Parkinson’s symptoms differ by sex, research presented in Seoul shows

Parkinson’s disease symptoms differ significantly between men and women, with female patients experiencing a greater burden of motor complications and higher rates of depression, according to research presented on October 5, 2026, at the International Congress of Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders in Seoul, South Korea, Medscape reported.

Retrospective Analysis of 10,943 Parkinson’s Patients Identifies Sex-Based Symptom Splits

The findings stem from a retrospective analysis of 10,943 consecutive patients treated at a movement disorders clinic in Germany between 2009 and 2019. Out of the overall cohort, 6,508 participants were men and 4,435 were women. The mean age was 70.7 years for women and 70.4 years for men, while the age of onset averaged 63.6 years for women and 63.4 years for men. Disease duration was similar across both groups, averaging 7.2 years for women and 7.0 years for men.

Researchers utilized the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale to assess motor symptoms, the Mini-Mental State Examination to measure cognition, and the 12-item Sniffin’ Stick identification test to evaluate olfaction. Depression and rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder were tracked via patient histories and medical charts.

Female Patients Show Higher Rates of Motor Dyskinesia and Depression

While initial motor scores on parts I, II, and III of the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale showed no significant differences between the sexes, female participants recorded a significantly higher mean score on part IV, which measures treatment complications. Women averaged a score of 4.3 compared to 3.5 for men. Female patients also reported a higher incidence of depression at 7.8%, compared to 4.2% for men.

Further breakdown of the part IV items indicated that women experienced greater duration, disability, pain, and early morning dystonia related to dyskinesia. They also reported more frequent predictable OFF periods, unpredictable OFF periods, and sudden-onset OFF periods.

Parkinson’s in every person is different, but stratifying according to sex is important. As clinicians, we should be asking about these symptoms.

Sandrina Weber

Male Patients Exhibit Greater Cognitive Decline and Olfaction Loss

Conversely, male participants demonstrated a higher prevalence of probable rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder at 9.2%, compared to 6.2% for women. Men also scored lower on the Mini-Mental State Examination, averaging 24.9 points compared to 25.4 points for women, indicating greater cognitive decline. In addition, male participants experienced greater olfaction loss, with an average score of 5.5 on the Sniffin’ Stick test compared to 6.4 for women.

Co-investigator Sandrina Weber, a neurologist in Göttingen, Germany, noted that Parkinson’s has historically been viewed primarily as a disease affecting older men. The research team launched the study to examine these disparities directly in a real-world cohort.

Sex Differences Help Advance Precision Medicine for Parkinson's Disease

Marina Picillo, from the Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases at the AOU San Giovanni di Dio and Ruggi d’Aragona in Salerno, Italy, stated that accounting for sex differences is a vital first step for advancing precision medicine in Parkinson’s disease care and clinical trial design.

Study investigators noted that ongoing analyses incorporating treatment data will help determine the drivers of these differences.

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