Rasagiline for the Symptomatic Treatment of Fatigue in Parkinson's Disease

The MFIS rates how much of a problem fatigue has caused the subjects during the past month, including the day of testing. It consists of 21 questions of fatigue on quality of life. Each subject is asked to circle the appropriate response for each item: 0=never, 1=rarely, 2=sometimes, 3=often, 4=always, 5=almost always. The minimum score is 0 and the maximum is 105. The higher the score, the more fatigue the subject.

The Fatigue Severity Score consists of a nine-item questionnaire to identify common features of fatigue. Patients are instructed to choose a number from 1 to 7 that indicates their degree of agreement with each statement, where 1 = strongly disagree and 7 = strongly agree. Scores can range from a minimum of 9 to a maximum of 63. The higher the score, the more fatigue the subject.

The Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFIS) is a 20-item self-report instrument designed to measure fatigue. It covers the following dimensions: general fatigue, physical fatigue, mental fatigue, reduced motivation and reduced activity. Subjects are instructed to choose a number from 1 to 5 that indicates their degree of agreement with each statement where 1 indicates that it is true and 5 that it is not true. There are positive and negative statements in the questionnaire. The range is 1 to 100, the higher the number the higher the fatigue.

PD Quality of Life Scale (PDQ39) is a 39-item questionnaire, which measures eight dimensions of health (mobility, activities of daily living, emotional well-being, stigma, social support, cognitions, communication and bodily discomfort) over the past 30 days. Dimension scores are coded on a scale of 0 (never) to 5 (always). The higher the score, the worse the quality of life affected by PD. The range for this test is 0 to 195. All eight dimensions are added for a total score.

The Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT) is a neuropsychological test used to assess capacity and rate of information processing and sustained and divided attention. Where subjects are given a number (every 3 seconds for the first series and 2 seconds for the second series) and are asked to add the number they just heard with the number they heard before. This is a challenging task that involves working memory, attention, and arithmetic capabilities.

The patient is asked to use the index finger on the side most affected by Parkinson's disease to tap for sixty seconds with the number of taps at 30 seconds and 60 seconds recorded.

The patients use the hand on the side most affected by Parkinson's disease to grip the dynamometer with as much strength as they can for 3 consecutive tries. The highest score will be their maximal voluntary contraction (MVC). The subject then rests for 60 seconds. The subject is asked to try to maintain 70% of their MVC and the duration the subject is able to maintain above 50% of their MVC is recorded. Immediately after the maintenance test, the subject performs three more MVCs and each one is recorded. These results are the duration the subject is able to maintain above 50% of their MVC.

The Parkinson's disease sleep scale (PDSS) is a 15-item visual analogue scale that assesses the profile of nocturnal disturbances in Parkinson's disease patients. The severity of symptoms of sleep over the past week is marked with a cross along a 10 cm line (labeled worst to best state). Responses are quantified by measuring the distance along each line to the intersection with the cross in centimetres, to the nearest 0.1 cm. The scores for each item range from 0 (symptom severe and always experienced) to 10 (symptom-free). The maximum score for PDSS is 150.

The Marin Apathy Inventory (Apathy Evaluation Scale) is a 14-item inventory measuring apathy of the subject over the past 2 to 4 weeks. Subjects are instructed to choose an answer from 0 to 3: 0=not at all, 1 = slightly, 2 = some, 3 = a lot, to questions related to apathy. The range would be 0 to 42, the higher the score the worse the apathy.

The Visual Analog Scale is a measurement instrument for subjective characteristics or attitudes that cannot be directly measured. The severity of attitude at the time of testing is marked with a cross along a 10 cm line (labeled neutral to afraid, confused, sad, angry, energetic, tired, happy or tense). Responses are quantified by measuring the distance along each line to the intersection with the cross in centimetres, to the nearest 0.1 cm. The scores for each item range from 0 (symptoms-free) to 10 (symptom severe).

The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) is 40-item psychological inventory based on a 4-point Likert scale. Higher scores are positively correlated with higher levels of anxiety. The range for this test is 0 to 160.

The Becks Depression Inventory (BDI-II) is a 21-question inventory measuring the severity of depression. Each subject is instructed to choose an answer on a scale value of 0 to 3 with the total score from 0 to 63. Higher total scores indicate more severe depressive symptoms.

Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale - Motor (UPDRS Part III)is a 14-question inventory measuring the motor functions of patients with Parkinson's Disease. Each subject is rated on a scale of 0 to 4 with the total score from 0 to 56. Higher total scores indicate more impairment of motor function.

The Visual Analog Scale is a measurement instrument for subjective characteristics or attitudes that cannot be directly measured. The severity of attitude at the time of testing is marked with a cross along a 10 cm line (labeled neutral to afraid, confused, sad, angry, energetic, tired, happy or tense). Responses are quantified by measuring the distance along each line to the intersection with the cross in centimetres, to the nearest 0.1 cm. The scores for each item range from 0 (symptoms-free) to 10 (symptom severe).

The Visual Analog Scale is a measurement instrument for subjective characteristics or attitudes that cannot be directly measured. The severity of attitude at the time of testing is marked with a cross along a 10 cm line (labeled neutral to afraid, confused, sad, angry, energetic, tired, happy or tense). Responses are quantified by measuring the distance along each line to the intersection with the cross in centimetres, to the nearest 0.1 cm. The scores for each item range from 0 (symptoms-free) to 10 (symptom severe).

The Visual Analog Scale is a measurement instrument for subjective characteristics or attitudes that cannot be directly measured. The severity of attitude at the time of testing is marked with a cross along a 10 cm line (labeled neutral to afraid, confused, sad, angry, energetic, tired, happy or tense). Responses are quantified by measuring the distance along each line to the intersection with the cross in centimetres, to the nearest 0.1 cm. The scores for each item range from 0 (symptoms-free) to 10 (symptom severe).

The Visual Analog Scale is a measurement instrument for subjective characteristics or attitudes that cannot be directly measured. The severity of attitude at the time of testing is marked with a cross along a 10 cm line (labeled neutral to afraid, confused, sad, angry, energetic, tired, happy or tense). Responses are quantified by measuring the distance along each line to the intersection with the cross in centimetres, to the nearest 0.1 cm. The scores for each item range from 0 (symptoms-free) to 10 (symptom severe).

The Visual Analog Scale is a measurement instrument for subjective characteristics or attitudes that cannot be directly measured. The severity of attitude at the time of testing is marked with a cross along a 10 cm line (labeled neutral to afraid, confused, sad, angry, energetic, tired, happy or tense). Responses are quantified by measuring the distance along each line to the intersection with the cross in centimetres, to the nearest 0.1 cm. The scores for each item range from 0 (symptoms-free) to 10 (symptom severe).

The Visual Analog Scale is a measurement instrument for subjective characteristics or attitudes that cannot be directly measured. The severity of attitude at the time of testing is marked with a cross along a 10 cm line (labeled neutral to afraid, confused, sad, angry, energetic, tired, happy or tense). Responses are quantified by measuring the distance along each line to the intersection with the cross in centimetres, to the nearest 0.1 cm. The scores for each item range from 0 (symptoms-free) to 10 (symptom severe).

The Visual Analog Scale is a measurement instrument for subjective characteristics or attitudes that cannot be directly measured. The severity of attitude at the time of testing is marked with a cross along a 10 cm line (labeled neutral to afraid, confused, sad, angry, energetic, tired, happy or tense). Responses are quantified by measuring the distance along each line to the intersection with the cross in centimetres, to the nearest 0.1 cm. The scores for each item range from 0 (symptoms-free) to 10 (symptom severe).