How Did the COVID-19 Pandemic Affect the Non-Motor Symptoms of Patients with Parkinson's Disease?

Objective: The study aimed to assess the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on non-motor symptoms in patients with Parkinson’s disease, compare these changes with healthy controls and investigate the relationship between coronaphobia and non-motor symptoms in patients with Parkinson’s disease during the pandemic. Material and Methods: The study included 53 patients with Parkinson's disease and 53 healthy controls. Participants' sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), fatigue severity (Fatigue Severity Scale), and depressive symptoms (Geriatric Depression Scale) were evaluated for two distinct time periods: the pre-pandemic period and the pandemic period. The COVID-19 Phobia Scale was administered to assess coronaphobia during the pandemic. Results: Compared to the pre-pandemic period, non-motor symptoms significantly increased during the pandemic period (p0.05). During the pandemic, a weak positive correlation was observed between the COVID-19 Phobia Scale and Geriatric Depression Scale scores in patients (rho=0.357, p=0.009). Conclusion: During the COVID-19 pandemic, patients with Parkinson’s disease experienced worsened sleep quality, increased fatigue severity and depressive symptoms. Increased coronaphobia levels in patients were associated with worsening depressive symptoms. Since non-motor symptoms in patients with Parkinson’s disease may adversely be affected by such global health crises, developing preventive and supportive management strategies will be crucial. Keywords: COVID-19, non-motor symptom, Parkinson’s disease.