Impulse control disorders in Parkinson s disease Impulsivity and impulse control disorders in Parkinson s disease – A pilot study of assessment instruments in a clinic population

Abstract

This study consists of two parts: first, the thesis with a general theoretical overview of the topic. Second, the draft paper Impulsivity and impulse control disorders in Parkinson s disease – A pilot study of assessment instruments in a clinic. The purpose of this work has been to contribute to the awareness of ICDs as a potential problem in Parkinson s disease (PD), and to investigate possible tools and their utility to assess this problem in a specialised neurologic policlinic in Norway. In the pilot study we translated the Questionnaire for Impulse-Compulsive Disorders in Parkinson s Disease (QUIP) and the Barrat Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) to Norwegian and administered them to a convenience sample of PD patients. Statistical analyses was undertaken with SPSS version 15.0. The analyses showed comparable numbers of ICDs in our sample of patients compared with previous findings and we found a significant correlation between the presence of an ICD and the degree of impulsivity. This study emphasizes the need for an increased awareness about ICDs and other compulsive disorders in Parkinson s disease as a possible side effect of their medication. The sensitive nature of these disorders requires a systematic and cautious approach, although an appreciation of their presence in a process of normalization seems equally important. Even though the pilot study was done on a small population after convenience sample our findings support previous studies that encourage clinicians to do routine testing for ICDs and other compulsive behaviours in PD patients.

This study consists of two parts: first, the thesis with a general theoretical overview of the topic. Second, the draft paper Impulsivity and impulse control disorders in Parkinson s disease – A pilot study of assessment instruments in a clinic. The purpose of this work has been to contribute to the awareness of ICDs as a potential problem in Parkinson s disease (PD), and to investigate possible tools and their utility to assess this problem in a specialised neurologic policlinic in Norway. In the pilot study we translated the Questionnaire for Impulse-Compulsive Disorders in Parkinson s Disease (QUIP) and the Barrat Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) to Norwegian and administered them to a convenience sample of PD patients. Statistical analyses was undertaken with SPSS version 15.0. The analyses showed comparable numbers of ICDs in our sample of patients compared with previous findings and we found a significant correlation between the presence of an ICD and the degree of impulsivity. This study emphasizes the need for an increased awareness about ICDs and other compulsive disorders in Parkinson s disease as a possible side effect of their medication. The sensitive nature of these disorders requires a systematic and cautious approach, although an appreciation of their presence in a process of normalization seems equally important. Even though the pilot study was done on a small population after convenience sample our findings support previous studies that encourage clinicians to do routine testing for ICDs and other compulsive behaviours in PD patients.