NMSQuest and the NMSS
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that usually affects the motor system, but progresses to involve cognition and gastrointestinal and genito-urinary systems. Approximately 1:200–350 people will develop PD at some point in their life. The early PD symptoms can be treated with appropriate drugs, but the progressive nature of the disease results in the emergence of non-motor symptoms (NMS), including dribbling, constipation, depression, sleep disorders, apathy, hallucinations and dementia.
Non-motor problems including autonomic dysfunction are assessed using a screening questionnaire comprising a 30-item checklist to be used by the patient/caregiver (NMSQuest). This instrument does not provide an overall score of disability; instead, it is designed to draw attention to the presence of non-motor symptoms, to put such problems on the valid ‘clinical agenda’ for patients and carers and to prompt health professionals to initiate further investigation and explore management opportunities.
In contrast to the screening questionnaire, the NMSS is divided in 9 domains containing 30 questions. The scale is aimed to be practical and quantitative encompassing the whole range of non-motor symptoms experienced by people with PD. It is envisaged that health professionals will administer the scale, and patients’ responses will enable quantification of symptoms based on a multiple of severity (0–3) and frequency scores (0–4). |
