ABSTRACT
@#Objective: The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic has affected many people with chronic diseases, including Parkinson’s disease (PD). We aimed to investigate the perception of Covid-19 and the self-reported impact of the pandemic on PD symptoms of a group of patients with physically independent PD from Turkey. Methods: We applied a questionnaire to idiopathic PD patients aged ≥65 years, who did not have known dementia, who were physically independent and who had at least one visit in the year before the telephone interview. The study patients were selected from the medical records of two different centers in Kirikkale, Turkey. Two neurologists conducted a semi-structured telephone interview to evaluate the perception of Covid-19 and new or worsening PD symptoms after the home quarantine. Results: In total, 86 patients were included in the study. Although most of the patients (97.7%) knew of Covid-19, knowledge of the Covid-19 symptoms was moderate (54.7%). Most patients reported that they washed their hands often (100%) and wore a mask (98.8%); 76 (88.4%) of them stayed at home. Compliance with other preventive measures was above 80%. In total, 40 (46.5%) patients (28 male, 12 female) reported worsening bradykinesia. Fatigue (24.4%), daytime sleepiness (20.9%), pain (20.9%) and anxiety (15.2%) were the most common new or worsening non-motor symptoms. Conclusions: The Covid-19 knowledge in a group of patients with PD from Turkey can be considered adequate. They have a high compliance with preventive measures. However, reduced non-exercise physical activity due to the pandemic affected both their motor symptoms and non-motor symptoms.
ABSTRACT
@#Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the reliability and validity of the Parkinson’s Disease Sleep Scale (PDSS)-Turkish version. 48 patients with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease and 48 healthy controls were included in this cross-sectional study. The patients’ Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), Hoehn-Yahr Stage (HYS), and the drugs were recorded. Mini-Mental State Examination was performed in the study population. The professional translation of the PDSS (English to Turkish and Turkish to English) was done by a neurologist and a language educator who was a native English speaker and well versed in Turkish, and it was approved by a certified translation agency as well. PDSS and Epworth Sleep Scale (ESS) tests were performed to 96 subjects. PDSS was repeated 15 days later. Conclusions: The scale was found to be reliable by the first and second assessment of PDSS to 96 subjects (Cronbach’s alpha= 0.721 and 0.77). Intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) 90%, was found to be high. A statistically significant negative correlation was found between the total ESS and the total PDSS scores when tested in the 96 cases included in the study (rs = -0.306, p = 0.02; rs = -0.340 p = 0.01, respectively). PDSS was found to be reliable and valid in our study with Parkinson’s patients who were monitored at our outpatient clinic.