Related Experiment Videos
Constipation in Parkinson's Disease: a Nuisance or Nuanced Answer to the Pathophysiological Puzzle?
Amol Sharma1, Julie Kurek2, John C Morgan2
1Division of Gastroenterology/Hepatology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University Medical Center, 1120 15th Street, AD-2226, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA. amosharma@augusta.edu.
Current Gastroenterology Reports
|January 20, 2018
Summary
Chronic constipation in Parkinson's disease (PD) may stem from the gut, challenging the Braak hypothesis. Novel neurophysiological tests could illuminate brain-gut pathways in this neurogastrointestinal disorder.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Gastroenterology
- Neuropathology
Background:
- Chronic constipation is a common prodromal symptom in Parkinson's disease (PD).
- Understanding its neuropathology offers insight into PD pathogenesis.
- The origin and spread of Lewy pathology (LP) are key research areas.
Purpose of the Study:
- To critically review current knowledge on neuroanatomical and brain-gut interactions in PD.
- To explore the origin and progression of Lewy pathology (LP) across brain, spinal cord, and enteric nervous system.
- To propose an alternative hypothesis for LP origin and spread in PD.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on Lewy pathology (LP) in Parkinson's disease (PD).
- Analysis of challenges in examining LP via colon biopsies.
- Discussion of novel, noninvasive neurophysiological testing methods.
Main Results:
- Examining colonic LP in PD patients presents significant challenges.
- Epidemiological studies question the widely accepted Braak hypothesis.
- An alternative origin and route of LP spread in PD is proposed.
Conclusions:
- Constipation in PD may originate in the gut, offering a new perspective.
- Noninvasive neurophysiological tests can advance understanding of LP and brain-gut pathways.
- Further research into gut-brain interaction in PD is warranted.