Frequency of non‐motor symptoms and their impact on the quality of life in patients with Parkinson's disease: a prospective descriptive case series

Aim In this study, we aimed to show non‐motor symptoms (NMS), in addition to motor symptoms, in the foreground of idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD). We also examined the prevalence of dopamine dysregulation syndrome, which can be evaluated based on NMS, its risk factors, and its effects on quality of life (QOL) by using various scales and questionnaires. Methods In total, 75 patients with IPD (46 men, 29 women) who attend the outpatient neurology clinic of our hospital were included in the study. The motor symptoms and NMS of IPD were examined. The severity of parkinsonism was evaluated with the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale and the Hoehn and Yahr scale. Cognitive tests, the NMS questionnaire, the Parkinson's Disease Sleep Scale, and the Dopamine Dysregulation Syndrome‐Patient and Caregiver Inventory were used to identify NMS. The 39‐item Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire evaluated QOL. Results We observed a significant increase in scores on the tests assessing NMS, specifically the Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire, NMS questionnaire, Parkinson's Disease Sleep Scale, and Geriatric Depression Scale (P