title: Duration of disease does not equally influence all aspects of quality of life in Parkinson's disease.
abstract: Health related quality of life (HRQoL) is negatively impacted in patients suffering from Parkinson's disease (PD). For the specific components that comprise HRQoL, the relationship between clinical variables, such as disease duration, is not fully characterized. In this cross-sectional study (n=302), self-reported HRQoL on the Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39) was evaluated as a global construct as well as individual subscale scores. HRQoL was compared in three groups: those within 5years of diagnosis, those within 6-10years of diagnosis, and those greater than 11years since diagnosis. Non-parametric analyses revealed lower HRQoL with increasing disease duration when assessed as a global construct. However, when subscales were evaluated, difficulties with bodily discomfort and cognitive complaints were comparable in individuals in the 1-5years and 6-10year duration groups. Exploratory regression analyses suggested disease duration does explain unique variance in some subscales, even after controlling for Hoehn and Yahr stage and neuropsychiatric features. Our findings show that HRQoL domains in PD patients are affected differentially across the duration of the disease. Clinicians and researchers may need to tailor interventions intended to improve HRQoL at different domains as the disease progresses.
authors.affiliation: Plummer Movement Disorders Center, Neurosciences Institute, Baylor Scott & White Hospital, 2401 S. 31st Street, Temple, TX 76508, USA; Department of Internal Medicine, Texas A&M Health Sciences Center, Temple, TX, USA. Electronic address: jbenge@sw.org.
authors.forename: Jared F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Benge
authors.affiliation: Mind-Body Medicine Research Laboratory, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Zoltán
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kekecs
authors.affiliation: Baylor Movement Disorders Center, Neurosciences Institute, Baylor Scott & White Healthcare, Dallas, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Elmyra
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Encarnacion
authors.affiliation: Plummer Movement Disorders Center, Neurosciences Institute, Baylor Scott & White Hospital, 2401 S. 31st Street, Temple, TX 76508, USA.
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ainslie
authors.affiliation: Plummer Movement Disorders Center, Neurosciences Institute, Baylor Scott & White Hospital, 2401 S. 31st Street, Temple, TX 76508, USA.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Herff
authors.affiliation: Mind-Body Medicine Research Laboratory, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Elkins
authors.affiliation: Movement Disorders Program, Department of Neurology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA.
authors.forename: Priyantha
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Herath
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Disease duration; Health-related quality of life; Parkinson’s disease