Self-Reported Symptoms of Parkinson's Disease by Sex and Disease Duration.
Ju Young Shin, Ryan T Pohlig, Barbara Habermann
PMID 27664144WHAT IT FOUND
Men reported more non-motor symptoms than women.
Motor symptoms increased with disease duration, but non-motor symptoms did not. Speech problems peaked in the 6-to-10-year group, while hallucinations appeared most often after 10 years.
Key findings
01Men reported significantly more non-motor symptoms than women, though motor symptom counts did not differ by sex.
02The number of motor symptoms increased with disease duration, but the number of non-motor symptoms did not differ significantly across duration groups.
03Speech problems were most prevalent in the 6-to-10-year disease duration group, while hallucinations and psychosis were reported more often in those with disease duration longer than 10 years.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPsWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The sample was small (141 participants) and a convenience sample, limiting generalizability. The survey instrument was newly developed by the authors and had not been validated or tested for reliability. Symptoms were self-reported as present or absent (yes/no), with no data on severity or frequency, which reduces the clinical utility of the findings. The sample was homogeneous in race (95% White) and education, and geographically concentrated in the mid-Atlantic region. Analyses were exploratory and did not control for potential confounders like age or marital status.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest. The study was supported by non-U.S. government research support.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that non-motor symptoms worsen linearly with disease duration. The study found no significant difference in the total number of non-motor symptoms between early and late stages, even though motor symptoms increased. Only specific non-motor symptoms, like speech problems and hallucinations, showed stage-related changes.