Parkinson's non-motor symptoms varied without a clear overall sex pattern
Average symptom worsening was not statistically significant, although gastrointestinal symptoms worsened in both sexes and a sexual-function association differed by sex.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Non-motor symptoms followed varied paths rather than a clear overall pattern by sex. The average increase in symptom frequency and severity was not statistically significant, but gastrointestinal symptoms worsened in both groups. Male sex was associated with higher odds of worsening sexual function, a specific result that should be distinguished from the overall findings.
The abstract reports only baseline and follow-up ratings and gives no confidence interval for the sexual-function association. Nonsignificant overall results do not establish that symptoms remain stable or that the sexes have equivalent trajectories.
What researchers found
Overall non-motor symptom frequency and severity
Follow-up versus baseline on the Non-Motor Symptom Scale; median follow-up was 3.8 years.
An average can hide different experiences
The overall result coexisted with worsening gastrointestinal symptoms and substantial variation between individuals. The authors also considered whether score changes exceeded measurement error, an important distinction when interpreting apparent changes on a symptom scale.
Starting symptoms complicated the picture
More severe symptoms at baseline were associated with greater odds of later improvement. Yet higher starting scores in attention, memory and cardiovascular symptoms also predicted worsening, showing that the pattern differed across symptom domains.
The original publication
Effect of sex on the progression of non-motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease: A registry-based cohort study.
Murueta-Goyena A, Del Pino R, Carmona-Abellán M et al.
Neurologia (Engl Ed) · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 40903147
- Record checked
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