Non-Motor Symptoms as Markers of Disease Severity in Parkinson’s Disease: Associations Between Constipation, Depression, REM Sleep Behavior Disorder, and Motor Impairment

TL;DR

This study finds that non-motor symptoms like constipation and sleep disorders are linked to more severe motor problems in Parkinson’s disease.

Contribution

The study identifies constipation and REM sleep behavior disorder as independent markers of motor severity in Parkinson’s disease.

Findings

Constipation is independently associated with greater motor severity in both PD and prodromal PD.

Depressive symptoms correlate with worse motor impairment only in prodromal PD.

REM sleep behavior disorder scores correlate with motor severity in established PD but not in prodromal PD after adjustment.

Abstract

Background: This study aims to investigate the association between the presence and severity of non-motor symptoms (constipation, REM sleep behavior disorder [RBD], hyposmia, and depression) and the severity of motor impairment in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Methods: We used data from Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI), comprising patients with established PD, prodromal PD, and healthy controls. Motor disability was evaluated with the MDS-UPDRS part III. Non-motor symptoms were assessed with standardized scales for constipation (MDS-UPDRS part I sub-item), depression (15-item GDS), RBD questionnaire (RBDQ), and hyposmia (UPSIT). The relationships between non-motor symptoms and motor severity were explored using linear regression models (adjusted for age/sex). Results: Constipation was significantly more prevalent in PD and prodromal PD and independently associated with greater motor severity in both groups (p < 0.001). Constipation also correlated with increased freezing and falls. Depressive symptoms were similar across groups, but in prodromal PD, higher GDS scores were associated with worse UPDRS III scores (p = 0.02), as well as higher freezing and fall scores. Hyposmia was strongly reduced in PD and prodromal PD compared with controls but was not independently associated with motor severity. Higher RBDQ scores were associated with worse motor impairment in PD, but not in prodromal PD after adjustment. Conclusions: Constipation and REM sleep behavioral disorder were independent correlates of worse motor severity in prodromal and established PD, whereas depressive symptoms predicted more severe parkinsonism only within the prodromal phase.

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