Objective:

The aim of this study was to assess the association between dopaminergic-induced complications and satisfaction with life in patients with Parkinson’s disease.

Methods:

A cross-sectional study was carried out. Subjects were recruited from two movement disorders clinics in Mexico, from May to October 2019. Dopaminergic drug-induced complications were assessed with the movement disorders society – unified Parkinson’s disease rating scale items 4.1-4.5 where satisfaction with life scale score was used as the outcome variable. Correlation coefficients were utilized.

Results:

Sixty-eight patients were included in the study. The mean satisfaction with life scale score was 25.7 (SD = 5.3), with 66.1% of them scoring higher than average scores. Age at diagnosis (rs = 0.256, p = 0.035), education (rs = 0.240, p = 0.048), geographic region (r2 = 0.180, p = 0.034), movement disorders society - unified Parkinson’s disease rating scale part I (rs = −0.378, p = 0.002) and II (rs = −0.280, p = 0.021), and Hoehn and Yahr stage (rs = −0.295, p = 0.015) were significantly correlated with satisfaction with life scale scores. Partial correlation coefficient analysis revealed a statistically significant but moderate correlation between motor fluctuations and satisfaction with life scale scores (rs = −0.408, p = 0.001). No significant correlation was observed with dyskinesias.

Conclusions:

Motor fluctuations but not dyskinesias have a detrimental effect on patients’ life satisfaction. Strategies to reduce motor fluctuations and better understanding the contribution of these to patients’ lives may help minimize the negative impact of these complications on patients with PD.