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Common mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) deletions are large structural variants in the mitochondrial genome that accumulate in metabolically active tissues with age and have been investigated in various diseases. We applied the Splice-Break2 pipeline (designed for high-throughput quantification of mtDNA deletions) to human RNA-Seq datasets and describe the methodological considerations for evaluating common deletions in bulk, single-cell, and spatial transcriptomics datasets. A robust evaluation of 1570 samples from 14 RNA-Seq studies showed: (i) the abundance of some common deletions detected in PCR-amplified mtDNA correlates with levels observed in RNA-Seq data; (ii) RNA-Seq library preparation method has a strong effect on deletion detection; (iii) deletions had a significant, positive correlation with age in brain and muscle; (iv) deletions were enriched in cortical grey matter, specifically in layers 3 and 5; and (v) brain regions with dopaminergic neurons (i.e., substantia nigra, ventral tegmental area, and caudate nucleus) had remarkable enrichment of common mtDNA deletions., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

We discuss a shift in the treatment paradigm for OFF episode management in patients with Parkinson's disease, based on clinical experience in the United States (US). Three "on-demand" treatments are currently available in the US as follows: subcutaneous apomorphine, levodopa inhalation powder, and sublingual apomorphine. We empirically propose that "on-demand" treatments can be utilized as a complementary treatment when OFF episodes emerge and can be utilized when needed rather than reserving these treatments only until other treatment approaches (adjustment of baseline treatment and/or addition of adjunctive treatment with "ON-extenders") have failed. Current treatment approaches combine "ON-extenders" with increasing levodopa dosing and/or frequency to treat OFF episodes. Yet, OFF episodes often persist, with a substantial amount of daily OFF time. OFF episode treatment is hindered by variable gastrointestinal (GI) absorption of oral levodopa, reflecting GI dysmotility and protein competition. Novel "on-demand" treatments bypass the gut and can improve OFF symptoms more rapidly and reliably than oral levodopa. With the emergence of novel "on-demand" treatments, we conclude that a shift in treatment paradigm to the earlier, complementary use of these medications be considered., Competing Interests: The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: SHI reports honoraria for CME, consultant, research grants, and/or promotional speaker on behalf of AbbVie, Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc., Acorda Therapeutics, Inc., Adamas Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Addex Therapeutics, AFFiRiS AG, Alexza Pharmaceuticals, Allergan, Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC, Aptinyx Inc., Axial Therapeutics, Inc., Benevolent, Biogen, Biovie, Britannia Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Cadent Therapeutics, Cala Health, Cerecor Inc., Cerevel Therapeutics, Eli Lilly, Enterin Inc., GE Healthcare, Global Kinetics Pty Ltd, Impax Laboratories, Impel NeuroPharma, Intec Pharma, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Kyowa Kirin, Lundbeck, Merz Pharmaceuticals, Michael J. Fox Foundation, Neuralys Inc, Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc., Neuroderm, Novartis, Parkinson Study Group, Pharma Two B Ltd., Praxis, Prilenia Therapeutics, Revance, Roche, Sage, Sanofi, Scion, Scion Neurostim, Stoparkinson, Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc., Sun Pharma, Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Teva Pharmaceuticals, Theravance Biopharma, Transposon, and UCB. FLP reports fees for consulting or speaker services from AbbVie, Acorda Therapeutics, Inc., Adamas Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC, Kyowa Kirin, Merz Pharmaceuticals, LLC, Neurocrine Biosciences, Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc., Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Teva Pharmaceuticals, and US WorldMeds. He has received stock or has an ownership interest in KeifeRx and has received research support from Novartis and US WorldMeds. MFL reports consultant or speaker services from Acadia, Acorda Therapeutics, Adamas, Kyowa, Neurocrine, and Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and is an active researcher for Michael J. Fox Foundation, Neuraly Inc, NIAA, Parkinson Study Group, Pharma Two B Ltd., and Sun Pharma. RP reports honoraria, consultant fees, and/or research grants from Abbott Laboratories, AbbVie, Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc., Acorda Therapeutics, Inc., Adamas Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC, Biogen, Biohaven Pharmaceuticals Inc., Boston Scientific, Cala Health, EIP Pharma, Inc., Eli Lilly, Global Kinetics Pty Ltd, Kyowa Kirin, Lundbeck, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Neuraly Inc., Neurocrine Biosciences, Parkinson Foundation, Pharma Two B Ltd., Prilenia Therapeutics, Roche, Sage Therapeutics, Sun Pharma, Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc., Theranexus, Theravance Biopharma, US WorldMeds LLC, and Voyager., (© 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Introduction: Cervical dystonia (CD) is a neurologic movement disorder with potentially disabling effects and significant impact on quality of life of those affected. AbobotulinumtoxinA (aboBoNT-A) was initially approved for a dilution of 500 U/1 mL and subsequently for a dilution of 500 U/2 mL, providing flexibility for clinicians to treat CD. Here, we explore the safety and efficacy of the 500 U/2 mL dilution versus 500 U/1 mL dilution of aboBoNT-A in a retrospective analysis based on published clinical trial data., Methods: The safety and efficacy of aboBoNT-A in patients with CD was evaluated in three multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trials and open-label extensions. Trials 1 (NCT00257660) and 2 (NCT00288509) evaluated the 500 U/1 mL dilution in 80 and 116 patients, respectively; Trial 3 (NCT01753310) evaluated the 500 U/2 mL dilution in 125 patients., Results: Comparison of the adjusted mean difference in TWSTRS total scores at Week 4 from baseline for aboBoNT-A in Trial 1 (-6.0; 95% CI, -10.8, -1.3), Trial 2 (-8.8; 95% CI, -12.9, -4.7), and Trial 3 (-8.7; 95% CI, -13.2, -4.2) showed similar, significant improvements. Dysphagia and muscle weakness patterns were comparable across the three trials, indicating that an increased dilution of aboBoNT-A does not result in an increased risk of diffusion-related adverse events., Conclusion: The results of these trials show that aboBoNT-A is similarly efficacious using either dilution, with similar safety and tolerability across trials. Having the 500 U/1 mL and 500 U/2 mL dilution volumes available provides further flexibility in administration, benefiting patient care., Competing Interests: SHI received honoraria, consultancy, and promotional speaker fees from Ipsen. ATP received consultant and speaker fees from Ipsen. AB received consultancy fees from Ipsen. KD received advisor/consultant/speaker fees from Ipsen. LB received honoraria from Ipsen. SHI, DT, and ATP received research grants/support from Ipsen. PM is employed by Ipsen, and SW is a former employee of Ipsen., (© 2021 The Author(s).)

Cervical dystonia (CD) is primarily treated with botulinum toxin, at intervals of ≥ 12 weeks. We present efficacy, patient-reported outcomes (PROs), and safety in adults with CD at the last available visit after a single set of abobotulinumtoxinA (aboBoNT-A) injections versus placebo using 500 U in a 2-mL injection volume. In this 12-week, randomized, double-blind trial, patients were ≥ 18 years of age with primary idiopathic CD, had a Toronto Western Spasmodic Torticollis Rating Scale (TWSTRS) total score ≥ 20, and TWSTRS-Severity subscale score > 10 at baseline. Patients (N = 134) were randomized (2:1) to aboBoNT-A (n = 89) or placebo (n = 45), with aboBoNT-A patients treated with 500 units (U) if toxin-naïve, and 250 to 500 U based on previous onabotulinumtoxinA dose if non-naïve. Endpoints included total TWSTRS, Pain Numeric Rating Scale (NRS-Pain; 24-hour), Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication, and other PROs for pain, depression, and global health. Results are for the intent-to-treat population, with "Week 12" (Wk12) comprising the last available post-baseline assessment (end-of-study or early withdrawal). Mean TWSTRS total scores improved from 42.5 at baseline to 35.4 at Wk12 with aboBoNT-A and 42.4 to 40.4 with placebo (treatment difference: -4.8; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -8.5, -1.1; p = 0.011). At Wk12, mean (95% CI) change from baseline in NRS-Pain was -1.0 (-1.59, -0.45) for aboBoNT-A and -0.2 (-0.96, 0.65) for placebo. AboBoNT-A demonstrated numeric improvements in other PROs. More aboBoNT-A-treated patients than patients receiving placebo reported being at least "somewhat satisfied" with treatment (60.4% vs 42.2%, respectively), symptom relief (57.0% vs 40.0%), and time for treatment to work (55.8% vs 33.3%). No new adverse events were reported. Results indicate that in patients with CD, treatment with aboBoNT-A using a 2-mL injection provided sustained improvement in the TWSTRS total score and patient-perceived benefits up to 12 weeks. Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov Identified: NCT01753310., Competing Interests: I, A. T. Patel, have read the journal’s policy and the authors of this manuscript have the following competing interests: Speaker: Allergan, Ipsen, Merz, Revance; Research support: Allergan, Ipsen, Revance. I, M. F. Lew, have read the journal’s policy and the authors of this manuscript have the following competing interests: Advisor/consultant/speaker: AbbVie, ACADIA, Acorda, Adamas, Cynapsus, Kyowa Kirin, Lundbeck, Neurocrine, Revance, Teva, US WorldMeds; Researcher: Biotie, Enterin Inc., Michael J. Fox Foundation, Parkinson Study Group, Pharm2B; I, A. Brashear, have read the journal’s policy and the authors of this manuscript have the following competing interests: Consulting: Ipsen, Revance; Research support: paid to Wake Forest (institution) and conflicts were managed by Wake Forest. I, K. Dashtipour, have read the journal’s policy and the authors of this manuscript have the following competing interests: Advisor/consultant, and/or speaker: AbbVie, ACADIA, Acorda, Adamas, Allergan, Amneal, Impax, Ipsen, Lundbeck, Neurocrine, Revance, Sunovion, Teva, US WorldMeds. I, S. Isaacson, have read the journal’s policy and the authors of this manuscript have the following competing interests: Honoraria for CME/consultant/promotional speaker: AbbVie, ACADIA, Acorda, Adamas, Addex, Allergan, Amarantus, Axovant, Biogen, Britannia, Eli Lilly, Enterin, GE Healthcare, Global Kinetics, Impax, Intec Pharma, Ipsen, Kyowa, Lundbeck, Michael J. Fox Foundation, Neurocrine, Neuroderm, Parkinson Study Group, Pharma2B, Roche, Sanofi, Sunovion, Teva, UCB, US WorldMeds, Zambon; Honoraria for research grants: AbbVie, ACADIA, Acorda, Adamas, Addex, Allergan, Amarantus, Axovant, Biogen, Britannia, Eli Lilly, Enterin, GE Healthcare, Global Kinetics, Impax, Intec Pharma, Ipsen, Kyowa, Lundbeck, Michael J. Fox Foundation, Neurocrine, Neuroderm, Parkinson Study Group, Pharma2B, Roche, Sanofi, Sunovion, Teva, UCB, US WorldMeds. I, R. A. Hauser, have read the journal’s policy and the authors of this manuscript have the following competing interests: Consulting: AbbVie, Academy for Continued Healthcare Learning, ACADIA, Acorda, Adamas, AstraZeneca, Back Bay Life Science, Biotie, Bracket, Cerecor, ClearView Healthcare Partners, ClinicalMind Medical and Therapeutic Communications, Cowen and Company, Cynapsus Therapeutics, Decision Resources Group, Eli Lilly, eResearch Technology, Expert Connect, Extera Partners, GE Healthcare, Gerson Lehrman Group, Globe Life Sciences, Guidepoint Global, Health Advances, Health and Wellness Partners, HealthLogix, Huron Consulting Group, Impax, Intec Pharma, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Kyowa Kirin Pharmaceutical Development, LCN Consulting, LifeMax, The Lockwood Group, Lundbeck, MEDACorp, Medscape, Medtronic, Michael J. Fox Foundation, Movement Disorder Society, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Neurocrine Biosciences, Neuroderm, Neuropore Therapies, Outcomes Insights, Parkinson Foundation, Peerview Press, Pennside Partners, Pfizer, Pharma2B, Phase Five Communications, Piper Jaffray & Co, Prexton Therapeutics, Projects in Knowledge, Putnam Associates, Quintiles, RMEI Medical Education for Better Outcomes, Sarepta Therapeutics, Schlesinger Associates, Scion Neurostim, Seagrove Partners, Slingshot Insights, Sun Pharma, Sunovion, Teva, US WorldMeds, Vista Research, WebMD, Windrose Consulting Group; Research support: AbbVie, Acorda Therapeutics, AstraZeneca, Axovant Sciences, Biogen, Cavion, Dart NeuroScience, Enterin, F. Hoffman-La Roche, Impax, Intec Pharma, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Lundbeck, Michael J. Fox Foundation, NeuroDerm, Parkinson’s Foundation, Prexton Therapeutics, Revance, Sunovion. I, W. Ondo, have read the journal’s policy and the authors of this manuscript have the following competing interests: Advisor/consultant/speaker: ACADIA, Acorda, Adamas, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Neurocrine, Teva, UCB, US WorldMeds; Research support: Biogen, Lilly, Lundbeck, Sun Pharmaceuticals, Sunovian. I, P. Maisonobe, have read the journal’s policy and the authors of this manuscript have the following competing interests: Employment: Ipsen. I, S. Wietek, have read the journal’s policy and the authors of this manuscript have the following competing interests: Employment: Ipsen. I, B. Rubin, have read the journal’s policy and the authors of this manuscript have the following competing interests: Employment (former): Ipsen.

Aim: Due to active engagement of sensory and afferent nerve fibers in reflex tearing which could be affected in Parkinson's disease (PD), we tested reflex tears as a source of potential PD biomarkers. Patients & methods: Reflex tears collected from 84 PD and 84 age- and sex-equivalent healthy controls (HC) were used to measure levels of oligomeric α-Syn (α-Syn Oligo ), total α-Syn (α-Syn Total ), CCL2, DJ-1, lactoferrin and MMP9. Results: α-syn Oligo (p < 0.0001), CCL2 (p = 0.003) and lactoferrin (p = 0.002) were significantly elevated in PD patient tears relative to HC tears. Tear flow was significantly lower in PD relative to HC (p = 0.001). Conclusion: Reflex tears are a potential source for detection of characteristic changes in PD patients.

Aim: Secretion of proteins into basal tears of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients may be altered by changes in nerve function. Materials & methods: Oligomeric α-Syn Oligo  and total α-Syn Total , CCL-2, DJ-1, LF and MMP-9 were measured in basal tears from 93 PD patients and 82 age- and sex-equivalent healthy controls. Results: α-Syn Total was decreased (p = 0.0043), whereas α-Syn Oligo (p < 0.0001) and the ratio of α-Syn Oligo /α-Syn Total (p < 0.0001) were increased in basal tears from PD patients compared with healthy controls. Area under receiver-operating curves of α-Syn Oligo and α-Syn Oligo /α-Syn Total contents were 0.70 (95% confidence limits: 0.621-0.774) and 0.72 (95% confidence limits: 0.642-0.792). Conclusion: PD patient basal tears may contain biomarkers that can be assayed noninvasively and inexpensively.

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is associated with α-synuclein (αS) aggregation within the enteric nervous system (ENS) and constipation. Squalamine displaces proteins that are electrostatically bound to intracellular membranes and through this mechanism suppresses aggregation of αS monomers into neurotoxic oligomers., Objective: We sought to evaluate the safety of ENT-01 oral tablets (a synthetic squalamine salt), its pharmacokinetics, and its effect on bowel function in PD patients with constipation., Methods: In Stage 1, 10 patients received escalating single doses from 25 to 200 mg/day or maximum tolerated dose (MTD). In Stage 2, 34 patients received daily doses escalating from 75 to a maximum of 250 mg/day, a dose that induced change in bowel function or MTD, followed by a fixed dose for 7 days, and a 2-week washout. Primary efficacy endpoint was defined as an increase of 1 complete spontaneous bowel movement (CSBM)/week, or 3 CSBM/week over the baseline period, as defined by FDA guidelines for prokinetic agents. Safety was also assessed., Results: Over 80% of patients achieved the primary efficacy endpoint, with the mean number of CSBM/week increasing from 1.2 at baseline to 3.6 during fixed dosing ( p  = 1.2 × 10 -7 ). Common adverse events included nausea in 21/44 (47%) and diarrhea in 18/44 (40%) patients. Systemic absorption was <0.3%., Conclusions: Orally administered ENT-01 was safe and significantly improved bowel function in PD, suggesting that the ENS is not irreversibly damaged in PD. Minimal systemic absorption suggests that improvements result from local stimulation of the ENS. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study is now ongoing., Competing Interests: Barbut, Zasloff, Kinney, Harvey, Resnick, Lowry, and Huff are employees of Enterin and hold equity. Camilleri is a member of Enterin's Scientific Advisory Board. Ballmann is a paid consultant of Enterin. Hauser has received consulting fees from Enterin., (© 2019 The Authors.)

Introduction: Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with Ioflupane I123 injection (DaTscan™) was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2011 for striatal dopamine transporter visualization to assist in the evaluation of adult patients with suspected parkinsonian syndromes. While brain SPECT imaging using DaTscan is a covered service under Medicare policy, there is a lack of consensus on its role in routine clinical practice in the US. Areas covered: To address this issue, an expert group of US-based movement disorders neurologists convened to discuss the clinical utility of DaTscan in movement disorders practices within the US. The group identified and discussed routine clinical scenarios where imaging with DaTscan can provide useful information that may impact management and/or clarify clinical diagnoses. This paper summarizes a consensus reached by the expert group at this meeting. Expert commentary: The major utility of DaTscan imaging is the assistance it provides in distinguishing between nigrostriatal dopaminergic degeneration and non-nigrostriatal degeneration in patients displaying equivocal signs and symptoms of parkinsonism.

Background: We report age-dependent penetrance estimates for leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2)-related Parkinson's disease (PD) in a large sample of familial PD. The most frequently seen LRRK2 mutation, Gly2019Ser (G2019S), is associated with approximately 5 to 6% of familial PD cases and 1 to 2% of idiopathic cases, making it the most common known genetic cause of PD. Studies of the penetrance of LRRK2 mutations have produced a wide range of estimates, possibly due to differences in study design and recruitment, including in particular differences between samples of familial PD versus sporadic PD., Methods: A sample, including 903 affected and 58 unaffected members from 509 families ascertained for having two or more PD-affected members, 126 randomly ascertained PD patients and 197 controls, was screened for five different LRRK2 mutations. Penetrance was estimated in families of LRRK2 carriers with consideration of the inherent bias towards increased penetrance in a familial sample., Results: Thirty-one out of 509 families with multiple cases of PD (6.1%) were found to have 58 LRRK2 mutation carriers (6.4%). Twenty-nine of the 31 families had G2019S mutations while two had R1441C mutations. No mutations were identified among controls or unaffected relatives of PD cases. Nine PD-affected relatives of G2019S carriers did not carry the LRRK2 mutation themselves. At the maximum observed age range of 90 to 94 years, the unbiased estimated penetrance was 67% for G2019S families, compared with a baseline PD risk of 17% seen in the non-LRRK2-related PD families., Conclusion: Lifetime penetrance of LRRK2 estimated in the unascertained relatives of multiplex PD families is greater than that reported in studies of sporadically ascertained LRRK2 cases, suggesting that inherited susceptibility factors may modify the penetrance of LRRK2 mutations. In addition, the presence of nine PD phenocopies in the LRRK2 families suggests that these susceptibility factors may also increase the risk of non-LRRK2-related PD. No differences in penetrance were found between men and women, suggesting that the factors that influence penetrance for LRRK2 carriers are independent of the factors which increase PD prevalence in men.

Genetic variants in embryonic lethal, abnormal vision, Drosophila-like 4 (ELAVL4) have been reported to be associated with onset age of Parkinson disease (PD) or risk for PD affection in Caucasian populations. In the current study we genotyped three single nucleotide polymorphisms in ELAVL4 in a Caucasian study sample consisting of 712 PD patients and 312 unrelated controls from the GenePD study. The minor allele of rs967582 was associated with increased risk of PD (odds ratio = 1.46, nominal P value = 0.011) in the GenePD population. The minor allele of rs967582 was also the risk allele for PD affection or earlier onset age in the previously studied populations. This replication of association with rs967582 in a third cohort further implicates ELAVL4 as a PD susceptibility gene.

Selegiline orally disintegrating tablet is a potent, selective and irreversible inhibitor of monoamine oxidase type B. It is delivered in an innovative formulation that largely bypasses the gut and first-pass hepatic metabolism by allowing transbuccal absorption. Selegiline orally disintegrating tablet dissolves in the mouth within seconds and is rapidly absorbed directly into the systemic circulation, increasing parent drug bioavailability and lowering plasma metabolites compared with conventional oral formulations. Adding selegiline orally disintegrating tablet to levodopa in patients experiencing 'wearing-off' episodes significantly decreases off time and increases dyskinesia-free 'on' time. Adding selegiline orally disintegrating tablet to levodopa also significantly improves Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale motor scores and patients' and physicians' ratings of disease severity. Selegiline orally disintegrating tablet has been demonstrated to be safe and well tolerated in placebo-controlled clinical trials.

Parkinson disease (PD) is a late-onset neurodegenerative disorder. The mean age at onset is 61 years, but the disease can range from juvenile cases to cases in the 8th or 9th decade of life. The parkin gene on chromosome 6q and loci on chromosome 1p35-36 and 1p36 are responsible for some cases of autosomal recessive early-onset parkinsonism, but they do not appear to influence susceptibility or variability of age at onset for idiopathic PD. We have performed a genomewide linkage analysis using variance-component methodology to identify genes influencing age at onset of PD in a population of affected relatives (mainly affected sibling pairs) participating in the GenePD study. Four chromosomal loci showed suggestive evidence of linkage: chromosome 2p (maximum multipoint LOD [MaxLOD] = 2.08), chromosome 9q (MaxLOD = 2.00), chromosome 20 (MaxLOD = 1.82), and chromosome 21 (MaxLOD = 2.21). The 2p and 9q locations that we report here have previously been reported as loci influencing PD affection status. Association between PD age at onset and allele 174 of marker D2S1394, located on 2p13, was observed in the GenePD sample (P=.02). This 174 allele is common to the PD haplotype observed in two families that show linkage to PARK3 and have autosomal dominant PD, which suggests that this allele may be in linkage disequilibrium with a mutation influencing PD susceptibility or age at onset of PD.

Botulinum toxin has dramatically improved the treatment of cervical dystonia. Prior to the use of botulinum toxin for many neurologic disorders, patients had few effective therapeutic options. Botulinum toxin type B (Myobloc, NeuroBloc) is a new antigenically distinct botulinum toxin with a unique structure and mechanism of action. Preclinical studies have demonstrated that im. injections of botulinum toxin type B effectively induce a dose-dependent paralysis. Controlled clinical trials have shown that it is safe and effective in alleviating symptoms associated with cervical dystonia. Given its efficacy and safety profile, the clinical use of type B toxin is anticipated to expand into other therapeutic areas.

Three-day-old rat pups with electrodes directed at the medial forebrain bundle at the level of the lateral hypothalamic area were trained to push a paddle to receive electrical brain stimulation. Pups receiving stimulation that was contingent on lifting the paddle responded more frequently than did control pups and also learned a two-choice spatial discrimination task that was rewarded with brain stimulation. The experiments indicate that a neural substrate in the area of the medial forebrain bundle is involved in the central mediation of reinforcement in the rat pup.