Beneficial effect of estrogen on nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons in drug-naive postmenopausal Parkinson's disease.

ABSTRACT: This study aimed to investigate the potential beneficial effects of estrogen on nigrostriatal dopaminergic neuron degeneration in postmenopausal drug-naïve Parkinson's disease (PD). Based on the ratio of lifetime estrogen exposure length to the total length of the estrogen exposure and deprivation period, postmenopausal women with drug-naïve PD were divided into low (n = 31) and high (n = 31) estrogen exposure ratio groups. We performed a comparative analysis of the striatal dopamine transporter (DAT) availability between the two groups. Additionally, we evaluated the longitudinal change in the levodopa equivalent dose per month using a linear mixed model. The motor symptoms were more severe in the low estrogen exposure ratio group than in the high estrogen exposure ratio group (P = 0.016)

SUBMITTER: Lee YH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6642214 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature