Non-Motor Symptoms in Parkinson’s Disease Patients—An Observational Study

Background: Parkinson’s disease (PD) remains a challenge for neurologists, particularly in its advanced stages when non-motor symptoms become a burden for the patient. While motor symptoms may be satisfactorily controlled with levodopa therapy or continuous levodopa/carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG) administration, autonomic, sleep and mental disorders are hard to treat. During the last years, researchers have shifted their interest more to non-motor symptoms, PD being now considered a complex multiorgan impairment. Objective: The aim of this study was to describe non-motor symptoms in 40 Romanian patients diagnosed with PD, under conventional and LCIG administration treatment. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted, consisting of two groups of 20 patients each: the first group comprised PD patients who received conventional Levodopa treatment, while the second group was formed of patients receiving LCIG therapy. Various data concerning patient’s age, gender, duration of illness, comorbidities, motor and non-motor symptoms were recorded. The data were processed in SPSS v.20. Results: Subjects under continuous LCIG administration, although showing amelioration of motor symptoms, complained more frequently of constipation, mental, and sleeping disorders (statistically significant). Regarding anosmia, orthostatic hypotension, hypersalivation, urinary incontinence and restless legs syndrome, no statistical significant difference was observed between the two groups (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Nowadays, more research is conducted on non-motor symptoms in PD patients, as therapeutic measures try to limit these burdens, in order to improve patient’s quality of life.