Session Information
Date: Monday, June 20, 2016
Session Title: Parkinson's disease: Non-motor symptoms
Session Time: 12:30pm-2:00pm
Location: Exhibit Hall located in Hall B, Level 2
Objective: To investigate the relationship between baseline anosmia and 2-yr interval development of motor impairments in Parkinson’s disease (PD).
Background: More severe olfactory deficits have been associated with akinetic-rigid motor symptoms in PD. Presence of anosmia may potentially predict development of motor disability in PD.
Methods: PD patients, n=32 (F8; 67.3±6.8 (54-88) years old; 6.9±4.6 (1-18) years motor disease duration, HY range 1-3, mean MOCA score 25.8±3.4 (15-30) and mean MDS-UPDRS motor score of 30.5±12.8 (11-62) underwent olfactory assessment using the 40-item University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification test (UPSIT) and clinical motor testing. MDS-UPDRS motor assessment was performed in the dopaminergic “off” state. MDS-UPDRS examination was repeated 2 years later.
Results: The mean UPSIT score was 16.7±8.3 (range 0-36) with 7 scoring in the anosmic range (UPSIT 10 or less) at baseline with most of the remainder subjects in the hyposmia range. There were 11 patients who developed a balance-disabled status (HY 3 or higher) at 2-yr follow-up including 6 out of 7 anosmic subjects (85.7%). Presence of baseline anosmia was a significant predictor of balance-disabled status (likelihood ratio χ2= 10.4, P=0.0012). Anosmia was also a significant predictor of freezing of gait at follow-up (χ2=6.2, P=0.01). Repeat measures mixed linear modeling showed significant between-subjects (F=4.63=0.04) and within-subjects effects for the MDS-UPDRS motor scores: time (F=8.44, P=0.0071) and interaction term between time and the anosmia (F=5.69, P=0.02).
Conclusions: Presence of anosmia in relatively mild stage disease may predict more severe motor decline, including impaired balance and freezing of gait, in PD. Early appearance of anosmia may potentially represent limbocentral Lewy pathology spreading preferentially to balance and gait associated areas.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
N.I. Bohnen, J. Haugen, V. Kotagal, K.A. Frey, R.L. Albin, M.L.T.M. Muller. Anosmia predicts development of more severe motor symptoms including freezing of gait and impaired balance at 2 year follow-up in PD [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2016; 31 (suppl 2). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/anosmia-predicts-development-of-more-severe-motor-symptoms-including-freezing-of-gait-and-impaired-balance-at-2-year-follow-up-in-pd/. Accessed May 18, 2025.« Back to 2016 International Congress
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/anosmia-predicts-development-of-more-severe-motor-symptoms-including-freezing-of-gait-and-impaired-balance-at-2-year-follow-up-in-pd/