Clinical and psychosocial factors associated with fatigue in patients with Parkinson's disease

Fatigue is an important contributor to poor quality of life. The aim of our research was to identify factors associated with fatigue among patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). The sample consisted of 150 patients. The Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI), Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Charlson co-morbidity index were used for analysis. Demographic data were obtained in a structured interview. T-test, χ2-test and general linear regression were used. Fatigue was reported in 81% of the patients, with the worst scores in physical fatigue. Mood disorders and worse UPDRS scores were associated with fatigue.