Stefania Diaconu

• Medical Doctor at Transylvania University of Brașov

Introduction: Sleep dysfunction occurs in various forms and is a bothersome and intrusive non-motor symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD). Frequently undiagnosed, their poor management can have a great impact on the quality of life of PD patients and their caregivers. Areas covered: This article covers the safety and efficacy of pharmacological st...

Fatigue is a common non-motor symptom in Parkinson’s disease (PD), but even so, it may still be underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed in current practice due to its non-specific manifestations. The aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence of fatigue in PD patients compared to healthy controls and to identify the main characteristics and assoc...

Introduction: Although the reported frequency of diplopia is between 10 to 40% of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and other movement disorders, it remains one of the most undiagnosed non-motor symptoms. Furthermore, it has a major impact on the quality of life of these patients. The aim of this study is to systematically review the literatu...

Background patients with vascular cognitive impairment no dementia (VCI‐ND) may have different complains like sleep disturbancies, fatigue, pain. Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms of these patients. In advanced stages, fatigue is difficult to describe by the patients. Aim of the study: to assess the frequency and risk factors for fatigue i...

Background Dysphagia is a common complication in multiple neurodegenerative disorders, influencing quality of life and long term prognosis. In dementia, data regarding prevalence of dysphagia and secondary complications such as aspiration pneumonia is not well understood.Aim of the study: to assess the prevalence of dysphagia and aspiration pneumon...

Background people with dementia is a vulnerable category during COVID‐19 pandemic. COVID‐19 vaccination hesitancy was one of the main issues during pandemic with multiple factors involved. Aim of the study: to evaluate COVID‐19 vaccination hesitancy among people with dementia and factors involved. Method prospective study on 134 patients (60.44% f...

In Parkinson's disease (PD) patients, a wide range of ocular and visual disorders are present. Tear film instability, inflammation and dysfunction of the ocular surface, and the presence of symptoms of visual disturbance characterize dry eye, a multifactorial disease of the ocular surface. Based on a literature search, we discuss the frequency, pat...

Background: Nocturia has a high prevalence in Parkinson's Disease (PD) and is known to be a bothersome symptom for people with Parkinson's disease (PwPD). Objective: to characterize nocturia in a sample of PwPD, in relation to sleep, fatigue and other non-motor symptoms (NMS). Methods: we assessed 130 PwPD using a comprehensive battery of scal...

Background: Restless legs syndrome (RLS) might worsen sleep quality and quality of life in people with Parkinson's disease (PwPD). Objective: The main aim of the present study is to explore the associations between RLS and sleep, quality of life and other non-motor symptoms (NMS) in a sample of PwPD. Methods: We compared the clinical features...

Background Sleep disturbances are commonly encountered in people with advanced Parkinson's disease (PD). In these stages, levodopa–carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG) is recommended for improving motor symptoms, some non-motor dysfunctions, and quality of life in these patients. This study aimed to assess the effects of LCIG on sleep in PD in a longitu...

There are several known causes of secondary parkinsonism, the most common being head trauma, stroke, medications, or infections. A growing body of evidence suggests that viral agents may trigger parkinsonian symptoms, but the exact pathological mechanisms are still unknown. In some cases, lesions or inflammatory processes in the basal ganglia or su...

Hypersexuality (HS), characterized by an aberrant, compulsive and inappropriate sexual drive, is an underreported and undermanaged complication of the treatment with dopamine agonists in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). HS is part of the spectrum of impulse control disorders (ICDs). The failure to control these addictive behaviors is distres...

Non-motor Parkinson's Disease is a burgeoning area of the movement disorders field, as patients increasingly live longer and encounter more late-stage symptoms. The spectrum of non-motor manifestations spans much of the body, with non-motor features occurring in all stages of the disease. Identification of symptoms is key for preserving quality of...

Sleep disturbances are more common in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) than in the general population and are considered one of the most troublesome symptoms by these patients. Insomnia represents one of the most common sleep disturbances in PD, and it correlates significantly with poor quality of life. There are several known causes of insom...

Introduction: In patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD), quality of life is significantly affected by sleep disorder. Insomnia, excessive daytime sleepiness, restless leg syndrome (RLS), and REM-sleep behavior disorder (RBD) are considered common sleep disorders in PD patients. Objective: The aim of this review article is to synthesize the main cha...

In patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), gastrointestinal dysfunction occurs from the early stages of the disease and even in the pre-motor phase. This condition can include the entire digestive tract, with symptoms ranging from delays in gastric emptying to dysphagia, constipation and even malnutrition. Excess saliva accumulates in the mouth due...

Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is a parasomnia defined by simple or complex abnormal movements occurring in REM state, instead of the physiological muscular atonia. RBD may be idiopathic, or secondary as in the case of Parkinson's disease (PD). Several studies have confirmed that idiopathic RBD may precede with several years...

Sleep disturbances in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are not well understood. The restless legs syndrome (RLS) is one of the frequent occurring sleep disturbances in SLE. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of RLS and its characteristics in SLE. We evaluated, in a prospective case-control study, 26 patients with SLE and 26 pati...

Sleep is a physiological global state composed of two different phases: Non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. The control mechanisms of sleep manifest at the level of genetic, biological and cellular organization. Several brain areas, including the basal forebrain, thalamus, and hypothalamus, take part in regulating the...

Background: dysautonomia symptoms are met in most of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and are physically and socially consequences for them. We can assess these symptoms using available invasive quantitative techniques, but they represent a source of stress and discomfort for the patient, especially the ones with risk, also these techniques can be...

Background A composite instrument able to rapidly and reliably assess the most relevant motor and non‐motor afflictions suffered by Parkinson's disease (PD) patients in a real world clinic setting is an unmet need. The recently‐validated PD Composite Scale (PDCS) was designed to fulfill this gap as a quick, comprehensive PD assessment. Objective E...

The spectrum of sleep problems in Parkinson's disease (PD) is broad. These symptoms are recognized as being clinically relevant by the PD patients and may seriously affect their quality of life. Some studies reveal the occurrence of sleep disorders in more than half of the PD patients. The etiology is multifactorial and it mainly involves the degen...

To determine if Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is more sensitive than the commonly used Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) in detecting cognitive abnormalities in patients with probable progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and multiple system atrophy (MSA) compared with Parkinson’s disease (PD). In this multicenter observational study, MMSE...