Non-motor symptoms

As the average age and life expectancy of the population increases, the non-motor features of Parkinson’s disease (PD) become increasingly important.

Non-motor symptoms correlate with advancing age and disease severity, although some non-motor symptoms can occur early in PD.

The spectrum of non-motor symptoms in PD

Non-motor symptoms of PD include problems with constipation, sweating and pain, sleep difficulties, and mood/thought-related conditions (reported by more than 60% of people with PD) such as depression and anxiety.

Non-motor symptoms such as a reduced sense of smell, and impaired speech and facial expression, may appear very early in the disease – in some cases, several years before the first motor symptoms. Other non-motor symptoms appear more frequently in the later stages of the disease, e.g., problems with thought and response to everyday situations (i.e., behaviour). Difficult/painful swallowing, problems with urination, sexual difficulties, and low blood pressure on standing, are other non-motor symptoms that may occur in PD.

To learn more about the non-motor symptoms in PD, use the links on the left hand side of this webpage.