Category: Parkinsonism, Others
Objective: To investigate the impact of chronic stress (CS) induced by the present pandemic on the progression rates of motor and cognitive impairment, on neuro-inflammatory markers in COVID-19 seronegative patients with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (PD) and compare this dataset with similar pre-pandemic progression data.
Background: The pandemic indisputably holds many challenges for PD patients, including CS, irrespectively if tested COVID-19 positive or not. Recent studies have shown that CS may induce neuroinflammation and CS has been identified as risk factor for PD. However, it is yet unknown if CS, as perceived during the pandemic, also accelerates the disease progression.
Method: MDS-UPDRS I-III, MOCA, BDI-I and quality of life questionnaire scores will be established in 148 PD patients from the Luxembourg Parkinson’s Study. With reference to CS studies, special emphasis will be given to axial motor symptoms and to language performances. As PD progression is non-linear, the scores obtained will be compared with pre-pandemic data of a PD control group, precisely matched for gender, age and disease duration (figure 1). Moreover, the serological biomarkers will be analyzed from serum samples of PD patients before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using the Olink Target 96 Inflammation panel, we will investigate inflammation-related cytokines and chemokines (TNF, IL-2, IL-6 and IL-10) that are known to be biomarkers associated with faster progression and clinical symptoms.
Results: At the present date (beginning March 2021) 79 out of 148 participants have completed their annual intra-pandemic follow up visit. All enrolled patients will have accomplished the clinical assessment by summer 2021. Full analysis will be available at the date of poster presentation.
Conclusion: The present pandemic offers a unique opportunity to probe the impact of chronic stress on PD progression and to elucidate potential resilience factors of interest beyond the pandemic.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
M. Hansen, T. Marques, C. Pauly, L. Delacour, C. Martin-Gallausiaux, P. Wilmes, R. Krüger, N J. Diederich. The pandemic stress impact on disease progression in COVID-19 seronegative patients with idiopathic Parkinson’s Disease. [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2021; 36 (suppl 1). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/the-pandemic-stress-impact-on-disease-progression-in-covid-19-seronegative-patients-with-idiopathic-parkinsons-disease/. Accessed June 15, 2025.« Back to MDS Virtual Congress 2021
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/the-pandemic-stress-impact-on-disease-progression-in-covid-19-seronegative-patients-with-idiopathic-parkinsons-disease/