Movement Disorders Journal
Syam Krishnan, Gangadhara Sarma, Sankara Sarma and Asha Kishore
Article first published online: 9 JUN 2011 | DOI: 10.1002/mds.23826
Background: Non-motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease are frequent and affect health-related quality of life of patients. The severity and domains of nonmotor symptoms involved in Parkinson's disease and normal aging have not been compared before.Methods: We performed a prospective case–control study to assess the frequency and severity of non-motor symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease (n = 174) and age-matched normal controls (n = 128) using the Non-Motor Symptoms Scale.Results:Nonmotor symptoms in Parkinson's disease were ubiquitous, more frequent, and more severe than in normal aging, particularly in women. Cardiovascular, mood/cognition, and perceptual problems/hallucinations domains were rarely involved in age-matched controls. Age had no effect and sex some influence on nonmotor symptoms in Parkinson's disease. In contrast, in controls, nonmotor symptoms increased with age, and sex had no effect.Conclusions: Non-motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease differ from those in aging in frequency, severity, sex predilection, and domain involvement.
An interesting 'Brief Report' published on the Movement Disorders website, which demonstrates the frequency and severity of non-motor symptoms in PD far above those associated with normal aging. It also identifies the gender-specifics of non-motor symptoms encountered in Parkinson's.
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