Influence of non-motor symptoms on the Parkinson's disease features and on quality of patients' life

The main clinical symptoms of PD are well understood, but it is necessary to continue studying the changes of symptoms as it progresses. The aims of the research were: to study the structure of non-motor symptoms (NMS) at the early and last stages of PD, to determine the frequency and clinical significance of the NMS at different stages of PD, comparing the severity of NMS in PD with the severity of the same symptoms in the natural aging, to study the quality of life (QOL) of patients with the impact assessment of the NMS and the assessment of motor symptoms on this criterion. The material and methods. The study included 79 patients with PDand 25 patients without neurodegenerative disorders (control group). The degree of movement disorders severity was assessed using UPDRS scale. Cognitive function was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Rating Scale (MoCA). To identify and assess the severity of NMS questionnaire used NMSS. Assessment of quality of life of patients was carried out by PDQ-39 questionnaire. Results. There was a significant difference between the intensity of the NMS in PD patients and the control group. Intensity of NMSs significantly correlated with disease stage, disease duration, with the points on the UPDRS scale. Conclusion. NMS significantly affect the quality of life, their severity and structure varies considerably from early to late stage PD, and they are the result of a neurodegenerative process, inherent in PD, and not the natural aging process.