Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 24, 2026

Gene-environment Interaction Models to Unmask Susceptibility Mechanisms in Parkinson's Disease
Published on: January 7, 2014
The stressful life events and Parkinson's disease: a case-control study
Hristina Vlajinac1, Sandra Sipetic, Jelena Marinkovic
1Institute of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Belgrade University, Belgrade, Serbia. kristiv@eunet.rs
Abstract:
A case-control study was conducted in order to investigate the possible link between stressful life events and Parkinson's disease (PD). A group of 110 consecutive newly diagnosed PD cases treated at the Institute of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Belgrade University, was compared with a control group comprising 220 subjects with degenerative joint disease and some diseases of the digestive tract. The case and control subjects were matched by sex, age (±2 years) and place of residence (urban/rural). According to conditional multivariate logistic regression analysis, PD was found to be significantly related to retirement (odds ratio--OR 18.73, 95% confidence interval--95%CI 1.9-175.4), birth of own child (OR 66.22, 95%CI 8.3-526.3) and air raids (OR 5.66, 95%CI 2.4-13.5). The risk of PD significantly increased with the number of stressful events. The results of the present study support the hypothesis that stress may play a role in the development of PD.
Related Concept Videos
Parkinson Disease l: Introduction
Parkinson Disease ll: Pathophysiology
Parkinson's Disease: Overview
Parkinson's Disease: Treatment
Parkinson's Disease is primarily a result of the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. The cornerstone of its...
Psychoneuroimmunology: Cardiovascular Disease
A key area of focus in PNI is the relationship between stress and coronary...
Introduction to Stress and Lifestyle