Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41171539›Full record

ArticleClinical autonomic research : official journal of the Clinical Autonomic Research Society2026

Locus coeruleus degeneration is associated with orthostatic hypotension in Parkinson's disease and multiple system atrophy.

Paul A Beach, Sierra Hyland, Xiangchuan Chen, Daniel E Huddleston

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Clinical autonomic research : official journal of the Clinical Autonomic Research Society, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Orthostatic Hypotension in Hypertensive Patients Hospitalized in Italian Internal Medicine Departments: FADOI-HYP-OP Study.High blood pressure & cardiovascular prevention : the official journal of the Italian Society of Hypertension · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Paul A BeachDepartment of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Woodruff Memorial Building, 6th Floor, 101 Woodruff Circle, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.
Sierra HylandNational Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Xiangchuan ChenDepartment of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Woodruff Memorial Building, 6th Floor, 101 Woodruff Circle, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.
Daniel E HuddlestonDepartment of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Woodruff Memorial Building, 6th Floor, 101 Woodruff Circle, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA. daniel.huddleston@emory.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0503-3736

Funding

Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research MJFF-010556Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research MJFF-025746Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research MJFF-10854NINDS NIH HHS 1K23NS105944-01A1NINDS NIH HHS 1U19AG071754-01
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeWe compared locus coeruleus (LC) structural integrity, as measured by neuromelanin-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging (NM-MRI), between patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and those with multiple system atrophy (MSA) and tested whether orthostatic hypotension (OH) impacted differences in LC volume between PD and MSA. Substantia nigra (SNc) volumes were compared between these groups to determine whether effects observed in LC were specific to that structure. Last, we tested whether LC integrity is associated with orthostatic hemodynamic responses.

methodsPresence or absence of (±)OH was determined with active stand testing. Automated segmentation of LC and SNc volumes took place using NM-MRI. Structural volumes were first compared between PD and MSA groups and, second, after stratification by OH status. Last, correlations between LC volumes and orthostatic vitals were calculated.

resultsOf 71 patients with PD, 19 were (+)OH. Of 19 patients with MSA, 12 were (+)OH. LC volumes were larger in PD than MSA (p = 0.002), and LC volumes in PD(-)OH were larger than PD(+)OH and MSA(±)OH (p < 0.05). All comparisons involving SNc were nonsignificant. Primarily in PD(-)OH, LC volumes correlated negatively with supine mean arterial pressure (MAP) and positively with supine heart rate. In PD(+OH) and MSA(+)OH, lower LC volumes were correlated with greater orthostatic falls in MAP.

conclusionsSimilar levels of LC neurodegeneration were observed in PD(+)OH and MSA(±)OH. Therefore, LC measurement may be useful to differentiate PD(-)OH from MSA. Lower LC volumes additionally correlated with greater drops in MAP in both PD(+)OH and MSA(+)OH, suggesting that LC neurodegeneration may contribute to OH in both conditions.

Indexed as

Hypotension, OrthostaticLocus CoeruleusMultiple System AtrophyParkinson DiseaseAgedFemaleHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaleMiddle AgedLocus coeruleusMultiple system atrophyNeuromelanin-MRIOrthostatic hypotensionParkinson’s disease

Identifiers

PMID41171539
PMCPMC12982258

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.