Session Information
Date: Thursday, June 23, 2016
Session Title: Parkinson's disease: Clinical trials, pharmacology and treatment
Session Time: 12:00pm-1:30pm
Location: Exhibit Hall located in Hall B, Level 2
Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate smell impairment in PD and the role of judgement in sensory accuracy.
Background: The sense of smell is widely impaired in PD, with changes often preceding motor impairments by several years. This, coupled with the development of neuroprotective treatments, has led to the suggestion that anosmia may be a valuable prodromal marker for motor PD. In the present study, we investigated not only the loss of sense of smell in PD patients but also the perception of that loss as a function of PD and its medication.
Methods: Sixteen PD patients aged 64+/-11(SD) yrs with a 10.5+/- 5.9 yr PD history and four controls aged 59+/-15 yrs were asked to complete standard 40 panel UPSIT tests (British version) and to grade their own sense of smell on a scale of zero (non-existent) simultaneously to 10 (excellent). For each UPSIT panel, participants were asked to state their level of confidence in their answers on a six-point scale from zero (guess) to 5 (certain).
Results: PD patients had significantly lower self-assessed sense of smell scores (means 3.2 vs 9.0, p = 0.0026, t-test) and UPSIT scores (20.8+/-4.5 versus 32.8+/-1.3, p = 0.0001, t-test) than controls. There was a modest but significant positive correlation (p=0 .03, Pearson test) between UPSIT scores and self-assessed sense of smell among PD patients. PD patients were less confident than controls in their answers on the UPSIT test and also less accurate. In controls, confidence correlated well with accuracy whereas in PD patients confidence exceeded accuracy. PD patients on dopamine agonists alone (n=3) tended to show greater confidence but no greater accuracy than PD patients taking L-dopa alone (n=5).
Conclusions: This small trial was designed, conducted, analysed, funded and presented entirely by PD patients. The results demonstrate that empowered patients can answer meaningful PD research questions without recourse to outside support. The data also suggest judgemental disparities in choice making in PD that merit further investigation.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
J. Stamford. Smell perception and judgement in PD patients: Results of a study designed, conducted, analysed and reported by PD patients [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2016; 31 (suppl 2). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/smell-perception-and-judgement-in-pd-patients-results-of-a-study-designed-conducted-analysed-and-reported-by-pd-patients/. Accessed June 14, 2025.« Back to 2016 International Congress
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/smell-perception-and-judgement-in-pd-patients-results-of-a-study-designed-conducted-analysed-and-reported-by-pd-patients/