Presentations of nonmotor symptoms by sex and onset age in people with Parkinson's disease

Background: There is growing evidence that sex and onset age are important factors of clinical features in Parkinson's disease. Aim: The study aimed to identify nonmotor symptoms based on sex and onset age in people with Parkinson's disease. Design: This is a cross-sectional descriptive study. Methods: A total of 210 participants were recruited from the university hospital and the Parkinson's disease association. This study measured the Korean version of the nonmotor symptoms questionnaire which includes gastrointestinal, urinary, apathy/attention/memory, hallucination/delusions, depression/anxiety, sexual function, cardiovascular, sleep disorder, and miscellaneous domains. Results: All participants reported at least one nonmotor symptom. The most commonly reported symptoms were nocturia (65.7%) and constipation (61.9%). The male participants reported more dribbling of saliva, constipation, and impaired sexual function, whereas the female reported more weight change. Young-onset people with Parkinson's disease reported more depression than late-onset people with Parkinson's disease. Conclusion: This study contributes to the understanding of symptom experience beyond motor-related symptomatology for those with Parkinson's disease and adds to the current literature. Individualized symptom assessment and management should be provided by prioritizing prevalent sex or onset age-specific symptoms, rather than addressing with all nonmotor symptoms.