Background Multiple exercise modalities and mindfulness activities are beneficial in Parkinson's Disease (PD). Karate is a martial art that combines aerobic and large-amplitude movements, balance and core training, and mindfulness, suggesting a potential benefit for individuals with PD from multiple perspectives. Objective To evaluate the feasibility of community-based Shotokan karate classes involving physical activity and mindfulness among individuals with mild-to moderate-stage PD, and to explore the effects of karate on objective and patient-reported outcomes. Methods We conducted a 10-week, unblinded trial of twice weekly, PD-specific karate classes. Feasibility was assessed by: dropout rates, adherence via attendance records, adverse effects and falls, and continued participation six months post-intervention. Participants completed pre-and post-intervention assessments of disease-related quality of life (Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire-8, PDQ-8), falls, and post-intervention assessment of change in overall wellbeing (Patient Global Impression of Change, PGIC), with exploratory measures of mobility using the Timed Up and Go (TUG), mood using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and cognition using digit span forward and backward and the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT).

Background: Advanced Parkinson's disease (PD) is a multidimensional neurodegenerative condition with motor and non-motor symptoms contributing to increasing disability and decreasing quality of life. As the disease progresses, patients may become homebound and estranged from neurological care, with dire consequences. We describe the increasing epidemiologic burden of and individual risks faced by patients with palliative-stage PD and their caregivers.Methods: With the aim of mitigating these risks, we designed and iterated two models of interdisciplinary home visits to maintain continuity of care and illuminate the unmet needs and barriers to care faced by this population. We describe both models in detail, with data on feasibility and patient-centered outcomes achieved in the initial model, and baseline characteristics of participants in the ongoing expanded model.Finally, we illustrate the scope and common themes of such palliative care-informed home visits with two cases.Results: The pilot model involved over 380 visits with 109 individual patients. Among those patients, PD severity worsened by nearly 12 points annually on the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), without a corresponding decline in quality of life. In an ongoing study of the second iteration of the model, 52 patient-caregiver dyads have completed their initial visit, with 44% bearing a diagnosis of dementia and the majority requiring an assistive device or being bedbound. Two cases highlight the critical importance of thorough medication reconciliation and home safety assessment in the comprehensive evaluation and management of such patients. Conclusions:As our population ages, therapies increase, and the number of individuals living with advanced PD and related disorders grows, so too does the imperative to recognize and address the palliative care needs of such patients and families. For many, home may be a viable, and perhaps optimal, site for this care.

Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and corticobasal syndrome (CBS; the most common phenotype of corticobasal degeneration) are tauopathies with a relentless course, usually starting in the mid-60s and leading to death after an average of 7 years. There is as yet no specific or disease-modifying treatment. Clinical deficits in PSP are numerous, involve the entire neuraxis, and present as several discrete phenotypes. They center on rigidity, bradykinesia, postural instability, gait freezing, supranuclear ocular motor impairment, dysarthria, dysphagia, incontinence, sleep disorders, frontal cognitive dysfunction, and a variety of behavioral changes. CBS presents with prominent and usually asymmetric dystonia, apraxia, myoclonus, pyramidal signs, and cortical sensory loss. The symptoms and deficits of PSP and CBS are amenable to a variety of treatment strategies but most physicians, including many neurologists, are reluctant to care for patients with these conditions because of unfamiliarity with their multiplicity of interacting symptoms and deficits. CurePSP, the organization devoted to support, research, and education for PSP and CBS, created its CurePSP Centers of Care network in North America in 2017 to improve patient access to clinical expertise and develop collaborations. The directors of the 25 centers have created this consensus document outlining best practices in the management of PSP and CBS. They formed a writing committee for each of 12 sub-topics. A 4-member Steering Committee collated and edited the contributions. The result was returned to the entire cohort of authors for further comments, which were considered for incorporation by the Steering Committee. The authors hope that this publication will serve as a convenient guide for all clinicians caring for patients with PSP and CBS and that it will improve care for patients with these devastating but manageable disorders.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has upended daily life and neurologic care for most patients, including those with Parkinson’s disease and parkinsonism. Disruptions to routine care, high volumes of patient and caregiver calls, and our patients’ risk of infection and complications inspired a proactive COVID-19 outreach program. This program targets patients with advanced Parkinson’s disease and related disorders, specifically those who are homebound, receiving or eligible for palliative care, and/or lacking support networks. We describe the program and practical strategies providers can implement to support wellbeing and successful telehealth uptake during this time of social isolation and gradual reopening.

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