Subjective Cognitive and Communicative Complaints and Health-Related Quality of Life in Parkinson's Disease with and without Mild Cognitive Impairment

Abstract

Introduction

Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is common in Parkinson's Disease (PD). Few studies have compared the Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) in patients with and without MCI due to PD (PD-MCI), and its correlation to patients’ subjective cognitive and communicative difficulties has not been explored.

Objective

We aimed to compare HRQoL in PD-MCI and PD without MCI (PD-nMCI), and explore its possible relationship to subjective cognitive and communicative complaints.

Methods

We included 29 PD-nMCI and 11 PD-MCI patients. The HRQoL was assessed with the Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire-39 (PDQ-39): its Cognition dimension was used as a measure of subjective cognitive complaints, its Communication dimension for subjective communicative complaints, and the summary index (PDQ-39 SI) as an indicator of HRQoL. Non-parametric partial correlations between the Cognition and Communication dimensions, and the adjusted PDQ-39 SI were conducted.

Results

PD-MCI patients had greater subjective cognitive and communicative complaints and worse HRQoL than PD-nMCI patients. In the PD-MCI group, both subjective cognitive and communicative complaints exhibited significant direct correlations with the adjusted HRQoL scores.

Conclusions

HRQoL seems to be affected in PD-MCI, and it might be influenced by greater subjective cognitive and communicative complaints. Including patient-reported outcome measures of HRQoL, and providing cognitive and speech rehabilitation, as well as psychotherapeutic strategies to face these deficits can enhance the patient-centred approach in PD.