A Heat Sensitivity Scale for People with Parkinson's Disease

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Clinical Assessment
• Patient-Reported Outcomes

Background:

• Parkinson's disease (PD) patients frequently report exacerbated symptoms and functional limitations due to heat sensitivity.
• Managing heat sensitivity is crucial for maintaining daily activities and quality of life in individuals with PD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a reliable scale for measuring heat sensitivity in people with Parkinson's disease.

Main Methods:

• Literature and online forum searches identified 41 initial items, refined to 36 after expert review (Content Validity Index=0.89).
• An online survey collected responses from 247 individuals with PD.
• Exploratory factor analysis identified four key factors: daily activities, sweating/exercise, heat illness, and symptoms/medications, using 29 items.

Main Results:

• The final 29-item scale demonstrated a robust four-factor structure with excellent model fit statistics.
• High internal consistency was observed for each factor (Cronbach's α ≥0.89).
• Higher scale scores correlated significantly with self-reported heat sensitivity and poorer health status.

Conclusions:

• The developed scale provides a validated tool for assessing heat sensitivity in Parkinson's disease.
• This scale can aid healthcare professionals and patients in evaluating the severity and impact of heat sensitivity, informing management strategies.