Abstract:

Idiopathic Parkinson’s Disease (IPD) is a progressive movement disorder, which is associated with nigro striatal dopaminergic neuron loss. Cardinal clinical symptoms of the disease are tremor at rest, bradykinesia, rigidity and postural instability. Although motor symptoms of IPD are well recognized, non motor symptoms of the disease are not known and hence are not treated adequately. In our study, IPD patients diagnosed according to diagnostic criteria of United Kingdom Brain Bank and followed regularly in Antalya Research and Training Hospital Neurology Clinic Parkinson’s disease and movement disorders outpatient clinic were evaluated retrospectively for clinical evaluation, United Parkinson’s Disease Rating scale (UPDRS) was used. Constipation, anosmia, rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD), history of depression diagnosed previously were inquired in order to investigate non motor symptoms. This study in included 163 patients (61.3% was male and 38.7% female). Their mean age was 65,85±10,09 (min. 29-max. 87) and mean duration of disease 4,93 ±0.36 years. UPDRS score was 23,87± 1.1 while 11 patients were on monotherapy, the remaining patients received combination treatment. Anosmia was present in 52 (31.9%), patients and constipation in 85 (52.1%). RBD was present in 84 (51.5%) and history of depression in 45 (27.6%) patients. The diagnosis of non-motor sysmptoms, that can occur in large majority of Parkinson’s disease patients at all stages of the disease and have a negative impact on quality of life are based on clinical characteristics. Early recognition and proper treatment of non-motor symptoms in IPD is important for quality of life in the patients. The first step for this is the inquiry of these symptoms.

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