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Document Type

Original Article

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of non-motor symptoms (NMS) in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and to compare frequency in mild and severe disease. Materials and methods: This descriptive observational study was done from January 2015 to June 2015 at Department of Neurology, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad. We used Non-Motor Symptom Questionnaire (NMS-Q); a validated scale using 30 questions related to 9 different domains of symptoms. Results: 62 patients were enrolled in the final data set of study (male 46, Female 16) with average age of 62.4 years (range=33-80). Non-motor symptoms were reported very commonly in all stages of PD including urinary urgency (74%), dizziness (71%), memory problems (71%), sexual difficulty (69%), constipation (67%) and depression (62%). Only non-motor symptom that was statistically significantly higher in the severe stages was “reported falls” (Mild 39%, severe 61%, p < 0.01). Some were more common (lightheadedness, falls, sexual difficulty) while others were less (hyposmia). Conclusion: Non-motor symptoms are very common in Pakistani population of PD and are seen equally in mild and severe PD with exception of “reported falls”. The high prevalence of non-motor symptoms (especially in mild stages) should be kept in mind while managing PD. Furthermore, there may be the likely need for a culturally appropriate screening scale for our population.

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