Objective: To determine the prevalence of fatigue among people with PD (PwP) in comparison to the general population and to identify fatigue associated factors.

Background: Fatigue is one of the most frequently encountered non-motor symptoms in Parkinsons disease (PD), its consequences having a great impact on all aspects of daily life.

Method: In this case-control study, 131 PD patients and 131 healthy controls were enrolled. For the assessment of fatigue in PwP the following scales were used: FIS, Chalder and Parkinson Fatigue Scale (PFS-16).

Results: Fatigue was found to be more frequent in PD patients compared to healthy controls. By comparing total mean scores of the Chalder scale, it was revealed that PD patients scored higher for each of the composing items, the difference in items 1-9 being statistically significant (p < 0,05). In FIS, PFS-16 and Chalder scales, progressively higher scores were registered in patients in advanced H&Y stages compared to those with early PD (p < 0,001 for FIS and PFS-16, p = 0,10 for Chalder). Patients with fatigue have less estimated hours of sleep per night compared to those without fatigue (6,04 ± 1,76 hours vs. 6,90 ± 1,41, p = 0,002). Disease duration, motor status, presence of sleep disorders, insomnia, pain and EDS were all associated with fatigue when independentely evaluated (p < 0,001).

Conclusion: The prevalence of fatigue is higher in PwP, increasing as the disease progresses. Fatigue is also associated with a wide range of other non-motor symptoms.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/fatigue-in-parkinsons-disease-prevalence-and-risk-factors/