Gender differences in Parkinson's disease: A clinical perspective.

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Neuroscience
• Movement Disorders

Background:

• Parkinson's disease (PD) affects men and women differently, necessitating a clear understanding of these variations.
• Identifying gender-specific characteristics in PD is vital for tailored treatments, outcome prediction, and addressing individual needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review existing clinical data on gender differences in Parkinson's disease.
• To synthesize findings on how Parkinson's disease manifests and progresses differently between sexes.

Main Methods:

• A systematic review of original articles and meta-analyses published from 1990 to 2016.
• Focused on studies explicitly investigating gender differences in Parkinson's disease features.

Main Results:

• Men have a slightly higher incidence and prevalence of PD, which also tends to start earlier in men.
• Women with PD show more tremor-dominant symptoms, less rigidity, better activities of daily living improvement post-DBS, and excel in cognitive and verbal tasks but report more pain and depression.
• Cognitive, mood, and pain differences observed in PD may not be disease-specific, as similar patterns exist in healthy individuals and other neurological conditions.

Conclusions:

• Significant gender-based variations exist in Parkinson's disease presentation, progression, and non-motor symptoms.
• While some differences like cognitive function and pain perception may not be exclusive to PD, they are pronounced in affected individuals.
• Further high-quality, prospective, longitudinal studies are required to fully elucidate gender differences in PD and inform clinical practice.