P. Bártová

Abstract Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) contributes to angiogenesis and exerts neurotrophic and neuroprotective effects. Altered VEGFA expression has been implicated in Parkinson's disease (PD), but findings from peripheral transcriptomic studies remain inconsistent. Data from clinically unaffected first-degree relatives (FDRs) of patients with PD are limited.

1 Introduction Neurodegenerative diseases are a broad group of nervous system disorders characterized by the progressive and irreversible loss of specific neuron populations in both the central and the peripheral nervous systems. This leads to a variety of clinical symptoms, commonly including dementia and movement disorders. Research suggests that neurodegeneration may be caused by the accumulation of specific proteins in the tissues, resulting in inflammation and cell death (Ciccocioppo et al.