title: Insular pathology in Parkinson's disease patients with orthostatic hypotension.
abstract: Orthostatic hypotension (OH) in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients may be a significant source of morbidity and discomfort. Although peripheral ANS components have been associated with its development, central mechanisms are probably involved. The insular cortex is a central site of autonomic and limbic integration and neuropathologic studies have indicated its involvement in the neurodegenerative process of PD. To this end, we studied the neuropathology of the insular, temporal and parietal cortices in PD patients with and without OH. Our results suggest an association between the severity of PD-related neuropathology in the insular cortex and OH. Further research into the subject is warranted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Room 4004, 1501 NW 9th Avenue, Miami, FL 33136, USA. spapapetropoulos@med.miami.edu
authors.forename: Spiridon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Papapetropoulos
authors.forename: Deborah C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Mash
mesh_terms: D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007024:Hypotension, Orthostatic / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D016631:Lewy Bodies / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000150:complications*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric