Impulse control behavior in GBA-mutated parkinsonian patients

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Genetics
• Movement Disorders

Background:

• GBA gene mutations are a known risk factor for Parkinson's disease (PD).
• Impulse control behaviors (ICB) are severe non-motor symptoms in PD.
• The link between GBA mutations and ICB in PD is not well-established.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of ICB in PD patients with GBA gene mutations (GBA-PD).
• To describe the characteristics of ICB in GBA-PD patients.
• To compare ICB occurrence between GBA-PD and non-mutated PD (NM-PD) patients.

Main Methods:

• Screened 46 PD patients (23 GBA-PD, 23 NM-PD) for ICB using the QUIP-RS questionnaire.
• Clinical diagnosis and rating of ICB were performed.
• Demographic and clinical variables were compared between groups.

Main Results:

• ICB was more prevalent in GBA-PD patients (52.2%) than in NM-PD patients (13%).
• GBA-PD patients had higher total QUIP-RS scores, with hypersexuality and compulsive shopping being most common.
• Dopamine agonists were frequently used by GBA-PD patients with ICB.

Conclusions:

• ICB is significantly more frequent in GBA-PD patients compared to NM-PD patients.
• GBA carrier status may interact with dopamine agonist therapy to increase ICB risk in PD.