Rating Scale Helps Characterise Hallucinations In Parkinson's Disease: Presented at ANA

By Maggie Schwarz

WASHINGTON, DC -- October 12, 2007 -- A new rating scale for the assessment of all aspects of hallucinations in Parkinson's disease (PD) may prove very helpful in gauging the medication needs and nursing care needed for patients with PD, in turn reducing mortality, said researchers at the 132nd Annual Meeting of the American Neurological Association (ANA).

"The University of Miami Hallucinations Questionnaire (UMHQ-V1) incorporates all aspects of [hallucinations] of Parkinson's disease," stated Spyridon Papapetropoulos, MD, PhD, Director of Research, Division of Movement Disorders, Department of Neurology, and Associate Professor of Neurology, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, United States. "It enables qualitative descriptions, as well as the rating of hallucinations in terms of frequency and severity. It also allows for determination of whether hallucinations are medication-induced."

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