Involvement of the Spinal Cord in Parkinson's Disease

Abstract

SUMMARY The Parkinson's disease has traditionally ascribed to alpha-synucleinopathy of the substantia nigra; however several studies have show widespread alpha-synucleinopathy inside and outside the brain. The potential role of the spinal cord in the genesis of some symptoms has been quite neglected despite the frequent and precocious presence of alpha-synucleinopathy in the spinal cord of Parkinson's disease's patients. We examined the literature about the pathology of the spinal cord in the Parkinson's disease and the possible relevance of this pathology in the genesis of some non- motor symptoms including urinary, sexual and gastrointestinal as well as on the same motor symptoms.