Here’s a few studies that came up in my news feed from  PubMed Central (PMC) or elsewhere for articles recently published on the topics in which I’m interested – namely, prodromal symptoms related to PD, the relationship of REM sleep disorder and depression to PD, and, of course, the use of singing and dance therapies as complementary approaches to dealing with the symptoms of PD.

Prevalence and duration of non-motor symptoms in prodromal Parkinson’s disease

The prevalence and duration of non-motor symptoms (NMS) in prodromal Parkinson’s disease (PD) has not been extensively studied. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and duration of prodromal NMS (pNMS) in a cohort of patients with recently diagnosed PD.

…subtracted the duration of the presence of each individual NMS reported from the duration of the earliest motor symptom. NMS whose duration preceded the duration of motor symptoms were considered a pNMS. Individual pNMS were then grouped into relevant pNMS clusters based on the NMSQuest domains. Motor subtypes were defined as tremor dominant, postural instability gait difficulty (PIGD) and indeterminate type according to the Movement Disorder Society Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale revision.

Results: Prodromal NMS were experienced by 90.3% of patients with PD. … males reporting more sexual dysfunction, forgetfulness and dream re-enactment, whereas females reported more unexplained weight change and anxiety. There was a significant association between any prodromal gastrointestinal symptoms and urinary symptoms  and the PIGD phenotype.[n.b.: phenotype includes inherent traits or characteristics that are observable]. [Emphases added].

Citation:  Durcan R, Wiblin L, Lawson RA, Khoo TK, Yarnall AJ, Duncan GW, Brooks DJ, Pavese N, Burn DJ; ICICLE-PD Study Group. Prevalence and duration of non-motor symptoms in prodromal Parkinson’s disease. Eur J Neurol. 2019 Jul;26(7):979-985. doi: 10.1111/ene.13919. Epub 2019 Mar 1. PMID: 30706593; PMCID: PMC6563450.

Associations of Sleep Disorders With Depressive Symptoms in Early and Prodromal Parkinson’s Disease

Purpose: To explore the effect of sleep disorders, including the probable rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (pRBD) and the daytime sleepiness, on depressive symptoms in patients with early and prodromal PD.

5-year follow-up study showed that sleep disorders, including pRBD and daytime sleepiness, were associated with the increased depressive-related score in individuals with early and prodromal PD.

Conclusion: … Sleep disorders, including pRBD and daytime sleepiness, are associated with depression at baseline and longitudinally, …  partially mediated by the autonomic dysfunction in early and prodromal PD, …  implication that sleep management is of great value for disease surveillance.

Citation: Ma J, Dou K, Liu R, Liao Y, Yuan Z, Xie A. Associations of Sleep Disorders With Depressive Symptoms in Early and Prodromal Parkinson’s Disease. Front Aging Neurosci. 2022 Jun 10;14:898149. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.898149. PMID: 35754965; PMCID: PMC9226450.

Group therapeutic singing improves clinical motor scores in persons with Parkinson’s disease

Abstract
Background Previous reports suggest that group therapeutic singing (GTS) may have a positive effect on motor symptoms in persons with Parkinson’s disease (PD).

Objective To determine the effect of a single session of GTS on clinical motor symptoms.

Methods Clinical motor symptom assessment was completed immediately before and after 1 hour of GTS in 18 participants.

Results A significant decrease in average scores for gait and posture and tremor, but not speech and facial expression or bradykinesia was revealed.

Conclusion These results support the notion that GTS is a beneficial adjuvant therapy for persons with PD that warrants further research.

Citation: Stegemoller E, Forsyth E, Patel B, et al. Group therapeutic singing improves clinical motor scores in persons with Parkinson’s disease BMJ Neurology Open 2022;4:e000286. doi: 10.1136/bmjno-2022-000286