Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 25, 2025

Tilt Testing with Combined Lower Body Negative Pressure: a "Gold Standard" for Measuring Orthostatic Tolerance
Published on: March 21, 2013
Pronounced Orthostatic Hypotension in GBA-Related Parkinson's Disease
Tatiana Usnich1, Henrike Hanssen1,2, Katja Lohmann1
1Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Luebeck, Luebeck, Germany.
Abstract:
Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) carrying variants in the Glucocerebrosidase (GBA) gene (GBA-PD) suffer from orthostatic symptoms more frequently than idiopathic PD patients (IPD). Systematic measurements of the blood pressure have not yet been performed. In the present study, a prospective analysis of 33 GBA-PD and 313 IPD patients was carried out. Systolic blood pressure upon changing from the supine to the upright position dropped more strongly in GBA-PD compared to IPD patients. Diastolic blood pressure and heart rate did not differ between groups. This study provides further evidence for a pronounced involvement of the autonomic nervous system in GBA-PD.
Related Concept Videos
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...
Parkinson's Disease: Overview
Alterations in Blood Pressure
Hypertension (High blood pressure)
Hypertension occurs when blood pressure readings consistently exceed the normal range. It is diagnosed when systolic blood pressure (the top number, indicating pressure while the heart...
Neural Regulation
Disorders of the Autonomic Nervous System
Raynaud's disease, also known as Raynaud's...
Hypertension II: Pathophysiology

