ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND METHODS: The Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39) was the first specific instrument for evaluation of the "health-related quality of life" (QoL) in Parkinson's disease patients. The PDQ-39 has been subjected to adaptation to Spanish language and culture (PDQ-39 Spanish version, PDQ-39SV) and this version has been validated in aspects of internal consistency and construct validity. The present study assess the test-retest reliability and the convergent validity of the PDQ-39SV with a generic QoL instrument (SF-36). RESULTS: Most of the PDQ-39 dimensions showed an adequate consistency-Cronbach's alpha > 0.7 for six dimensions. As a whole, test-retest reliability resulted satisfactory. Two dimensions-activities of daily living and emotional well-being- showed a low grade significant difference (paired Student t-test, p < 0.05) due to improvement in the second survey (at 10 to 14 days from the first one) perhaps related to adjustments of the treatment at the first visit. A strong association (Spearman r, p < 0.001), indicative of convergent validity, was obtained for the PDQ-39 dimensions and the relevant SF-36 scales, as well as for the physical and mental component summary scores of the SF-36. CONCLUSIONS: Taking into account these results and previous studies, it is concluded that the PDQ-39 SV is a reliable measure that has construct validity.
Subject(s)
Parkinson Disease/diagnosis , Surveys and Questionnaires , Aged , Female , Humans , Language , Male , Middle Aged , Spain , TranslationsABSTRACT
The mechanism of action of the 'geste antagonistique', or sensory trick, used by patients with dystonic blepharospasm (BSP) to transiently diminish their symptoms is presently unknown. In this paper we examined the effects induced by a sensory trick consisting of finger contact with the face on the electrically induced blink reflex and the blink reflex excitability recovery curve to paired stimuli. The results were compared with those obtained in a group of six healthy volunteers who mimicked the manoeuvre used by the patients as a sensory trick. In all subjects, the area of R2 was significantly reduced, and the amplitude of R1 was significantly enhanced, during a mean of 10 min after the onset of finger-face contact in comparison to rest. However, there were no changes in the blink reflex excitability recovery curve. The contact-induced effect on the magnitude of the R2 component of the blink reflex is probably caused by sensory gating on trigeminal afferents. Such a reduction in the gain of trigemino-facial reflexes may partly underly the transient benefit experienced by patients with BSP with the use of sensory tricks.
