Self-reported health in people with Parkinson’s disease left untreated at diagnosis
- Correspondence to: P Hagell Department of Health Sciences, Lund University, PO Box 157, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden; peter.hagell{at}med.lu.se
- Received 16 November 2006
- Accepted 16 November 2006
- Revised 16 November 2006
- Published Online First 29 November 2006
Early initiation of treatment in Parkinson’s disease prevents patient-reported deteriorations, but what is gained?
The paper by Grosset et al1 (see p 465) in this issue describes self-reported health in a “real-life” cohort of dopa-naïve people with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Assessments using the Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire (PDQ)-39 at initial consultation and for up to 18 months thereafter suggest stable self-reported health among patients who were started on dopaminergic treatment, whereas those who remained dopa-naïve deteriorated.
These observations add valuable fuel to the discussion on when to start dopaminergic treatment in PD.2,3 However, it remains to be determined whether initial benefits last in the long term, or …
