Motor features in Parkinson's disease with normal olfactory function

Mov Disord. 2016 Sep;31(9):1414-7. doi: 10.1002/mds.26687. Epub 2016 Jun 9.

Abstract

Background: Normosmic Parkinson's disease (PD) might be a unique clinical phenotype with a more benign course when compared with hyposmic PD.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate motor features and the acute levodopa response according to olfactory function.

Methods: A total of 169 de novo PD patients that underwent olfactory testing and acute levodopa challenge for clinical prediction of sustained long-term dopaminergic response were evaluated.

Results: The overall frequency of normosmia was 33%. Normosmic PD patients scored nonsignificantly different to hyposmic/anosmic patients on motor scale and on degree of improvement with levodopa. Motor scores at follow-up were comparable among groups.

Conclusions: Normal olfactory function is common in early PD and was not associated with a different motor phenotype when compared with PD patients with olfactory dysfunction. © 2016 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Keywords: Parkinson's disease; levodopa response; motor features; normosmia; olfaction.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Olfactory Perception / physiology*
  • Parkinson Disease / complications
  • Parkinson Disease / epidemiology
  • Parkinson Disease / physiopathology*
  • Perceptual Disorders / epidemiology
  • Perceptual Disorders / etiology
  • Perceptual Disorders / physiopathology*