Correlation of Non-Motor Symptom Fluctuations with Retinal Changes in Parkinson’s Disease: An Optical Coherence Tomography-Based Study (Code-T0299)

Introduction: Non-motor symptoms (NMS) in Parkinson’s disease (PD) significantly impact patients’ quality of life. These symptoms, including cognitive impairment, mood disorders, autonomic dysfunction, and sensory changes, often fluctuate alongside motor symptoms. Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), a non-invasive imaging technique, has been increasingly explored for assessing retinal changes in PD, potentially serving as a biomarker for disease progression. However, the correlation between non-motor fluctuations (NMF) and OCT findings remains underexplored.

Aims and Objectives

Primary Objectives:

1. To study the Prevalence of Non-motor symptom fluctuations in a Parkinson’s disease cohort.
2. To study the frequency and severity of these Non-Motor Fluctuations in Parkinson’s Disease

Secondary Objectives:

1. To study the correlation of Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) findings with various Non-Motor Symptom fluctuations in Parkinson’s Disease. (PD)

Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted at Sir Sundar Lal Hospital, Banaras Hindu University, over 1.5 years. A total of 400 PD patients were recruited and assessed for NMS and NMF using the Movement Disorders Society-Nonmotor Rating Scale (MDS-NMS) and the Non-Motor Fluctuation Assessment Questionnaire (NoMoFA). OCT measurements, including central macular thickness and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness, were obtained in a subset of 100 patients and compared with 100 age-matched healthy controls. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS v20, with p < 0.05 considered significant.

Results: NMS were present in 97% of patients, with fatigue, pain, and anxiety being the most common fluctuations. OCT analysis showed significant retinal thinning in PD patients, with stronger correlations observed in those with pronounced NMF.

Conclusion: NMF in Parkinson’s disease significantly impacts patient outcomes. OCT findings may provide valuable insights into disease progression and serve as a potential biomarker for monitoring non-motor symptom fluctuations.

Keywords: Parkinson’s Disease, Non-Motor Symptoms, Non-Motor Fluctuations, Optical Coherence Tomography, Retinal Thinning, Neurodegeneration