Childhood Trauma and Parkinson Disease: Associations of Adverse Childhood Experiences, Disease Severity, and Quality of Life

Background and Objectives Childhood trauma has been shown to be associated with adverse health outcomes that can last a lifetime. The effects of trauma have not been evaluated in a Parkinson disease (PD) population. The goal of this study was to survey individuals with PD to evaluate whether the intensity of childhood trauma is associated with individual symptoms, overall disease severity, or quality of life. Methods An Internet-based observational survey was designed to evaluate modifiable variables associated with PD progression. In this cross-sectional analysis, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) were used as a measure of childhood trauma, patient-reported outcomes in PD for the primary measure of PD severity, and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Global for quality of life (QoL). Results Seven hundred twelve of 900 participants (79%) responded to the questions related to childhood trauma. Among respondents, QoL decreased as incidence of childhood trauma increased. Individuals with ACE scores 4 or higher reported greater symptom severity for 45% of the variables tested, including apathy, muscle pain, daytime sleepiness, restless leg syndrome, depression, fatigue, comprehension, and anxiety (p < 0.05) compared with individuals with trauma scores of zero. Discussion These data suggest childhood trauma is associated with a mild increase in overall patient-reported PD severity, specifically mood and other nonmotor and motor symptoms. While the associations were statistically significant, the impact of trauma was less robust than previously described predictors of severity, such as diet, exercise, and social connection. Future research should attempt to include more diverse populations, attempt to improve the response rate of these sensitive questions, and, most importantly, determine whether the adverse outcomes associated with childhood trauma can be mitigated with lifestyle modification, psychosocial support, and intervention in adulthood.