Objective: To explore the characteristics of clinical symptoms in Uygur and Han patients with Parkinson's disease (PD).
Methods: The unified Parkinson's disease rating scale (UPDRS), Hoehn-Yahr, mini-mental state examination (MMSE) scale, Alzheimer disease cooperative study-activities of daily living (ADCS-ADL) and neuropsychiatric inventory (NPI) were administered to 91 Uygur and 173 Han PD patients from Xinjiang Urumqi and surrounding region from June 2008 to September 2011 to compare the characteristics of clinical symptoms between Uygur and Han patients.
Results: The subjects of drug treatment in Han [108 (62.34%)] were more than in Uygur [36 (39.56%), (P < 0.05)]. However there were no significant differences in the subjects of effective treatment between two groups (P > 0.05). No significant inter-group differences existed in the scores of Hoehn-Yahr (P > 0.05). Compare with moderate and severe group in Hoehn-Yahr, there were no significant differences in the scores of ADL, UPDRS II and UPDRS III between two groups (P > 0.05). The subjects of resting tremor, increased muscle tone and bradykinesia as the presenting symptoms in Uygur [8 (19.05%)] were more than in Han [7 (7.07%), (P < 0.05)]. And the subjects of N-type progressive in Uygur [36 (85.71%)] were more than in Han [48 (48.48%), (P < 0.05)]. There were no significant differences in other presenting symptoms, initial site, on-off phenomenon and dyskinesia between two groups (P > 0.05). No significant differences existed in the scores of MMSE and NPI between two groups (P > 0.05).
Conclusion: No significant differences exist in typical motor symptoms, severity of disease, activities of daily living, cognitive dysfunction and psychiatric symptoms between Uygur and Han. But N-type progressive is more common in Uygur. And the presenting symptoms of resting tremor, increased muscle tone and bradykinesia are also higher in Uygur.