Introduction. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is frequently used by Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. We sought to provide information on CAM use and efficacy in PD patients in the Denver metro area with particular attention to cannabis use given its recent change in legal status. Methods. Self-administered surveys on CAM use and efficacy were completed by PD patients identified in clinics and support groups across the Denver metro area between 2012 and 2013. Results. 207 patients (age 69 ± 11; 60% male) completed the survey. Responses to individual CAM therapy items showed that 85% of respondents used at least one form of CAM. The most frequently reported CAMs were vitamins (66%), prayer (59%), massage (45%), and relaxation (32%). Self-reported improvement related to the use of CAM was highest for massage, art therapy, music therapy, and cannabis. While only 4.3% of our survey responders reported use of cannabis, it ranked among the most effective CAM therapies. Conclusions. Overall, our cross-sectional study was notable for a high rate of CAM utilization amongst PD patients and high rates of self-reported efficacy across most CAM modalities. Cannabis was rarely used in our population but users reported high efficacy, mainly for nonmotor symptoms.

ObjectiveThe goal of this study was to identify changes in quantitative and qualitative aspects of neonatal ultrasonic vocalizations USVs in neuron‐subset specific (NS‐Pten) knockout males and females when compared with wild‐type male and female mice.BackgroundOne signaling cascade that plays a crucial role in the development of an autistic‐like phenotype is the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway. Mouse models that illustrate this connection include Fmr1, Tsc1, and NS‐Pten‐deficient mice. While numerous studies have investigated ultrasonic vocalizations in Fmr1 knockout and Tsc1 heterogenous mice, none have investigated USVs in NS‐Pten knockout mice using a full spectrum recording system.MethodsWe recorded ultrasonic vocalizations from NS‐Pten wild‐type and knockout male and female mice on postnatal days 8 and 11. On these days, we measured the number and quality of calls emitted from pups when they were removed from their mothers.ResultsWe found that knockout pups emitted fewer vocalizations for both sexes (p < .05). Knockout males had calls of a shorter duration and lower peak amplitude on day 8, while showing a shorter duration, lower peak amplitude, and higher peak and fundamental frequency on day 11 (p < .001). Knockout females vocalized at a lower peak amplitude and fundamental frequency, and a higher peak frequency on day 8, while showing a shorter duration and a higher peak and fundamental frequency on day 11 (p < .001). Spectrographic analyses also revealed significant differences in call type for both genotypes and sexes (p < .05).ConclusionsThese findings demonstrate that deletion of NS‐Pten results in significant decreases in vocalizations across both sexes. Additionally, our findings indicate that the aberrant vocalizations and increased call duration seen in other mTOR models are also present in NS‐Pten knockout mice. Our study provides evidence of a connection between hyperactive mTOR signaling and neonatal ultrasonic vocalizations.

There is increasing evidence that seizures during early development can impact ultrasonic vocalizations emitted from neonatal mice. However, most of the effects of early-life seizures have been reported using chemoconvulsants that produce continuous seizures (status epilepticus). In the present study, we evaluated the impact of different seizure frequency loads during early-life vocalization development in C57BL6/J male and female mice. For the high seizure load (HSL) paradigm, we administered 3 flurothyl-induced seizures to mice on PD7 through PD11, and recorded USVs on PD12. We found that the induction of seizures across PD7-11 resulted in increased average duration (P < 0.05) and cumulative duration (P < 0.05) of USVs across both sexes. Call-type analyses indicated several call-type changes, including reduced production of complex call-types from males HSL condition. For the low seizure load (LSL) paradigm, we induced 3 flurothyl seizures only on PD10 and recorded USVs on PD12. We found no change in any spectral or temporal features of USVs. However, call-type production analyses indicated that both male and female animals from the LSL paradigm also produced changes in call-types. This study provides evidence that the magnitude of communication impairment following seizures is significantly impacted by seizure frequency load early in development.

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