Effects of head trauma and sport participation in young-onset Parkinson’s disease

Abstract

Head trauma (HT) is emerging as an event anticipating onset of neurodegenerative disorders. However, the potential contribution of HT in young-onset cases (YOPD, age at onset < 50) of Parkinson’s disease (PD) has not been examined yet. Here, we systematically assessed HT history in PD patients to estimate the risk associated, especially in terms of age of onset, and define the correlations with the clinical-biochemical profile. The Brain Injury Screening Questionnaire (BISQ) was administered to 94 PD patients (31 with YOPD, known monogenic forms excluded) and 70 controls. HT history was correlated with motor and non-motor scores in all patients, and to CSF biomarkers of neurodegeneration (α-synuclein, amyloid-β42, total and phosporiled-181 tau, lactate, CSF/serum albumin) into a subgroup. HT increased the risk for both PD and YOPD. In PD patients, but not in those with YOPD, the number of HTs directly correlated with CSF total-tau levels. No other correlations resulted between HT and clinical parameters. Sport-related HT was a specific risk factor for YOPD; conversely, the prolonged sporting life represented a protective factor. HTs can favor PD onset, even as YOPD. Sport-related HT resulted a risk factor for YOPD, although the longer sporting practice delayed PD onset, protecting from YOPD. Tauopathy may underlie the overall association between HT and PD. Additional mechanisms could be instead implicated in HT contribution to YOPD onset.

A Practical Approach to Early-Onset Parkinsonism

“…A recent work also showed a correlation with sport-related head trauma and EO parkinsonism, in subjects where the most common genetic causes of EOPD were excluded [ 113 ]. Although more studies will be necessary to further clarify this association, traumatic brain injuries have been already correlated with parkinsonism, thus this trigger may be taken into consideration among the other factors as a causative or precipitating event for EO parkinsonism in predisposed subjects [ 114 ].…”

Differences in CSF Biomarkers Profile of Patients with Parkinson's Disease Treated with MAO-B Inhibitors in Add-On

“…While the CSF levels proportionally reflect neurofibrillary tangles deposition in Alzheimer's disease (AD) [25], the neuropathological correlate in PD is not completely clear yet. Molecular interactions between tau and α-synuclein have been reported in Lewy body pathology characterizing PD and other synucleinopathies [26]; however, higher CSF levels of tau proteins in PD have been associated with major brain networks disruption [27,28], age-related or environmentalrelated neuropathological changes [20,29,30], and, in general, with greater clinical severity and poorer outcome, either in motor or cognitive aspects [31][32][33]. Accordingly, we could accept the higher CSF tau proteins levels, the wider neurodegeneration, even in PD.…”

Sex hormones differentially contribute to Parkinson disease in males: A multimodal biomarker study

“…LP and blood withdraw were performed in the morning, after overnight fast (morning drugs allowed), following standard procedures. CSF levels of total α‐syn, amyloid‐β‐42 (Aβ42), amyloid‐β‐40 (Aβ40), total tau (t‐tau), and phosphorylated‐181tau (p‐tau) were measured by utilizing commercially available sandwich enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays, as previously described [8]. Aβ42/p‐tau and Aβ42/Aβ40 ratios were also calculated.…”

“…The quantitative assessment of neurodegeneration-related proteins in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) may inform on various molecular pathways involved in neuropathology [6]. As well, the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based volumetric measurement of brain structures is useful to evaluate the associate morphological changes [7,8].…”