Autonomic dysfunction in Parkinson's disease: Results from the Faroese Parkinson's disease cohort

The presence of autonomic symptoms are a common part of the symptomatology of Parkinsońs disease (PD), with the potential to impact the quality of life of patients. The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of autonomic symptoms among Faroese PD patients compared to a control group, using the Scales for Outcome in Parkinson's Disease - Autonomic (SCOPA-AUT), and to determine the relationship between autonomic and motor symptoms in PD patients using the Unified Parkinsońs Disease Rating Scale - Part III (UPDRS) and Hoehn and Yahr Scale (H&Y). The study included 54 PD patients and 190 control individuals which were unaffected relatives. The mean SCOPA-AUT scores were significantly higher for PD patients in gastrointestinal (OR = 1.62), urinary (OR = 1.38), cardiovascular (OR = 1.65), thermoregulatory (OR = 1.54) and sexual dysfunction (OR = 1.71) scores, as well as the total score (OR = 1.26). UPDRS scores were significant correlated with SCOPA-AUT scores (p = 0.015), while H&Y scores were not (p = 0.103). In conclusion, PD patients experience an increased frequency of autonomic symptoms compared with controls and the frequency is associated with the motor symptoms assessed with UPDRS. Our findings are consistent with similar studies and our current understanding of PD pathology.