Association between nocturia and anxiety in Parkinson's disease.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to determine whether there exists any relationship between nocturia and anxiety in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Although the exact cause of anxiety and nocturia in PD is unknown, we hypothesized that there is a relationship between these two PD symptoms. Anxiety may exacerbate nocturia or an opposite relationship may be present in which nocturia may result in heightened levels of anxiety. METHODS: Our study consisted of 314 PD patients, selected at random, and divided into groups based on the presence or absence of anxiety and nocturia. The occurrence of anxiety and nocturia was studied individually and collectively within these groups. RESULTS: The study found a significant association between anxiety and nocturia primarily driven by all PD patients (P < 0.0001), with greater significance found for the male patients (P < 0.0001) than female patients (P = 0.021). DISCUSSION: Based on these findings, we can conclude that anxiety and nocturia are not entirely independent symptoms in all PD patients. Thus, addressing anxiety may improve nocturia in PD or vice versa.

Factors affecting pain in Parkinson's disease.

BACKGROUND: Despite being an important non-motor symptom of PD, pain remains largely understudied in PD patients. Experiencing symptoms of pain is highly disruptive of general functioning, as it may hinder both physical prowess and psychological well-being. Although pain is prevalent in the otherwise healthy geriatric population, its increased presence in PD, and the difficulty it poses when combined with other hallmark motor symptoms necessitates further investigation. An improved understanding of factors that aggravate pain, and methods that alleviate discomfort may provide significant insight on the basis of pain in PD. Such information may ultimately allow healthcare professionals to achieve the goal of improved PD patient management. OBJECTIVE: To study the associations between various factors and pain in a Parkinson's disease (PD) patient population. METHODS: This study investigated 121 PD patients, of which 80 reported to have pain in at least one area of the body. Exclusion criteria included patients suffering from external causes of pain, such as trauma and patients with cognitive impairment whose accounts may not have been reliable. Further inquiry determined the etiology of pain, as well as aggravating and alleviating factors. The efficacies of pharmacological or non-pharmacological therapies were assessed through additional questioning. Individuals were also asked whether their pain was unintentionally affected by other measures, such as prescribed PD medications. RESULTS: Multiple linear regression analysis with a Wald test value of 4.070 (p = 0.044) demonstrated a statistically significant relationship between the administration of analgesics in patients with high reported pain and their pain relief. However, patients who experienced moderate pain did not exhibit any statistically significant levels of pain relief with the use of analgesics (Wald = 2.097, p = 0.148). Similarly, non-pharmacological therapies, PD medicine, and comorbidities showed no statistically significant correlations with pain relief. CONCLUSIONS: Physicians should be aware of the physiological and psychological factors that form major components of pain relief, and that patient education and support are critical to successful treatment programs.