Objective: To determine changes in HR-QoL in early PD patients during a 5-year follow up period.
Background: There is limited evidence on longitudinal changes in health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) in early Parkinson’s disease (PD).
Method: PD patients with hemiparkinsonism (Hoehn and Yahr stage 1) and symptom duration < 2 years at study entry were included in the study and followed up over 5 years. The HR-QoL was assessed with Parkinson’s disease questionnaire (PDQ-39) (Serbian version); a higher score on the PDQ-39 scale denotes worse HR-QoL. The PDQ39 change between each two consecutive visits (occurring in yearly intervals) was calculated. The severity of PD, depression, anxiety, apathy were evaluated using rating scales. Mild cognitive impairment was defined according to level II MDS diagnostic criteria for MCI in PD (Litvan et al. 2012). Predictors of HR-QoL changes were defined using linear regression analysis.
Results: A total of 107 patients with early PD who had at least one follow up visit were evaluated. There were 59 male and 48 female patients, mean age at PD onset was 61.5±9.6 years (range 28-82 years). Mean total PDQ-39 score at baseline evaluation was 21.9±19.9 and increased for 1.0 point on average each year. During 5-year follow up period these changes achieved statistically significant linear increase according to the equation: y=20.36+1.6x (p<0.01). Statistically significant predictors of an increase in PDQ-39 score between baseline and the 5th year of follow up were higher number of non-motor symptoms (p<0.001), anxiety (p=0.032) and apathy (p<0.001). Depression, MCI, motor disability, age at onset, gender and education were not significant predictors of HR-QoL worsening in early PD.
Conclusion: The HR-QoL gradually and significantly worsened during early PD. Non-motor burden, and in particular anxiety and apathy, but not depression, were identified as predictors of HR-QoL worsening.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
I. Stankovic, T. Pekmezovic, V. Markovic, N. Dragasevic, I. Petrovic, M. Svetel, V. Kostic. Longitudinal assessment of quality of life in early Parkinson’s disease: 5-year follow up study [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2022; 37 (suppl 2). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/longitudinal-assessment-of-quality-of-life-in-early-parkinsons-disease-5-year-follow-up-study/. Accessed July 12, 2025.« Back to 2022 International Congress
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/longitudinal-assessment-of-quality-of-life-in-early-parkinsons-disease-5-year-follow-up-study/