Autonomic dysfunction in Parkinson's disease: a comprehensive symptom survey

Background: Autonomic dysfunction occurs in Parkinson's disease (PD), but few studies have addressed it in a comprehensive manner. Methods: Autonomic symptoms were evaluated by a questionnaire in sixty-eight subjects (44 patients and 24 controls). Results: PD patients experienced higher frequency and severity of autonomic dysfunction. When all autonomic symptoms were pooled into an aggregate score, differences between patients and controls were highly statistically significant (p < 0.0001). 'Increased salivation', 'frequency of dysphagia', decreased 'BM (bowel movement) frequency', i.e. constipation, and 'orthostatic dizziness' were more frequent in PD patients (p < 0.05). A prediction model to determine the predictors of autonomic dysfunction was unsuccessful. Conclusion: Differences in the prevalence of autonomic symptoms in PD and non-parkinsonian controls are apparent from this study. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.