Hannah Bevan

• Risk factors associated with longitudinal poor health outcomes in Parkinson’s Disease
• BSc Hons Psychology with Professional Placement

Receiving a diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a reality for a growing number of people in the UK. This research aimed to answer some questions that may cross people’s mind after diagnosis. Will this affect my risk of dementia, future living arrangements, or life expectancy?

The ICICLE-PD study investigated people recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease over the following ten years. We explored risk factors for dementia, moving to residential care, and death. Risk factors included mood, seeing things that are not there (hallucinations) and medication. A greater risk of developing dementia was associated with experiencing visual hallucinations. Other risk factors like mood and medication were not linked with poor health outcomes at 10 years.

It is important to understand which symptoms or factors are linked to dementia or poor health outcomes in Parkinson’s disease. This could help healthcare professionals give more personalised support as Parkinson’s progresses.