Quality of life implications for elevated trait impulsivity in people with Parkinson’s disease

Abstract

Background: Several non-motor features of Parkinson’s disease (PD) are known to adversely affect patient health-related quality of life (HRQL). However, the specific impact of neuropsychiatric complications, such as impulsive behaviour, is yet to be elucidated. Objectives: The present cross-sectional, observational study aimed to investigate the effects of heightened trait impulsivity on HRQL in individuals with PD. Methods: A total of 322 people with idiopathic PD were sequentially recruited from Movement Disorder clinics across Australia. Trait impulsivity in patients was determined by Barratt’s Impulsiveness Scale Version 11 (BIS-11), and grouped into tertiles (low, medium, and high). Patient HRQL was determined by the 39-item Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39), complemented by the Cambridge Behavioural Inventory-Revised (CBI-R) indicating caregivers’ perception of patient HRQL. Results: When total BIS-11 scores were grouped into tertiles, patient perceived and caregiver-perceived HRQL were 1.7-fold (p