Objective: To assess gender differences among PD patients and health controls (HC) of the COPPADIS-2015 study cohort.

Background: Men and women are different in genetic, physical, mental, emotional and cultural aspects. Scientific literature indicates that there are gender differences in many features of Parkinson’s disease (PD).

Method: 681 PD patients (410 males, 271 females) and 206 age-matched HC (102 males, 104 females). Evaluation of motor symptoms (MS), non-motor symptoms (NMS) and quality of life (QoL) using validated scales and questionnaires.

Results: Females showed slightly more tremor phenotype of PD than males (47.7% vs 42.9%).  Females fall more (p=0.036). Males showed more UPDRS score in speech (p<0.0001), facial expression (p<0.0001), rigidity (p=0.02), and posture (p=0.01); less tremor (p=0.02) and better postural stability (p=0.013). Dyskinesias (p=0.043) and drug digestive intolerance (p=0.001) were more frequent in females.Females showed higher total NMSS score than males (48.69±40.10 vs 43.41±36.42; p=0.079); in domains: sleep/fatigue (p<0.034.) and mood/apathy (p<.0.001); in symptoms: fatigue (p=0.001), insomnia (p=0.032), restless legs (p=0.005), nervousness (p<0.0001), sadness (p=0.002), flat mood (p=0.017), anhedonia (p=0.001), reduced interest in sex (p<0.0001), change of weight (0=0.003) and excessive sweating (p<0.0001). Diurnal somnolence (p=0.003), salivation (p=0.003), constipation (p= 0.041) and problems having sex (p<0.0001) were more frequent in males. Males had a better working memory (p= 0.003) and females an immediate memory (p=0.014) and delayed free recall verbal memory (p=0.036). These gender differences in NMS were also shown in HC people.Females have more depression (49.8% vs 39.7%; p=0.01) and higher BDI-II scores (14.21 ±7.45 vs 11.93 ±7.17; p = 0.005), and showed more pain frequency and severity (p<0.001), physical and mental fatigue (p<0.001) and their QoL was worse than males (p<0.04). Males had more compulsive sexual behaviors (p<0.0001).

Conclusion: There are specific gender differences in motor symptoms of PD. The majority of non-motor symptoms differences are gender related. The quality of life of PD women is worse because non-motor symptoms are more severe. It is very important to consider these disease gender differences because they allow better treatment adaptation and predict better outcomes.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/gender-differences-in-motor-symptoms-non-motor-symptoms-and-quality-of-life-in-parkinsons-disease-coppadis-2015-study-cohort/