The magnitude of mood and behavioral symptoms in idiopathic Parkinson's disease: A caregiver perspective

Summary Background Neuropsychiatric symptoms cause considerable distress for patients and caregivers. Aim To investigate the prevalence of mood and behavioral symptoms experienced by patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease, and the level of distress due to symptoms for patients and their caregivers. Methods A yearlong descriptive and analytical study was conducted using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) in a group of 79 patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease, in our specialized out-patient consultation. A corollary questionnaire was administered to characterize dopamine dysregulation syndrome. Results Ninety-five percent of caregivers reported at least one symptom among patients, with an average of four symptoms per patient. The most frequent symptoms were depression (77%), irritability (67%), and anxiety (57%). The least frequent were apathy (16%), delusions (14%), and hallucinations (14%). Dopamine dysregulation syndrome was present in 17.2% of our patients. Sleep problems were the most distressful to patients, while sleep disorders, aggressiveness and euphoria were particularly distressful for caregivers. A younger age of onset of the disease (P = 0.03) and a longer duration (P Conclusion Mood and behavioral symptoms are frequent in Parkinson's disease from caregivers’ perspective. These symptoms cause considerable distress among patients and caregivers alike, and therefore warrant a systematic and thorough assessment as well as specific treatment.