Psychiatric predictors of quality of life in Parkinson's disease: A three-year longitudinal study

Parkinson's disease (PD) is associated with worsened quality of life (QOL) over time. Few longitudinal studies exist investigating the relationship of psychiatric comorbidities with QOL in people with PD (PwP). We sought to determine specific psychiatric symptoms associated with decreasing QOL in PwP over time.

We recruited PwP without dementia from a movement disorders clinic at an academic medical center. Participants were evaluated annually with motor and neuropsychological assessments at each visit. QOL was measured using the Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire-39 (PDQ-39). We assessed psychiatric symptoms, including depression (Beck Depression Inventory II, BDI-II), anxiety (Beck Anxiety Index, BAI), and apathy (Apathy Scale). Psychosis and impulse control disorders (ICDs) were recorded as present or absent. Using random coefficient regression, we analyzed psychiatric features associated with worsened QOL in PwP over three years.

From the 105 participants enrolled at baseline, 67 completed three years of follow up. Mean PDQ-39 scores increased from 16.0 at baseline to 19.8 at year three. In multivariate analysis, higher BDI-II scores, BAI scores, and apathy scores were uniquely associated with worsened QOL over time (p < 0.001 for all measures), while presence of ICDs (p = 0.18) or psychosis (p = 0.10) were not. Changes in the BAI score and the BDI-II score exerted similar effects on the overall PDQ-39 score.

Depression, anxiety, and apathy are all associated with worsening quality of life over time in PwP, while presence of ICDs and psychosis are not. Treatment of these symptoms may lead to improved QOL in PwP.