title: Comparison of the clinical profile of Parkinson's disease between Spanish and Cameroonian cohorts.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There are limited data in terms of the clinical profile of Parkinson's disease in sub-Saharan African patients.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare the clinical profile and access to standard antiparkinsonian therapies of a Cameroonian cohort of patients with an age, sex, and disease duration-matched Spanish cohort (Longitudinal Study of Parkinson's disease, ELEP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Observational, cross-sectional design. Demographic data were collected and the following ELEP assessments were applied: Scales for Outcomes in Parkinson's disease (SCOPA) Motor, Autonomic, Cognition, Sleep and Psychosocial; Hoehn and Yahr staging; modified Parkinson Psychosis Rating Scale; Cumulative Illness Rating Scale-Geriatrics; Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; pain and fatigue visual analog scales; Zarit, and EuroQoL.
  
  
  RESULTS
  74 patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease were included (37 from each country) with a mean age of 64.4±10.5 years old, 70.3% males, and mean disease duration of 5.6±5.9 years. Compared to the Spanish cohort, Cameroonians were intermittently treated, less frequently received dopaminergic agonists (p<0.001), had a trend for taking lower doses of levodopa (p=0.06), and were more frequently on anticholinergics (p<0.0005). Cameroonians were more severely impaired in terms of motor (Hoehn Yahr stage, p=0.03; SCOPA-Motor, p<0.001), cognitive status (p<0.001), anxiety and depression (p<0.001), psychosis (p=0.008), somnolence, fatigue and pain (p<0.001, respectively), caregiver burden (p<0.0001), and quality of life (p=0.002). Instead, autonomic, comorbidity, and nocturnal sleep problems were similarly found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Limited and intermittent access to dopaminergic drugs has a negative impact on motor symptoms, nonmotor symptoms and quality of life in patients with Parkinson's disease and their caregivers.
authors.affiliation: Neurology Department of Hospital Universitario Burgos, Spain. Electronic address: esthercubo@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cubo
authors.affiliation: Neurology Department Douala Laquintinie Hospital, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Doumbe
authors.affiliation: Research Unit, Alzheimer Center Reina Sofia Foundation, Carlos III Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain; National Center of Epidemiology and CIBERNED, Carlos III Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Martinez-Martin
authors.affiliation: National Center of Epidemiology and CIBERNED, Carlos III Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rodriguez-Blazquez
authors.affiliation: Neurology Department Douala Laquintinie Hospital, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Callixte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kuate
authors.affiliation: Neurology Department of Hospital Universitario Burgos, Spain.
authors.forename: Natividad
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mariscal
authors.affiliation: Medical School Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lopez
authors.affiliation: Neurology Department Douala Laquintinie Hospital, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Gustave
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Noubissi
authors.affiliation: Neurology Department Douala Laquintinie Hospital, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Yacouba Njankouo
authors.initials: YN
authors.lastname: Mapoure
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry Department, Douala Laquintinie Hospital, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Jean Louis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Jon
authors.affiliation: Neurology Department Douala Laquintinie Hospital, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Salomon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mbahe
authors.affiliation: Neurology Department Douala Laquintinie Hospital, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tchaleu
authors.affiliation: Neurology Department, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Maria-Jose
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Catalan
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002163:Cameroon / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015259:Dopamine Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012042:Registries; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D015259:Dopamine Agents
keywords: Africa; Cognition; Dopamine; Epidemiology; Motor; Neurodegenerative diseases; Nonmotor symptoms; Parkinson's disease