Publications

Published and Accepted Manuscripts:

1.     Li M, Wang Y, Ndiwane N, Orner  M.B., Palacios N, Berlowitz D., Kazis L.E., and Xia W. Association of COVID-19 occurrence and severity with the use of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin-II receptor blockers in patients with hypertension.  Accepted at PLOS ONE.  Role: collaborator.  Impact Factor 2.87.   

2.     Song M, Everett C, Li C, Wilkinson JE, Nguyen LH, Ivey K, Izard J, Palacios N,  Eliassen AH, Willett WC,Ascherio A, Sun Q,  Tworoger SS, Chan AT, Garrett WS, Huttenhower C, Rimm EB, Prospective Characterization of the Microbiome within Cohort Studies: Overview of the Microbiome among Nurses Study (MICRO-N).   Role: collaborator.  Accepted at Nature Protocols.  Impact Factor: 10.42.

3.     *Dinesh D, Lee JS, Gao X, Palacios N. Skin conditions in early Parkinson’s disease. Parkinsonism & related disorders. 2021;84:40-46. Annotation: We examined the association between skin health and Parkinson’s disease in the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative.  Role:  Senior author: conceived study idea, recruited and supervised M.S. student (DC Dinesh) working on the project, revised and approved analyses and drafts.   Impact Factor:  4.36.  *manuscript authored by UML doctoral student working directly under my mentorship.  

4.     Palacios N; Hannoun A; Flahive J; Ward D; Goostrey K; Deb A; Smith K.M. “Effect of Levodopa Initiation on the Gut Microbiome in Parkinson’s Disease.”  Frontiers of Neurology 2021 Mar 4; 12:574529. Annotation:   We conducted a longitudinal study in de novo PD patients to examine the impact of Levodopa initiation on the gut microbiome.  Role:  lead author (co-, with A. Hannoun), performed data analysis and wrote the manuscript.  Impact Factor:  4.39.

5.     Wilkinson J.E., Franzosa E.A., Everett C, Li C, HCMPH Investigators (including Palacios N), Hu F.B., WirthD, Song M, Chan A, Rimm E, Garrett W.S., Huttenhower C.  “A framework for microbiome science in public health.”  Accepted at Nature Medicine. Annotation:  We outline best practices for conducting microbiome studies, particularly within epidemiological cohorts.  Role: Collaborator. Impact Factor:  36.13.

6.     *Boumenna T; Scott T; Lee JS; Palacios N, Tucker KL, Ph.D.  Folic acid, vitamin B12 and cognitive function in The Boston Puerto Rican Health Study.   Am.J. Clin Nutr.  2020. Nov 12.  Annotation We examined the association between dietary and plasma folate and vitamin B-12 status and their interaction, in relation to cognitive function in a cohort of older Puerto Rican adults.  Role:  collaborator, and primary advisor to doctoral student, Tahani Boumenna. Impact factor: 6.77. *manuscript authored by UML doctoral student working directly under my mentorship.    

7.     *Sahasrabudhe N. Scott T., Tucker K., Palacios N.  “Vitamin D and Depression in the Boston Area Puerto Rican Study.”  J. Nutr. 2020. Dec 10; 150(12)3231-3240.  Annotation:  we examined longitudinally the association between 25(OH)D and depression in a cohort of Boston Area Puerto Ricans.   No significant association was observed between 25(OH)D level and depression over 5 years of follow-up.  Role:  senior author, conceived idea, obtained funding and mentored the doctoral student (N. Sahasrabudhe), revised and approved analyses and drafts.  Manuscript authored by UML student working directly under my mentorship.  Impact Factor: 4.15.   Manuscript selected by journal of a press release.  *manuscript authored by UML doctoral student working directly under my mentorship.  

8.     Dou N, Xie D, Gao X, Palacios  N, Falcon LM, Tucker KM, Na M.   “Psychosocial risk factors for food insecurity in Puerto Ricans living in the US from baseline to 5-year follow-up.”  J. Nutr. 2020. Aug 1; 150(8): 2199-2203.  Annotation:  In a cohort of PR adults, depressive symptoms at baseline, and worsened depression and perceived stress over 5y were associated with higher risk of FI. Psychosocial health and environmental factors seem to play an important role in predicting risk of FI in PR adults.   Role: collaborator – contributed to study design and critiqued manuscript drafts.  Impact Factor: 4.15.  

9.     Palacios N, Lee J.S., Scott T., Kelly R.S., Bhupathiraju S.N., Bigornia S.J., Tucker K.L.  “Circulating Plasma Metabolites and Cognitive Function in a Puerto Rican Cohort.” J. Alzheimer’s Dis. 2020; 76(4); 1276-1280.  Annotation:   We performed a comprehensive analysis of circulating plasma metabolites in relation cognitive function in 638 participants the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study (BPRHS) who underwent untargeted metabolomics analysis (Metabolon, Inc) and had undergone in-person cognitive testing at baseline.    This untargeted metabolomics study identified potential biomarkers for good cognitive function in cohort of Puerto Rican descent.    Role:  lead author – conceived the study, conducted data analysis and interpretation and wrote the manuscript.  Impact factor:  3.51

10.  Palacios N. É.J. O’Reilly ScD, M. A. Schwarzschild, A. Ascherio. “Long-term use of antibiotics and risk of Parkinson’s disease in the Nurses’ Health Study.”  Parkinson’s Disease.  2020 Jan 20.  Annotation: We conducted a prospective study of 59,637 women in the Nurses’ Health Study who reported total duration of antibiotic use at age 20-39, 40-59, 60+ or during the past 4 years.  In this cohort study, we did not observe a significant association between antibiotic use and incidence PD.  Role:  lead author – conceived the study, conducted data analysis and interpretation and wrote the manuscript.   Impact Factor:  1.72.  

11.  Palacios N, Scott T, Sahasrabudhe N, Gao X, Tucker KL.  “Serum vitamin D and cognition in the BostonPuerto Rican Study.” Nutr Neurosci. 2019 Mar 7:1-8.  Annotation:  We examined the association between serum 25(OH)D, cognitive function and cognitive decline in a longitudinal study of 967 Boston Area Puerto Rican adults.  We observed no significant association between serum 25(OH)D and cognition in this cohort of Boston Area Puerto Ricans.  Role:  lead author-conceived the study, conducted data analysis and interpretation and wrote the manuscript.  Impact Factor: 3.77.  

12.  Palacios N, Scott T, Sahasrabudhe N, Gao X, Tucker KL.  “Lower plasma vitamin B-6 is associated with two-year cognitive decline in the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study”. Journal of Nutrition.  2019 Apr 1;149(4):635-641.  Annotation: We investigated whether plasma pyridoxal-5′-phosphate (PLP, vitamin B-6) concentrations were associated with cognitive function and subsequent cognitive decline.  Lower baseline plasma PLP was associated with increased odds of 2-y cognitive decline in a cohort of Boston area Puerto Ricans. The association was stronger among older participants and among ever smokers.  Role:  lead author – conceived the study, conducted data analysis and interpretation and wrote the manuscript.  Impact Factor: 4.15.  

13.  Palacios N, Hughes KC, Cereda E, Schwarzschild MA, Ascherio A.  “Appendectomy and Risk of Parkinson’s Disease in two large prospective cohorts of men and women.”  Movement Disorders. 2018 Sep 14. PMID: 30218460.  PubMed Central PMCID: Pending.  Annotation:  In pooled analyses, self-report of any appendectomy was not related to Parkinson’s disease risk: the hazard ratio of Parkinson’s disease comparing participants who reported any appendectomy with those who did not was 1.08 (95% confidence interval, 0.94-1.23). In women, appendectomy for appendicitis, but not incidental appendectomy, was associated with a modestly elevated risk of Parkinson’s disease.  Role:  lead author – conceived the study, conducted data analysis and interpretation and wrote the manuscript. Impact Factor: 7.07.  

14.  Palacios N, Munger KL, Fitzgerald KC, Hart JE, Chitnis T, Ascherio A, Laden F. “Exposure to particulate matter air pollution and risk of multiple sclerosis in two large cohorts of US nurses.” Environment International. 2017 Dec;109:64-72. doi:10.1016/j.envint.2017.07.013. Epub 2017 Sep 20. PubMed PMID: 28938101.  Role: lead author. Annotation:  Cumulative average exposure to different size fractions of PM up to the onset of MS was estimated using spatio-temporal models.  We did not observe significant associations between air pollution and MS risk in our cohorts.  Role:  lead author – obtained funding, conceived the study, conducted data analysis and interpretation and wrote the manuscript.  Impact Factor: 7.08.  

15.  Palacios N. “Air pollution and Parkinson’s disease – evidence and future directions.” Rev Environ Health. 2017 Dec 20;32(4):303-313. doi: 10.1515/reveh-2017-0009. Review. PubMed PMID: 28731859. Annotation: This review summarizes the evidence around air pollution and Parkinson’s disease and outlines promising opportunities for future research are outlined, including: (1) studies of smaller particle sizes that cross the blood-brain barrier, (2) studies of the effects of air pollution on PD mortality and/or progression; (3) studies of interactions of air pollution with gene environment and other environmental factors.  Role: lead author – conceived the study, conducted data analysis and interpretation and wrote the manuscript.  Impact Factor: 1.29.

16.  Kelly RS, Giorgio RT, Chawes BL, Palacios N, Gray KJ, Mirzakhani H, Wu A, Blighe K, Weiss ST, Lasky-Su J. “Applications of Metabolomics in the Study and Management of Preeclampsia; A Review of the Literature.” Metabolomics. 2017 Jul;13(7). pii: 86. doi: 10.1007/s11306-017-1225-8. Epub 2017 Jun 12. PubMed PMID: 30473646; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6247796.  Annotation:  we conducted a review of the literature on the relationship between metabolomics  and Preeclampsia.  Role: collaborator – contributed to study design and interpretation and reviewed drafts of the manuscript.  Impact factor: 3.51. 

17.  Palacios N, Fitzgerald K, Komaroff A, Ascherio A.  “Incidence of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in a Large Prospective Cohort of US Nurses.” Fatigue Biomedicine and Behavior. 2017 July 3; vol 3: p159-166.  Annotation:  we characterize the incidence of ME/CFS in the Nurses’ Health Study.  Role:  lead author – conceived the study, contributed to obtaining funding, conducted data analysis and interpretation and wrote the manuscript.   

18.  Palacios N, Fitzgerald KC, Hart JE, Weisskopf M, Schwarzschild MA, Ascherio A, Laden F. Air Pollution and Risk of Parkinson’s Disease in a Large Prospective Study of Men. Environmental Health Perspectives.2017 Aug 18;125(8):087011. doi: 10.1289/EHP259. PubMed PMID: 28886605; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5783632. Annotation:  We aimed to examine whether exposure to PM air pollution is related to risk of Parkinson’s disease (PD) in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS), a large prospective cohort of U.S. men. In this study, we found no evidence that exposure to air pollution is a risk factor for PD in men.  Role:  obtained funding, conceived the study, conducted data analysis and interpretation and wrote the manuscript.  Impact factor: 9.79.  

19.  *Palacios N, Fitzgerald K, Roberts AL, Hart JE, Weisskopf MG, Schwarzschild MA, Ascherio A, Laden F. “A Prospective Analysis of Airborne Metal Exposures and Risk of Parkinson Disease in the Nurses’ Health Study Cohort.”  Environmental Health Perspectives.  2014. Sep; 122(9):933-8. Role:  lead author, analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript.  Impact factor: 9.79.  

20.  *Palacios N, Fitzgerald KC, Hart JE, Weisskopf MG, Schwarzschild MA, Ascherio A, Laden F.  “Particulate matter and risk of Parkinson disease in a large prospective study of women.” Environ Health. 2014 Oct 7; 13:80.  Role:  lead author, analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript. Impact factor: 4.43.

21.  *Palacios N, Gao X, Schwarzschild M, Ascherio A. “Declining Quality of Life in Parkinson Disease Before and after diagnosis.” Journal of Parkinson Disease. 2(2). 153-160.  Role:  lead author, analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript.  Impact factor: 1.70.

22.  *Palacios N, Ascherio A. “Reply to: Diabetes and risk of Parkinson’s disease.” Mov Disord. 2013 Feb;28(2):258. Role:  lead author, analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript.  Impact factor: 8.32.

23.  *Palacios N., Simon K., Ascherio A. “Smoking and Risk Of Multiple Sclerosis.” Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders. 1(3) 2012 106-107. Role:  lead author, analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript.  Impact factor: 2.72.

24.  *Palacios N, Xiang Gao, Marjorie L. McCullough, Jacobs E, Patel A, Mayo T, Schwarzschild M.A., Ascherio A.   “Obesity, Diabetes and Risk of Parkinson Disease.” Mov Disord. 2011 October; 26(12): 2253-2259. Role:  lead author, analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript.  Impact factor: 8.32.

25.  *Palacios N, Gao X, McCullough ML, Schwarzschild MA, Shah R, Gapstur S, Ascherio A. “Caffeine and risk of Parkinson’s disease in a large cohort of men and women.” Mov Disord. 2012 Sep 1;27(10):1276-82. Role:  lead author, analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript.  Impact factor: 8.32.

26.  *Palacios N, Gao X, O’Reilly E, Schwarzschild M, McCullough ML, Mayo T, Gapstur SM, Ascherio AA. “Alcohol and risk of Parkinson’s disease in a large, prospective cohort of men and women.” Mov Disord. 2012 Jul;27(8):980-7. Role:  lead author, analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript.  Impact factor: 8.32.

27.  *Gao X , Lyall K, Palacios N, Walters A, Ascherio A.   “RLS in middle aged women and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder in their offspring.” Sleep Med. Sleep Med. 2011 January; 12(1): 89-91. Role:  collaborator.   Impact factor: 3.04.

28.  *Palacios N, Alonso A, Bronnum-Hansen H, Ascherio A.   “Smoking and Increased Risk of Multiple Sclerosis: Parallel Trends in the Sex Ratio Reinforce the Evidence.” Ann Epidemiol. 2011 July; 21(7): 536-542. PMCID: PMC3124940. Role:  lead author, analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript.  Impact factor:  2.80.

29.  *Palacios N, Weisskopf M, Simon K, Gao X, Schwarzschild M, Ascherio A.  “Polymorphisms of caffeine metabolism and estrogen receptor genes and risk of Parkinson’s disease in men and women.” ParkinsonismRelat Disord. Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2010 July; 16(6): 370-375. Role:  lead author, analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript.  Impact factor:  3.93.

30.  *Weisskopf MG, Morozova N, O’Reilly EJ, McCullough ML, Calle EE, Thun MJ, Ascherio A.   “Prospective study of chemical exposures and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.” J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2009 May; 80(5): 558-561. Role: collaborator.  Impact factor:  3.21.