Objective: To evaluate non-motor symptoms in patients with essential tremor (ET), tremordominant Parkinson’s disease (PD) and those suffering from both diseases (ET-PD).

Background: ET is the most common movement disorder and PD represents the second most frequent neurodegenerative disorder. In various studies patients with ET have been observed to have an increased risk of developing PD during lifetime. Some non-motor symptoms, known to occur in the prodromal phase of PD, have also been identified in individuals with ET. It is tempting to speculate that these particular ET patients may be more likely to develop PD, whereas the majority of ET patients may be more likely to stay PD-free during life time.

Methods: 44 patients with ET, 19 patients with PD and 18 patients with ET-PD according to established criteria were included. All groups were matched for age and the PD groups for duration of PD. Non-motor symptoms were evaluated using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, Mini Mental Status Examination, the Beck Depression Inventory, REM sleep behavior disorder screening questionnaire, Parkinson Disease Sleep Scale, Sniffin’ Sticks, Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale I-II and Unified Multiple System Atrophy Rating Scale I (UMSARS).

Results: According to the non-motor profile, ET-PD patients did not differ from the PD group. Compared to the ET-PD and PD, the ET patients presented less dysfunctions in Sniffin’ Sticks in activities of daily living, in sleep scales as well as in the UMSARS.

Conclusions: PD patients with and without preceding ET show similar non-motor profiles. ET patients present with less non-motor symptoms than ET-PD and PD. Longitudinal comparisons to healthy age-matched controls are needed in order evaluate prevalence, severity and progression of non-motor symptoms in order to identify those ET patients who are at a risk of developing PD.

« Back to 2017 International Congress

MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/non-motor-symptoms-in-patients-with-parkinsons-disease-essential-tremor-and-both-diseases-a-group-comparison/