Quality of life in parkinson’s disease

Abstract

Quality of life is an important patient-reported outcome, and it should be used as an additional endpoint in clinical practice, research studies, and clinical trials. There are several general and PD-specific QoL measures recommended to assess QoL in PD. Motor and non-motor symptoms have a great impact on patients’ QoL, and the contribution of the latter can outweigh the former. Previous studies have documented the positive effect of surgical and pharmaceutical treatment options on QoL. The effect of the following PD treatment options on QoL is described: levodopa (as monotherapy or with tolcapone or entacapone), dopamine agonists (rotigotine, pramipexole, cabergoline, ropinirole, pergolide, piribedil, and bromocriptine), monoamine oxidase inhibitors (selegiline, rasagiline, and safinamide), rivastigmine, treatments for advanced PD (surgery, duodopa, and apomorphine), and non-pharmacological treatments. Concerning newer pharmacological options, several studies provide evidence for the positive effect of duodopa on PD patient’s QoL. However, there is a need for randomized controlled trials that assess the effect of apomorphine on QoL. Exercise therapy seems beneficial, but there is inconclusive evidence about the effect of other non-pharmacological therapies in QoL.