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Funded Studies

The Validation of Anxiety Scales in Parkinson's Disease

Objective/Rationale:
This study has two objectives:
1. To assess the occurrence and symptoms of anxiety disorders in Parkinson's disease, including atypical anxiety syndromes, and anxiety states associated with ‘off’ periods or periods of dyskinesias in patients with fluctuating response to medication.
2. To assess the properties of the most commonly used anxiety rating scales in Parkinson's disease. If none of these assessed scales have satisfactory properties, the collected information allows us to propose a new scale.
Project Description:
The present study is an international multicenter study involving six centers (two in the United States, three in Europe, and one in Australia). Together these centers will jointly assess 360 patients cross-sectionally for anxiety symptoms. Patients will undergo a structured interview to assess the presence of anxiety disorders and complete the most common anxiety rating scales. In addition, information on disease variables, motor function, mood, and cognition will be collected.
With this information it becomes possible to assess the rate of occurrence or prevalence of anxiety syndromes, to describe atypical forms of anxiety that may be associated with Parkinson's disease, and to describe the properties of the most commonly used anxiety rating scales in terms of validity and reliability.
Relevance to Diagnosis/Treatment of Parkinson's Disease:
The sample size of the proposed study makes it the largest study on the prevalence and symptomatology of anxiety disorders in patients with Parkinson's disease to date and allows for the first time a valid description of both established and atypical anxiety syndromes in PD.
Information on the validity of anxiety rating scales in patients with Parkinson's disease is a prerequisite for the proper design of studies into anxiety but at present essentially lacking. As such, the results of this study may have direct impact on the design of future studies.
Anticipated Outcome:
This study will allow us to provide information on the prevalence and Symptoms & Side Effects characterization of anxiety disorders, as well as on the clinimetric properties of the most common anxiety rating scales. If none of these assessed scales have satisfactory properties, the collected information allows us to propose a new scale.


Researchers

  • Albert F. G. Leentjens, MD, PhD

    Maastricht Netherlands


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