Objective: To assess self reported quality of life (QOL) in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) under different treatment options and to evaluate the emotional burden of this progressive neurological disease.

Background: It is well known that dopaminergic treatment improves motor functions and QOL in PD patients but stigma associated with PD is still rarely evaluated.

Method: We evaluated 41 patients that were admitted in Neurology I department of County Emergency Hospital in Cluj-Napoca, over a period of 6 months and completed the PDQ-39 Questionnaire. 29 subjects were on levodopa (mean dose 877 mg/day). 12 subjects received other dopaminergic treatment [Table 1].

Results: Mean PDQ 39 scores were higher in the levodopa group compared to the non-levodopa group [Table 2]. Disease duration correlated with Hoehn and Yahr stage (Spearman’s Correlation coefficient (rho) 0.665, p<0.01), PDQ-39 mobility dimension (rho 0.395, p<0.05), activity of daily living (ADL) dimension (rho 0.494, p<0.01), cognition (rho 0.465, p<0.05) and communication (rho 0.465, p<0.05). Scores of PDQ-39 stigma domain correlated with mobility domain (rho 0.535, p<0.01), ADL (rho 0.458,p<0.01), emotional wellbeing (rho 0.637, p<0.01) and support (rho 0.475, p<0.01). Levodopa dose correlated only with the stigma domain on PDQ-39 scale (rho -0.372, p<0.05). There was no correlation of any dimension of PDQ-39 with age.

Conclusion: Quality of life decreases as disease progresses, regardless of levodopa dose or age. PD patients may regard their illness with shame, mostly due to motor impairment, regardless of disease duration. Levodopa has a positive influence on stigma.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/stigma-and-quality-of-life-in-parkinsons-disease-patients-on-different-treatment-regimens/