What question did this study set out to answer?

The study aims to explore how common fatigue is in patients with Parkinson's disease and its links to various factors.

May 3, 20260 citations

Exploring the fatigue phenomenon in individuals with Parkinson's disease: an Italian multicenter cross-sectional study.

ESElisabetta SarassoVita-Salute San Raffaele University EPElisa PelosinAzienda Ospedaliera di Perugia IRIlaria RuotoloSapienza University of Rome

Key Points

The study aims to explore how common fatigue is in patients with Parkinson's disease and its links to various factors.
Observational cross-sectional study conducted in three Italian centers from January to May 2024.
Sample size included 100 Parkinson's disease patients (H&Y ≤ 4), with assessments using validated fatigue measurement tools.
Data analysis involved non-parametric tests and Spearman's correlations to explore associations.
36% of patients reported fatigue, with higher prevalence in women and severity in those with H&Y > 2.
Fatigue showed a strong correlation with non-motor symptoms (ρ > 0.6, p < 0.001) and a moderate correlation with motor complications (0.4 < ρ < 0.5, p < 0.001).
Weak correlations were observed with disease duration, LEDD, and age (ρ < 0.3, 0.002 < p < 0.05).

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Fatigue is a common and disabling non-motor symptom in Parkinson's disease (PD), significantly affecting patients' quality of life. However, it is often underdiagnosed due to its subjective nature and the lack of a clear definition, hindering the development of effective treatments. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to investigate the prevalence of fatigue and its associations with sociodemographic factors, disease severity, levodopa equivalent daily dosage (LEDD) and motor, non-motor, and cognitive symptoms in an Italian cohort of patients with PD. METHODS: An observational cross-sectional study was carried out in three Italian centers from January to May 2024. One hundred PD patients (H ρ > 0.6, p < 0.001) and moderately with motor complications (0.4 < ρ < 0.5, p < 0.001), but weakly with disease duration, LEDD and age (ρ < 0.3, 0.002 < p < 0.05). Significant intercorrelations among fatigue scales supported their ability to consistently measure the fatigue construct. CONCLUSIONS: Fatigue in PD is a multidimensional phenomenon influenced mainly by non-motor symptoms. Gender-specific differences and the association with disease progression underscore the need of comprehensive and integrated management strategies to address this challenging symptom.

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