Fatigue in Patients with Parkinson's Disease: Impact on Quality of Life

Objective To determine the prevalence of fatigue and factors associated with fatigue in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Methods Fatigue was evaluated using the PD Fatigue Scale, a self-report questionnaire consisting of 16 statements describing the severity of fatigue symptoms. Patients were also evaluated using the Unified PD Rating Scale, Zung Depression Scale, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, the PD Questionnaire-39 (PDQ-39) for assessing quality of life (QOL), and the Apathy Scale. Patients We examined 46 consecutive outpatients clinically diagnosed with PD, excluding patients with cognitive impairment. Results Fatigue was present in 22 (48%) patients. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that only QOL-scores and Apathy Scale scores were significant independent variables related to the presence of fatigue. Conclusion Fatigue is a common symptom in patients with PD, and it is a symptom closely related to impaired QOL.