Objective: The objectives of this study were to evaluate the risk of PNP, including CTS, with PD patients and to evaluate the role of some metabolic products, including homocysteine, vitamin B12, and uric acid in de novo patients with PD.

Background: Peripheral neuropathy (PNP) in Parkinson’s disease (PD) suggest an association with some metabolic products, such as homocysteine and vitamin B12. Also, carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) can be related with mechanical traumatic hand movement in PD, especially tremor dominant patients.

Method: The study participants included 102 de novo PD patients. Patients were excluded if they had systemic disease known to cause PNP, such as diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism or chronic renal failure. Motor and sensory nerve conduction studies were performed by neurophysiologists who were blinded to the existence of neuropathy clinical features or PD treatment.

Results: Twenty-one (20.6%) of 102 patients had PNP. Of 21 patients who had PNP, 17 (81%) patients had motor and sensory nerve abnormalities, including 9 CTS, 3 (14.3%) patients had sensory nerve abnormality and one (5.7%) patient had motor nerve abnormality. In a comparison between patients with and without PNP (Student’s t test), homocysteine levels were higher (P=0.011), and uric acid levels were higher (P=0.025) in the patients with PNP. Serum vitamin B12 levels were also lower in the patients with PNP, although there were no significant differences.

Conclusion: We found that the prevalence of PNP in de novo patients with PD was not low. Several metabolic products, such as homocysteine or uric acid levels can affect the development of neuropathy in PD patients. Early screening of these metabolic products for PNP in PD patients may be essential for preventing further PNP in patients with PD who are receiving treatment with levodopa.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/peripheral-neuropathy-in-de-novo-patients-with-parkinsons-disease/