has long been intensively studied from various different viewpoints. The synthesis, secretion, and biologic effects of the hormone had been studied using electrophysiologic and neurophysiologic techniques. With the recent development of techniques involving molecular biology, the details of these mechanisms are now becoming understood. On the other hand, the clinical assessment of posterior pit...

Background: Impaired temporal stability and poor motor unit recruitment are key impairments in Parkinsonian motor control during a whole spectrum of rhythmic movements, from simple finger tapping to gait. Therapies based on imitation can be designed for patients with motor impairments and virtual-reality (VR) offers a new perspective. Motor actions are known to depend upon the dopaminergic syst...

Introduction: Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease. Increasing evidence shows that physical exercise is beneficial for motor and non-motor symptoms of PD, and animal models suggest that it may help slow progression of disease. Methods: Using a randomized delayed-start design, 31 patients were randomized to an early start group (ESG) or a delayed start group (DSG) ...

Myosin heavy chain 9 (MYH9)-related platelet disorders belong to the group of inherited thrombocytopenias. The MYH9 gene encodes the nonmuscle myosin heavy chain IIA (NMMHC-IIA), a cytoskeletal contractile protein. Several mutations in the MYH9 gene lead to premature release of platelets from the bone marrow, macrothrombocytopenia, and cytoplasmic inclusion bodies within leukocytes. Four overla...

Mitochondrial diseases are a group of disorders due to a mitochondrial respiratory chain deficiency. They may depend on mitochondrial genome (mtDNA-related disorders) as well as on a nuclear genome defect (nDNA-related disorders). mtDNA-related disorders encompass an increasing number of clinical pictures associated with more than 250 different provisional or confirmed pathogenic changes in mtD...

a-Synuclein (a-syn) aggregation is central to neuropathological changes in Parkinson’s disease. The aggregates spread within the central nervous system according to a very predictable pattern. A prion-like transmission of a-syn aggregates has been recently proposed to explain this propagation pattern. First, we review the growing evidence for such a mechanism. This process is likely to occur in...

Lymphoproliferative disorders including non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL) are not uncommon neoplasms in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). It has been established that HIV-infected individuals are more prone to develop certain lymphoproliferative disorders and lymphomas compared to non-infected individuals. The exact mechanisms underlying these associations is yet to be es...

Disorders of consciousness represent a major challenge in clinical practice. The last decade of neuroscience research brought new insights about brain function and neural correlates of these pathological states of consciousness. Although behavioural evaluation still remains the gold standard, conscious behaviours are too often missed, leading to unwanted grey zones between conscious and unconsc...

Chorea refers to irregular, flowing, non-stereotyped, random, involuntary movements that often possess a writhing quality referred to as choreoathetosis. When mild, chorea can be difficult to differentiate from restlessness. When chorea is proximal and of large amplitude, it is called ballism. Chorea is usually worsened by anxiety and stress and subsides during sleep. Most patients attempt to d...

Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is common in Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Actigraphy uses periods of immobility as surrogate markers of nighttime sleep but there are no examples of its use in assessing EDS of PD. A commercial wrist worn system for measuring bradykinesia and dyskinesia also detects 2 min periods of immobility, which have a 85.2% concordance with the detection of sleep by ambulat...