Highlights
- •The observer-rated version of the Parkinson Anxiety Scale (OR-PAS) showed high reliability in early stage of PD.
- •The OR-PAS showed good convergent and divergent validity.
- •Maximum discrimination between patients with and without anxiety was obtained with a cut-off score of 8.5.
- •Anxiety occurred in 59 patients (58.4%) at early stages of PD
Abstract
Introduction
Anxiety disorders are common in Parkinson's Disease (PD) and their identification
is relevant even at early stages. The Parkinson Anxiety Scale (PAS) evaluates anxiety
in PD; it was used only in the original validation study in PD patients mainly at
2–3 stages of Hoehn & Yahr system (H&Y). The study aimed to investigate psychometric
properties of observer-rated version of the PAS (OR-PAS), prevalence rate of anxiety
and its features, compared with diagnostic criteria in early PD patients.
Methods
A sample of 101 PD patients with H&Y:1–2 underwent the OR-PAS. To assess convergent
and divergent validity, PD patients underwent Beck Anxiety Inventory, and scales assessing
depression, apathy, anhedonia and cognition. To diagnose anxiety disorders, Mini International
Neuropsychiatric Inventory was used as gold standard. A “receiver operating characteristics”
curve was obtained; positive and negative predictive values were calculated for different
cut-off points of the OR-PAS and its subscales.
Results
There was no missing data, no floor and ceiling effects; mean score was 12.2 ± 10.1; Cronbach's alpha was 0.899. The OR-PAS showed good convergent and divergent
validity. Maximum discrimination was obtained with a cut-off score of 8.5. The anxiety
occurred in 59 patients (58.4%).
Conclusion
The OR-PAS is a reliable and valid screening instrument for assessing anxiety in patients
at early PD. Anxiety was found in 58.4% of PD patients, demonstrating that anxiety
occurs even at early stages.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: June 05, 2016
Accepted:
June 3,
2016
Received in revised form:
May 31,
2016
Received:
January 7,
2016
Identification
Copyright
© 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
