Biomedical subjects

Anette Schrag

Publications and source records attributed to Anette Schrag.

20 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed2002

Quality of life in stiff-person syndrome.

Stiff person syndrome (SPS) is a rare, chronic disorder characterized by painful spasm and stiffness. We investigated the quality of life (QoL) in SPS patients, and identified factors associated with impairment in patients' QoL. Twenty-four SPS patients (10 men, 14 women; mean age +/- S.D., 52.6 +/- 9.5 years) completed the medical outcomes study Short Form health survey (SF-36), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and a questionnaire asking for sociodemographic and clinical details. Extent of the disease was assessed using a distribution of stiffness score. SPS patients showed markedly reduced mean scores for all dimensions of the SF-36 when compared to norms from the general population of the United Kingdom. QoL scores showed a strong correlation with the extent of the disease. Depression was a common finding; 14 of 24 patients had depressive symptoms as evidenced by the BDI. There was a significant and strong correlation between the BDI score and several SF-36 subscores. This is the first study to address QoL in patients with SPS. We have shown that SPS has a significant impact on patients' reported QoL. The association between depression and QoL highlights the importance of recognizing and treating depression in SPS.

Chronic Disease↗

PubMed2002

How common are complications of Parkinson's disease?

BACKGROUND: Parkinson's disease (PD) can be associated with a wide range of complications of advancing disease and treatment. However, it is unclear how often these occur in the overall population of patients with PD. OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of disease and treatment complications and their clinical correlates in a community-based sample of 124 patients with PD. RESULTS: Average current age was 72 (SD 10.9) and mean disease duration 6 (SD 4.3) years. Falls with postural instability and other axial features were among the most common complications of advancing disease in this population (64 %). Motor fluctuations and dyskinesias affected approximately 30 and 20 % of the overall sample respectively, and changes in mental state such as dementia, depression and hallucinations each affected approximately one fifth of patients. Symptoms of autonomic nervous system dysfunction occurred in the great majority of patients, but were not associated with greater disease severity, disease duration or overall disability. CONCLUSION: In contrast to clinic-based samples, the most frequently occurring complications of PD in this community-based sample were axial features such as postural instability with falls. These factors should be more taken into account in the allocation of health care resources and the treatment of symptoms of patients with PD in the community.

Accidental Falls↗