The impact of motor and depressive symptoms on quality of life in patients with Parkinson's disease

ObjectiveTo identify factors that affect the quality of life (QoL) of patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD).Materials and MethodsTwenty-seven IPD patients from Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital were enrolled between May, 2008 and July, 2012. All patients completed a Parkinson's disease-specific QoL questionnaire and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). A structured questionnaire interview and complete neurological examination, including the motor part of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS part III), the Schwab and England Disability Scale (S & E), the Hoehn and Yahr Scale, and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) were administered by a nurse and a neurologist.ResultsThe degree of depression and severity of disease were significantly correlated with the QoL of IPD patients (r = 0.49, p = 0.01, and r = 0.44, p = 0.02, respectively). The UPDRS part III, S & E, and MMSE scores did not correlate significantly with QoL scores (r = 0.22, p = 0.26, r = −0.36, p = 0.06, and r = −0.25, p = 0.22, respectively). The BDI-Ⅱdepression score accounted for 31.5% of the variance of the QoL scores.ConclusionDepression and disease severity have significant impacts on the QoL of IPD patients. Treatment profiles should encompass both motor and non-motor domains.