Session Information
Date: Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Session Title: Parkinsonisms and Parkinson-Plus
Session Time: 1:45pm-3:15pm
Location: Agora 3 West, Level 3
Objective: To assess the prevalence of frailty in a cohort of people with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease, and investigate the factors associated with frailty.
Background: Frailty and Parkinson’s disease (PD) are conditions that are highly prevalent in older populations, and often overlap. However, few studies have described occurrence of frailty in people with Parkinson’s.
Method: Data were collected as part of the double-blind randomised controlled rivastigmine to stabilise gait in Parkinson’s (ReSPonD) trial in 130 people with Hohn and Yahr 2-3, idiopathic PD who had fallen in the year prior to enrolment. Individuals were assessed at baseline and followed up with repeat clinical assessment at 8 months. Frailty status was determined at 8 months using the original Fried criteria.
Results: 120 / 130 patients originally enrolled attended for follow-up. 34% were women. At follow-up, the mean (SD) age was 70.2 yrs (8.0) and MDS-UPDRS total score 91.5 (29.1). Median MoCA score was 25 (IQR 22.5 to 27.0), disease duration 9.8 yrs (IQR 4.6 to 13.1), Geriatric Depression Score 4 (IQR 2 to 6 ). Using the Fried frailty criteria (0=robust, 1-2 pre-frail, 3-5 frail), n=31 (26%) were frail and 70 (58%) pre-frail. In univariable analysis, being female, higher depression score and MDS-UPDRS score was associated with greater number of frailty features. Using ordinal regression, in the multivariable model, being female (OR 3.10 95%CI 1.53 to 6.26, p=0.002), higher total MDS-UPDRS score (OR 1.02 95%CI 1.01 to 1.03, p<0.000) and higher depression score (OR 1.12 95%CI 1.01 to 1.24, p=0.026) were associated with higher number of frailty markers.
Conclusion: There was a high prevalence (84%) of pre-frail and frail individuals in this cohort of patients with Hoehn and Yahr stage 2-3 Parkinson’s disease whom had fallen. Future research should determine the optimum tool to assess frailty in this at risk population and delineate the association between Parkinson’s and frailty features and longer term outcomes.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
N. Smith, D. Gaunt, A. Whone, Y. Ben-Shlomo, E. Henderson. The association between frailty and Parkinson’s in the ReSPOnD trial [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2019; 34 (suppl 2). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/the-association-between-frailty-and-parkinsons-in-the-respond-trial/. Accessed June 14, 2025.« Back to 2019 International Congress
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/the-association-between-frailty-and-parkinsons-in-the-respond-trial/