The fixel GI Parkinson's research and integrated support model (PRISM)

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Gastroenterology
• Integrated Care Models

Background:

• Parkinson's disease (PD) frequently involves complex gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, interacting significantly with dopaminergic pathways.
• Existing integrated care models for brain-gut interactions (DBGI) have not been specifically applied to patients with concurrent PD and GI issues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of the Parkinson's Research and Integrated Support Model (PRISM) in reducing GI symptom severity and enhancing quality of life (QOL) in PD patients.

Main Methods:

• A multidisciplinary team (movement disorder specialists, neurogastroenterologists, therapists, scientists) evaluated PD patients with refractory GI symptoms.
• Patients underwent GI symptom/QOL questionnaires, motility and swallowing studies, inflammatory marker tests, and stool analyses.
• Individualized treatment plans were developed based on specific DBGI diagnoses identified during the PRISM evaluation.

Main Results:

• 44 PD patients with GI complaints were assessed; common symptoms included constipation (97%), dysphagia (61%), and reflux (34%).
• Actionable biomarkers revealed high rates of esophageal dysmotility (95%), slow-transit constipation (90%), intestinal methanogen overgrowth (87%), and gastroparesis (85%).
• Significant improvements in GI symptom severity and QOL were observed across all patient-reported outcome measures (p < 0.05).

Conclusions:

• The Fixel PRISM approach demonstrated significant benefits for severely affected Parkinson's patients with GI issues.
• This integrated model successfully improved GI symptom frequency, severity, and overall quality of life in the study cohort.