Correlation Between the Movement Disorder Society's Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale and Nonmotor Scales in Patients with Parkinson's Disease.

The Movement Disorder Society's Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDSUPDRS), Scales for Outcomes in Parkinson's Disease-Autonomic (SCOPA-AUT), Mayo Sleep Questionnaire, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire (NPI-Q) are validated instruments for assessing signs and symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD). We sought to determine whether responses on the MDS-UPDRS correlate with responses to other scales used in patients with PD. Study subjects were enrolled in the Arizona Study of Aging and Neurodegenerative Disorders (AZSAND). Participants were selected if they had completed all scales within a one-month window. Spearman's rank correlation coefficients were calculated. A total of 96 eligible subjects were identified. High correlation (-values) was found between the SCOPA-AUT and MDS-UPDRS excessive saliva (0.73; <0.001), constipation (0.62; <0.001), and swallowing (0.59; <0.001) questions. The -values for the NPI-Q and MDS-UPDRS depression and anxiety questions were 0.53 (<0.001), and 0.67 (<0.001). MDS-UPDRS correlates well with some but not all questions from the SCOPA-AUT and NPI-Q. This work emphasizes the importance of employing multiple methods for assessing nonmotor symptoms in patients with PD.