Characteristics of non-motor symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease exhibiting camptocormia

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to investigate the differences in the prevalence and severity of NMS between patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) who manifest camptocormia and those who do not manifest camptocormia.

Methods: A total of 50 PD patients with camptocormia and 50 gender and disease duration 1:1 matched patients with PD but without camptocormia were included in this case-control study. The severity of motor symptoms was assessed with the Unified PD Rating Scale (UPDRS) part III and Hoehn and Yahr (H&Y) staging. The prevalence and severity of NMS were assessed with non-motor symptom scale (NMSS).

Results: Patients with PD exhibiting camptocormia showed significantly higher scores in UPDRS part III and H&Y staging than those who do not exhibit camptocormia (P < 0.05). The frequency of the cardiovascular domain with the item of "light-headedness/dizziness", the gastrointestinal domain with the item of "dribbling saliva", and the miscellaneous domain with the items of "taste or smell change", "weight change", and "excessive sweating" was significantly higher in PD patients with camptocormia compared with those without camptocormia (P < 0.05). The mean scores of sleep/fatigue and perceptual problems/hallucinations domains, the mood/apathy domain with the item of "feelings of nervousness" in PD patients with camptocormia were higher than in those without camptocormia (P < 0.05).

Conclusions: PD patients manifesting camptocormia are likely subjected to NMS than patients without camptocormia, especially autonomic and miscellaneous symptoms. These patients also suffered from more severe neuropsychiatric symptoms and sleep disorders.

Keywords: Camptocormia; Non-motor symptoms (NMS); Non-motor symptoms scale (NMSS); Parkinson's disease.