Browsing by Subject "Parkinson's disease"

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Open Access
Comparison of different balance scales in Parkinson's disease
(Turkey Association of Physiotherapists, 2009) Gündüz, A. G.; Otman, A. S.; Kose, N.; Bilgin, S.; Elibol, B.
Purpose: The main purpose of our study is finding out whether different methods used in evaluating balance are reliable and valid for Parkinson Disease. Material and methods: In the study, thirty idiopathic Parkinson patients were evaluated by Berg Balance Scale, Tinetti Performance Oriented Balance and Gait Scale, and clinical balance and mobility tests at their "off" and "on" periods. Additionally; the patients were evaluated by motor evaluation part of Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, Modified Hoehn and Yahr Scale. All the evaluation tests were repeated 7 days after the first applications. Results: Comparisons revealed that all the balance evaluation tests were reliable and valid for Parkinson patients. On the other hand, it was also revealed that, Berg Balance Scale is more reliable (ICC=0.99) and showing higher correlation with motor part of Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (r=-0.75, p<0.05) and Modified Hoehn and Yahr Scale (r=-0.75/0.71, p<0.05). Conclusion: As a result of our study, that Berg Balance Scale, Tinetti Performance Oriented Balance and Gait Scale, clinical balance and mobility tests can be applied to Parkinson disease patients reliably, and among these tests Berg Balance Scale gives more comprehensive information regarding evaluation of different parameters of balance.
Open Access
Regenerative effects of peptide nanofibers in an experimental model of Parkinson's disease
(Elsevier Ltd, 2016) Sever, M.; Turkyilmaz, M.; Sevinc, C.; Cakir, A.; Ocalan, B.; Cansev, M.; Güler, Mustafa O.; Tekinay, A. B.
Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by progressive degeneration of dopaminergic nigrostriatal neurons and reduction in striatal dopamine levels. Although there are few treatment options for PD such as Levodopa, they are used just to relieve and modify the symptoms. There are no therapies available for PD to slow down the degeneration process in the brain and recover the lost function. In this study, we used extracellular matrix (ECM) mimetic peptide amphiphile (PA) nanofibers as a potential therapeutic approach in a PD rat model. We demonstrated the effect of heparan sulfate mimetic and laminin mimetic PA nanofibers on reducing striatal injury and enhancing functional recovery after unilateral striatal injection of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA). The bioactive self-assembled PA nanofibers significantly reduced forelimb asymmetry, contralateral forelimb akinesia and d-amphetamine-induced rotational behavior in cylinder, stepping and rotation tests, respectively, in 6-OHDA-lesioned rats after 6 weeks. The behavioral improvement with PA nanofiber administration was associated with enhanced striatal dopamine and tyrosine hydroxylase content as well as reduced cleaved-Caspase-3 levels. Histological assessment also showed that PA nanofiber injection to the striatum resulted in better tissue integrity compared to control groups. In addition, PA nanofibers reduced the progressive cell loss in SH-SY5Y cells caused by 6-OHDA treatment. These data showed that the bioactive peptide nanofibers improve neurochemical and behavioral consequences of Parkinsonism in rats and provide a promising new strategy for treatment of PD. Statement of Significance Biomimetic nanomaterials bearing natural bioactive signals which are derived from extracellular matrix components like laminin and heparan sulfates provide promising therapeutic strategies for regeneration of the nervous system. However, no research has been reported exploring the use of biomimetic materials against degeneration in Parkinson's disease. In this work, we investigated potential therapeutic effects of heparan sulfate and laminin mimetic PA nanofibers on reduction of striatal injury in experimental Parkinson's disease model. PA nanofibers enhanced functional recovery associated with enhanced striatal dopamine and tyrosine hydroxylase content as well as reduced cleaved-Caspase-3 levels. Overall, this study shows the improvement in consequences of Parkinsonism in rats and provides a new platform for treatment of Parkinson's disease. © 2016 Acta Materialia Inc.