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The two commonest groups of neurodegenerative disorders causing movement disorders are synucleinopathies and tauopathies. These disorders are characterised by the accumulation of abnormally misfolded forms of α-synuclein and tau proteins. Our current understanding of their pathogenesis suggests that extracellular forms of these proteins are of major relevance to the mechanism of pathology propagation throughout the brain and disease progression. The most novel approaches to find disease-modifying therapies aim to reduce or block these forms of tau and α-synuclein. This article reviews therapeutic strategies targeting α-synuclein and tau protein which have entered clinical development., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Parkinson's disease is characterized by motor and non-motor symptoms, which can lead to progressive disability that, in turn, can lead to a burden on caregivers. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine correlations between intensity of disease burden and characteristics of patients and their spouses. The study included 38couples (patients and spouses) living at home with no severe comorbidities. The following patients' characteristics were measured: disease severity (MDS-UPDRS); cognitive status (MoCA); non-motor signs (NMSS); quality of life (PDQ-8); anxiety and depression (HADS); and levodopa equivalent dose. The Zarit Burden Interview, quality of life questionnaire (EQ-5D-VAS) and HADS were administered to spouses. The average caregiver burden score was 14.4±12.7, and correlated (in descending order) with severity of non-motor signs (R 2 =0.46, P<0.0001), anxiety and depression in caregivers and patients (R 2 =0.35, P<0.0001 and R 2 =0.26, P<0.0001, respectively), motor severity (R 2 =0.3, P<0.0001), patients' quality of life (R 2 =0.27, P=0.0125), levodopa equivalent dose (R 2 =0.13, P=0.0261) and duration of illness (R 2 =0.12, P=0.0307). The severity of non-motor signs, patients' and caregivers' mood, and motor disease severity are the main determinants of caregiver burden, making them important targets in the management of Parkinson's disease., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Multiple system atrophy (MSA) has considerable impact on health-related quality of life. The MSA health-related Quality of Life scale (MSA-QoL) is a patient-reported questionnaire, which has been recently designed to evaluate the quality of life in MSA. The objective of the present study was to validate the French version of the MSA-QoL questionnaire., Methods: One hundred and thirty-six consecutive MSA patients were included in the study. Four patients with more than 10% missing responses were excluded from the final analysis. Data quality, scaling assumptions, acceptability, reliability and validity were assessed similar to the original validation of the English version., Results: Missing responses were low, item and subscale scores were evenly distributed and floor and ceiling effects were negligible. Item-total correlations were higher than the recommended greater than 0.30 and internal consistency was high for all subscales. Test-retest reliability was good for all subscales. Validity was supported by moderate interscale correlations between the subscales and the predicted correlations with other scales assessing motor disability, activities of daily living, quality of life and mood., Discussion: The French version of the MSA-QoL displays robust psychometric properties similar to the English version., Conclusion: The French version of MSA-QoL seems suitable for assessing quality of life in French speaking MSA patients., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Cardinal motor features of Parkinson's disease (PD) appear when about half of the nigral dopamine neurons have disappeared. Based on extrapolations from post-mortem and imaging studies, the delay between the onset of dopamine denervation and the appearance of motor signs ranges from 5 to 20years. According to Braak and co-workers, motor symptoms only appear at stage III of PD, while the neurodegenerative process begins earlier in the olfactory bulb and lower brain stem. In addition to the cardinal motor features, non-motor signs are increasingly being recognized in PD. Some of them, mainly olfactory disturbances, rapid-eye-movement sleep behaviour disorder and autonomic dysfunction, are already present in the early disease stages and may precede the onset of motor signs by up to four decades. These non-motor signs are related to widespread extranigral and even extracerebral degeneration, and have been considered risk factors for many years. Indeed, recent evidence suggests that they may be prodromal manifestations of PD. From the perspective of future disease-modifying or neuroprotective treatments, combining prodromal non-motor signs and paraclinical investigations may help to further develop reliable tools for early diagnosis of PD before the onset of its cardinal motor features., (Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.)