NON-MOTOR SYMPTOMS AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS WITH ESSENTIAL TREMOR, PARKINSONS DISEASE AND THE COMBINATION OF ESSENTIAL TREMOR AND PARKINSONS DISEASE

Abstract

Aim of the study: to assess non-motor symptoms and quality of life in patients with essential tremor (ET), different stages of Parkinson’s Disease (PD) and combination of ET and PD (ET-PD). Materials and methods of the research: We examined 82 patients with ET, 20 patients with ET-PD, 283 patients with PD, and 72 neurologically healthy volunteers. The neuropsychological status, intensity of motor symptoms, the grade of vegetative dysfunction and dyssomnia, and quality of life of patients were assessed. Results: Patients with ET showed wide range of nonmotor symptoms. The severity of cognitive impairment in group of patients with ET corresponded with the same severity of patients with early stages of PD. It is interesting that patients with ET showed more severe depression than patients with early stages of PD. The maximum severity of anxiety-depressive disorders was observed in patients with the combination of ET-PD. Conclusion: In spite of the fact that it is usual to consider the ET as a monosymptomatic benign disease, we have found significant non-motor disorders in this group of patients and a significant violation of the quality of life. The results of the study also give evidence that patients with ET-PD represent a special group of patients, characterized by special, both motor and non-motor symptoms. The data we obtained made it possible to form a deeper understanding of the generality of the clinical manifestations of ET, PD and ET-PD, which will make it possible to improve the quality of management of patients with these nosologies in clinical practice.