Vascular Parkinsonism and Parkinson’s disease: a prospective, clinico-radiological comparative study

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Vascular parkinsonism (VP) is an atypical Parkinsonian syndrome that is believed to have a temporal association with cerebrovascular disease. However, now it is evolving as a heterogeneous entity with no clear consensus on the definition and diagnostic criteria. AIM AND OBJECTIVES: This study aimed at evaluating the clinico-radiological profile of patients with VP and Parkinson’s disease (PD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study was conducted at a tertiary care university hospital. A total of 80 patients, with a diagnosis of probable VP (40) and PD (40), were evaluated and compared with Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) part III, gait scale, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB), and MRI brain. RESULTS: Significantly older age of onset (P = 0.005), higher vascular risk factors (P < 0.001), and motor scores in UPDRS part III (P < 0.001), gait scale (P < 0.001), and modified Hoehn and Yahr (P < 0.001) were seen in the VP as compared with the PD. On the cognitive scales, patients with VP scored significantly lower in MMSE (19.92 ± 6.0 vs. 24.90 ± 3.34; P < 0.001) and FAB (7.75 ± 4.27 vs. 11.22 ± 2.75; P < 0.001); on the modified Hachinski scale (7.77 ± 3.19 vs. 3.30 ± 1.97; P < 0.001), they scored higher compared with patients with PD. Periventricular ischemic changes, generalized brain atrophy, and multiple lacunar infarcts were the most common radiological abnormality found significantly more in patients with VP. CONCLUSION: An older age, worse cognitive scores and motor scores, and more profound periventricular and subcortical lesions on MRI favored VP.