BHATIA, Sangeeta (Gargi College) & GUPTA, Ashum (University of Delhi)

Patients with Parkinson's Disease (P.D.) were studied through structured interviews to explore the relationship of motoric, cognitive, interpersonal and affective functioning with onset and severity of disease. Results revealed that early onset patients had experienced significantly greater interpersonal and affective problems than the patients with late onset of disease. However, there were no significant differences between early and late on set of motoric and cognitive problems, global cognitive functioning and depression and between genders. Self-reported motoric, cognitive, interpersonal, affective problems and depression were found to be significantly greater in severe as compared to moderate P.D. patients. Global cognitive functioning and daily-life functional activities were found to be significantly poorer in severe as compared to moderate P.D. patients. Severity of disease was significantly correlated with motoric, cognitive, interpersonal, affective and global cognitive functioning and depression. The problems of P.D. patients are not restricted to the motoric domain (as focussed by clinicians) but are multidimensional in nature. Therefore, in clinical management of this illness, all factors need to be taken into account.