Bipolar Disorder Linked to Parkinson’s Disease

The American Academy of Neurology highlights the correlation between the disorder and disease in a May 2019 press release.
Bipolar Disorder Linked to Parkinson’s Disease
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The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) has found that bipolar disorder may be linked to the development of Parkinson’s disease. According to a Neurology study published on May 22, 2019, people with bipolar disorder may be more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease later in life than those who don’t have the disorder.

The AAN highlights the main findings of the study in a press release on the AAN website.

According to the press release, study researchers examined a national Taiwanese health database of more than 56,000 people who were diagnosed with bipolar disorder and had no history of Parkinson’s disease between 2001 and 2009. The researchers compared that group of people with a controlled group of more than 225,000 people who did not have bipolar disorder or Parkinson’s disease. 

The period of the study revealed a connection between bipolar disorder and Parkinson’s disease.

According to the AAN, 372 people with bipolar disorder developed Parkinson’s disease, or 0.7 percent, compared to 222 of those who did not have bipolar disorder, or 0.1 percent. “After adjusting for other factors that could affect the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, such as age, sex, use of antipsychotic medications, and medical issues such as traumatic brain injury and cerebrovascular diseases, people with bipolar disorder were nearly seven times as likely to develop Parkinson’s disease as people who did not have bipolar disorder.”

The neurodegenerative disease has core signs that people can look out for. Chapter 23: Movement Disorders of Dr. Aaron L. Berkowitz’s book Clinical Neurology and Neuroanatomy: A Localization-Based Approach explains both core and motor features

According to the Movement Disorders chapter, core features include tremor, bradykinesia, rigidity, and postural instability. Motor features include hypomimia, decreased blink rate, micrographia, stooped posture, shuffling gait with reduced arm swing, festination, and difficulty turning when walking and in bed.

The Movement Disorders chapter also details different treatment options in patients with Parkinson’s disease. Figure 23-2 details a clear breakdown for treating the disease at various stages.

Sources: 

Neurology study: https://n.neurology.org/content/early/2019/05/22/WNL.0000000000007649#

AAN press release: https://www.aan.com/PressRoom/Home/PressRelease/2725" class="redactor-linkify-object">https://www.aan.com/PressRoom/Home/PressRelease/2725 AAN website: https://www.aan.com/.

Clinical Neurology and Neuroanatomy: A Localization-Based Approach: https://neurology.mhmedical.com/book.aspx?bookid=1984.

Ch 23 Movement Disorders: "Movement Disorders." Clinical Neurology and Neuroanatomy: A Localization-Based Approach Ed. Aaron L. Berkowitz. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2016, http://neurology.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?bookid=1984§ionid=147772391.

Figure 23-2: Movement Disorders, Berkowitz AL. Clinical Neurology and Neuroanatomy: A Localization-Based Approach; 2016.

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