Dyspnea Is a Specific Symptom in Parkinson’s Disease

BACKGROUND: Dyspnea is a multidimensional sensation that is reported in Parkinson's disease (PD). The multidimensional dyspnea profile (MDP) questionnaire can help to distinguish the perceptive dimension and the emotion response. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to assess the clinical features associated with dyspnea using the MDP questionnaire in order to determine which aspects of the symptom was linked with anxiety, depression or motor severity of the disease. METHODS: Non-demented patients were asked whether they experienced shortness of breath in the last month. In case of positive answer, dyspnea was assessed by the MDP. MDS-UPDRS, global cognitive performance, non-motor symptoms and quality of life were assessed. RESULTS: 60/163 patients were dyspneic since 4.6±2.4 years. The most frequent best sensory quality (SQ) described were: hyperpnoea (35%), physical breathing effort (25%) and air hunger (20%). Hyperpnoea and air hunger had the highest SQ intensity. Anxiety had the highest intensity in the emotional domain. CONCLUSIONS: Dyspnea is a frequent symptom in PD, with specific presentations and two main aspects: one related with anxiety and another with ventilation control impairment.