Weight loss in neurodegenerative disorders

Unintended weight loss frequently complicates the course of many neurodegenerative disorders and can contribute substantially to both morbidity and mortality. This will be illustrated here by reviewing the characteristics of unintended weight loss in the three major neurodegenerative disorders: Alzh...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of neurology 2008-12, Vol.255 (12), p.1872-1880
Main Authors: Aziz, N. A., van der Marck, M. A., Pijl, H., Olde Rikkert, M. G. M., Bloem, B. R., Roos, R. A. C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alzheimer Disease - diet therapy
Alzheimer Disease - mortality
Alzheimer Disease - physiopathology
Alzheimer's disease
Biological and medical sciences
Humans
Huntington Disease - diet therapy
Huntington Disease - mortality
Huntington Disease - physiopathology
Huntingtons disease
Medical sciences
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Mortality
Nervous system (semeiology, syndromes)
Nervous system as a whole
Neurodegenerative Diseases - diet therapy
Neurodegenerative Diseases - mortality
Neurodegenerative Diseases - physiopathology
Neurology
Neuroradiology
Neurosciences
Original Communication
Parkinson Disease - diet therapy
Parkinson Disease - mortality
Parkinson Disease - physiopathology
Parkinson's disease
Weight Loss - physiology
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Summary:Unintended weight loss frequently complicates the course of many neurodegenerative disorders and can contribute substantially to both morbidity and mortality. This will be illustrated here by reviewing the characteristics of unintended weight loss in the three major neurodegenerative disorders: Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and Huntington’s disease. A common denominator of weight loss in these neurodegenerative disorders is its typically complex pathophysiology. Timely recognition of the underlying pathophysiological process is of crucial importance, since a tailored treatment of weight loss can considerably improve the quality of life. This treatment is, primarily, comprised of a number of methods of increasing energy intake. Moreover, there are indications for defects in the systemic energy homeostasis and gastrointestinal function, which may also serve as therapeutic targets. However, the clinical merits of such interventions have yet to be demonstrated.
ISSN:0340-5354
1432-1459
DOI:10.1007/s00415-009-0062-8