Do Small Vessel Strokes and Small Vessel Disease Increase Incidence of Parkinsonism?

A longitudinal study finds an association.

Cerebral small vessel disease commonly co-occurs with symptoms of parkinsonism. In this study, investigators assessed small vessel disease severity and progression and incident parkinsonism over a 14-year period. The 503 participants had small vessel disease without diagnosed parkinsonism at baseline. Parkinsonism at follow-up was diagnosed using UK Parkinson's Disease Society Brain Bank criteria. All subjects had magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and motor assessments. Diagnoses were stratified into vascular parkinsonism (VaP) and idiopathic Parkinson disease (IPD). Linear mixed-effect models estimated individual rate changes in small vessel disease on MRI.

During follow-up, 51 (10.2%) participants developed parkinsonism (33 VaP, 17 IPD, and…

Reviewing Author

Michael S. Okun, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardParkinson’s Foundation; Tourette Association of America

Speaker’s BureauMedscape/WebMD CME, Movement Disorders Society CME, American Academy of Neurology CME

RoyaltiesBooks4Patients; Demos; Cambridge; Taylor and Francis; Robert Rose; Public Affairs

Grant/Research SupportNational Institutes of Health; Parkinson’s Foundation; Tourette Association of America; University of Florida Foundation

Editorial BoardsTremor and Other Hyperkinetic Movements; JAMA Neurology

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesParkinson’s Foundation (Medical Advisor)