min, Manoj K Jain, Toji Miyagawa, Leah K Forsberg, Julie A Fields, Rodolfo Savica, Jonathan Graff-Radford, David T Jones, Hugo Botha, Erik K St Louis, David S Knopman, Vijay K Ramanan, Dennis W Dickson, Neill R Graff-Radford, Gregory S Day, Tanis J Ferman, Ronald C Petersen, Val J Lowe, Bradley F Boeve, John T O'Brien, Kejal Kantarci
{"title":"Author Correction: Cortical microstructural abnormalities in dementia with Lewy bodies and their associations with Alzheimer's disease copathologies.","authors":"Elijah Mak, Robert I Reid, Scott A Przybelski, Angela J Fought, Timothy G Lesnick, Christopher G Schwarz, Matthew L Senjem, Sheelakumari Raghavan, Prashanthi Vemuri, Clifford R Jack, Hoon Ki Min, Manoj K Jain, Toji Miyagawa, Leah K Forsberg, Julie A Fields, Rodolfo Savica, Jonathan Graff-Radford, David T Jones, Hugo Botha, Erik K St Louis, David S Knopman, Vijay K Ramanan, Dennis W Dickson, Neill R Graff-Radford, Gregory S Day, Tanis J Ferman, Ronald C Petersen, Val J Lowe, Bradley F Boeve, John T O'Brien, Kejal Kantarci","doi":"10.1038/s41531-025-01068-y","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41531-025-01068-y","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":19706,"journal":{"name":"NPJ Parkinson's Disease","volume":"11 1","pages":"209"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12255763/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144619724","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Liuzhenxiong Yu, Jinying Han, Xin Chen, Lili Hu, Mengqi Wang, Minhao Zhu, Jingjing Cheng, Pingping Liu, Lu Fang, Yaqiang Li, Junjun Wu, Xingyu Zhao, Jinmei Sun, Gong-Jun Ji, Kai Wang, Rong Ye, Panpan Hu
{"title":"Regional-specific structural and functional changes of posterior cerebellar vermis across different stages of Parkinson’s disease with gait dysfunction","authors":"Liuzhenxiong Yu, Jinying Han, Xin Chen, Lili Hu, Mengqi Wang, Minhao Zhu, Jingjing Cheng, Pingping Liu, Lu Fang, Yaqiang Li, Junjun Wu, Xingyu Zhao, Jinmei Sun, Gong-Jun Ji, Kai Wang, Rong Ye, Panpan Hu","doi":"10.1038/s41531-025-01065-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41531-025-01065-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Stage-specific roles of posterior cerebellar vermis (PV) subdivisions, the posterior superior vermis (PSV) and posterior inferior vermis (PIV), in Parkinson’s disease postural instability/gait difficulty (PD-PIGD) remain unclear. This retrospective, cross-sectional study investigated their volumetric and functional connectivity (FC) changes and clinical correlates across PD-PIGD stages. We analyzed 94 PD-PIGD patients (Hoehn & Yahr, HY1-4) and 46 healthy controls (HCs). Patient data were from outpatients and baseline assessments in two clinical trials (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02969941, reg. 2016-06-01; NCT05192759, reg. 2021-11-22). Compared with HCs, early-stage (HY1) patients showed enhanced PSV-left paracentral lobule (L_PCL) FC, alongside a trend toward increased PSV volume. This PSV-L_PCL FC correlated with better cognition function and gait performance, an association partly cognition-mediated. Our findings reveal a PSV-specific nonlinear pattern of structural and functional changes in PD-PIGD, distinct from PIV or other cerebellar subregions, potentially reflecting early compensatory mechanisms transitioning to later network dysfunction.</p>","PeriodicalId":19706,"journal":{"name":"NPJ Parkinson's Disease","volume":"61 2 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144611136","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
L. Phan, D. Miller, A. Gopinath, M. Lin, E. J. Miller, D. Guenther, S. Quintin, D. Borg, Z. Hasanpour-Segherlou, A. Newman, Z. Sorrentino, J. Seibold, B. Hoh, B. Giasson, H. Khoshbouei
{"title":"Parkinson’s paradox: alpha-synuclein’s selective strike on SNc dopamine neurons over VTA","authors":"L. Phan, D. Miller, A. Gopinath, M. Lin, E. J. Miller, D. Guenther, S. Quintin, D. Borg, Z. Hasanpour-Segherlou, A. Newman, Z. Sorrentino, J. Seibold, B. Hoh, B. Giasson, H. Khoshbouei","doi":"10.1038/s41531-025-01055-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41531-025-01055-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p>A central question in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and related synucleinopathies research is why dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) are more vulnerable than those in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). We investigated how α-synuclein affects neuronal activity before cell death using two mouse models: α-synuclein preformed fibril injections and AAV-mediated human α-synuclein expression. Four-weeks post-injection, histological analysis confirmed no significant neuronal loss in either structure, providing a temporal window to study neuronal activity before cell death. Electrophysiological recordings revealed region-specific vulnerability: SNc dopamine neurons exhibited significantly increased baseline firing rates while VTA neurons remained unaffected. SNc neurons showed impaired homeostatic firing regulation following hyperpolarization, while VTA neurons maintained normal recovery. Elevated α-synuclein also altered network stability in SNc dopamine neurons before cell death, while sparing VTA neurons. These findings reveal early functional differences that may explain the selective vulnerability of SNc dopamine neurons in PD.</p>","PeriodicalId":19706,"journal":{"name":"NPJ Parkinson's Disease","volume":"10 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144603087","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nienke A. Timmermans, Roberta Terranova, Diogo C. Soriano, Hayriye Cagnan, Yordan P. Raykov, Ioan Gabriel Bucur, Bastiaan R. Bloem, Rick C. Helmich, Luc J. W. Evers
{"title":"A generalizable and open-source algorithm for real-life monitoring of tremor in Parkinson’s disease","authors":"Nienke A. Timmermans, Roberta Terranova, Diogo C. Soriano, Hayriye Cagnan, Yordan P. Raykov, Ioan Gabriel Bucur, Bastiaan R. Bloem, Rick C. Helmich, Luc J. W. Evers","doi":"10.1038/s41531-025-01056-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41531-025-01056-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Wearable sensors can objectively and continuously monitor daily-life tremor in Parkinson’s Disease (PD). We developed an open-source algorithm for real-life monitoring of PD tremor which achieves generalizable performance across different wrist-worn devices. We achieved this using a unique combination of two independent, complementary datasets. The first was a small, but extensively video-labeled gyroscope dataset collected during unscripted activities at home (<i>n</i> = 24 PD; <i>n</i> = 24 controls). We used this to train and validate a logistic regression tremor detector based on cepstral coefficients. The second was a large, unsupervised dataset (<i>n</i> = 517 PD; <i>n</i> = 50 controls, data collected for 2 weeks with a different device), used to externally validate the algorithm. Results show that our algorithm can reliably quantify real-life PD tremor (sensitivity of 0.61 (0.20) and specificity of 0.97 (0.05)). Weekly aggregated tremor time and power showed excellent test-retest reliability and moderate correlation to MDS-UPDRS rest tremor scores. This opens possibilities to support clinical trials and individual tremor management with wearable technology.</p>","PeriodicalId":19706,"journal":{"name":"NPJ Parkinson's Disease","volume":"29 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144603090","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}