The Relationship between Drooling Frequency and Severity, Drooling-Related Quality of Life and Caregiver Burden in Individuals with Parkinson's Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objective: Drooling negatively impacts the quality of life of individuals with Parkinson's Disease (IwPD), and imposes a burden on caregivers. Therefore, our aim is to examine the quality of life and caregiver burden of IwPD experiencing drooling. Materials and Methods: A prospective study was conducted involving 65 IwPD and their caregivers. IwPD were assessed using the Sialorrhea Clinical Scale for Parkinson's Disease (SCS-PD), and Drooling Frequency and Severity Scale (DFSS), while caregivers were assessed via Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI). Additionally, IwPD were grouped based on disease severity and duration, and their drooling-related quality of life and caregiver burden were compared. Results: Moderate to high positive and significant correlations between SCS-PD, DFSS, and ZBI were found (p<0.05). Participants in the group with longer disease duration and greater severity exhibited higher scores on the outcome measurement tools (SCS-PD, DFSS, ZBI) compared to those in the group with shorter disease duration and lower severity (p<0.01). When comparing the groups with no drooling, moderate drooling, and severe drooling, participants in the severe drooling group showed higher scores on the outcome measurement tools compared to the other two groups (p<0.01). Conclusion: In the present study, relationships were found between drooling and factors such as age, disease duration, and disease severity. These factors influence the drooling frequency and severity, thereby negatively affecting both the drooling-related quality of life of IwPD and the caregiver burden. Therefore, in addition to assessing drooling-related quality of life, caregiver burden should also be evaluated in detail.