Change in Non-motor Symptoms in Parkinson's Disease and Essential Tremor Patients: A One-year Follow-up Study.
BACKGROUND
Non-motor symptoms (NMS) in Parkinson's disease (PD) differ from those in essential tremor (ET), even before a definitive diagnosis is made. It is not clear whether patient's knowledge of the diagnosis and treatment influence their subsequent reporting of NMS.


METHODS
1 year after a clinical and instrumental diagnosis, we compared the motor impairment (Movement Disorders Society (MDS)-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale-III) and non-motor symptoms (NMSQuest) in PD (n = 31) and ET (n = 21) patients.


RESULTS
PD patients reported more NMS than did the ET patients (p = 0.002). When compared to their baseline report, at follow-up, PD patients reported less nocturia (p = 0.02), sadness (p = 0.01), insomnia (p = 0.02), and restless legs (p = 0.04) and more nausea (p = 0.024), unexplained pain (p = 0.03), weight change (p = 0.009), and daytime sleepiness (p = 0.03). When compared to their baseline report, ET patients reported less loss of interest (p = 0.03), anxiety (p = 0.006), and insomnia (p = 0.02). Differences in reported weight change (p<0.0001) and anxiety (p = 0.001) between PD and ET patients were related to pharmacological side effects or to a reduction in the ET individuals.


CONCLUSIONS
The reporting of NMS is influenced by subjective factors, and might vary with the patient's knowledge of the diagnosis or the effectiveness of treatment.
Operative Unit of Neurology, "Dimiccoli" General Hospital, Barletta, Italy.
Maurizio
M
Giorelli
Operative Unit of Nuclear Medicine, "Dimiccoli" General Hospital, Barletta, Italy.
Junia
J
Bagnoli
Operative Unit of Nuclear Medicine, "Dimiccoli" General Hospital, Barletta, Italy.
Luigi
L
Consiglio
Operative Unit of Nuclear Medicine, "Dimiccoli" General Hospital, Barletta, Italy.
Pasquale
P
Difazio
Operative Unit of Nuclear Medicine, "Dimiccoli" General Hospital, Barletta, Italy.
Daniela
D
Zizza
Operative Unit of Neurology, "Dimiccoli" General Hospital, Barletta, Italy.
Giovanni Bosco
GB
Zimatore
NMSQuest; Non-motor symptoms; Parkinson's disease; essential tremor; follow-up