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Background Mutations in parkin are a known genetic risk factor for early-onset Parkinson’s disease (EOPD) but their role in non-motor manifestations is not well established. Genetic factors for depression are similarly not well characterized. We investigate the role of parkin mutations in depression among those with EOPD and their relatives. Methods We collected psychiatric information using the Patient Health Questionnaire and Beck Depression Inventory II on 328 genotyped individuals including 88 probands with early onset PD (41 with parkin mutations, 47 without) and 240 first and second degree relatives without PD. Results Genotype was not associated with depression risk among probands. Among unaffected relatives of EOPD cases, only compound heterozygotes (n=4), and not heterozygotes, had significantly increased risk of depressed mood (OR=14.1; 95% CI 1.2–163.4), moderate to severe depression (OR=17.8; 95% CI 1.0–332.0), depression (score ≥15) on the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II) (OR=51.9; 95% CI 4.1–657.4), and BDI-II total depression score (β=8.4; 95% CI 2.4–11.3) compared to those without parkin mutations. Conclusions Relatives of EOPD cases with compound heterozygous mutations and without diagnosed PD may have a higher risk of depression compared to relatives without parkin mutations. These findings support evidence of a genetic contribution to depression and may extend the phenotypic spectrum of parkin mutations to include non-motor manifestations that precede the development of PD.

Background: Pain is a common symptom in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. Scales to rate pain in PD are marred by several flaws, either not being available in other languages or not specific for PD. Objectives: To assess the frequency of pain among bilingual Indian PD patients using “King's Parkinson's disease pain scale” (KPPS) and to validate it. Methods: We randomly administered KPPS in Hindi/English to all consecutive bilingual persons with PD. The results were appropriately analyzed. Results: A total of 119 PD patients were enrolled with a mean age of 64.34 (± 9.57) years. Median Hoehn and Yahr stage was 2 (42.85%). Pain was present in 62 (52.1%) PD patients. The most common type was musculoskeletal (74.19%). The mean total KPPS score was 16.02 ± 10.57. KPPS score was significantly higher in women and correlated positively with unified Parkinson's disease rating scale (UPDRS) part 2 and 4 scores (r = 0.27 and r = 0.25). Risk factors for pain were female gender, higher H and Y stage, total UPDRS score, and individual UPDRS part 3 and 4 scores. Difficulty falling asleep ( P = 0.01), frequent awakenings ( P = 0.01), diminished smell sensation ( P = 0.003), diminished speech volume ( P = 0.02), gait freezing ( P = 0.03), and falls ( P = 0.001) correlated with the presence of pain. The interclass correlation coefficient between the Hindi and English versions of KPPS was 0.835, while Bland–Altman analysis showed 96.7% agreement suggesting excellent correlation and validation. Conclusions: KPPS is an easy tool for characterization, scoring, and follow-up of pain in PD patients. The Hindi version has good agreement with the original English version.

Context:With advances in neuroimaging, traditional views regarding the clinicoanatomic correlation in stroke patients with aphasia are being challenged and it has been observed that lesions at a given cortical or subcortical site may manifest with different aphasia profiles.Aims:To study as to whether there is a strict clinicoanatomical correlation between the type of aphasia and lesion site in patients with first ever stroke.Settings and Design:Observational study, based in a tertiary care center.Materials and Methods:Stroke patient's ≥18 years of age were screened and those with first ever stroke and aphasia were subjected to a detailed stroke workup and language assessment using the Hindi version of Western Aphasia Battery (WAB). Statistical analysis was done with χ2 test with Yates correction and Kruskal-Wallis test. The level of significance was set at P < 0.05.Results:Overall aphasia was detected in 27.9% of the 260 screened cases with stroke. Amongst 60 cases with first ever stroke and aphasia, the aphasia type was: Global (33.33%), Broca's (28.3%), transcortical motor (13.33%), transcortical sensory (10%), Wernicke's (8.33%), anomic (5%), and conduction (1.67%) aphasia. A definite correlation between the lesion site and the type of aphasia as per the traditional classification was observed in 35% cases only.Conclusions:No absolute correlation exists between the lesion site and the type of clinical aphasia syndrome in majority of the patients with cortical and subcortical stroke.

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