Correlation of Corneal Sensitivity With Vision-Related Quality of Life, Ocular Surface Symptoms, and Clinical Severity in Parkinson's Disease.

PURPOSE To investigate the relationship between corneal sensitivity (CS), vision-related quality of life, ocular surface symptoms, and clinical severity in patients with Parkinson's disease (PwP).

METHODS Prospective observational cohort study. CS was measured using a noncontact esthesiometer. Vision-related quality of life and ocular surface symptoms were assessed with the NEI VFQ-25 and OSDI questionnaires. Parkinson's disease severity was graded with the Hoehn and Yahr (HY) scale. Associations were analyzed using Pearson correlation and ANOVA.

RESULTS A total of 356 eyes from 178 PwP were included. Mean age was 62.77 ± 11.34 years, and 51.4% were male. Mean CS was 6.47 ± 2.24 mBar, NEI VFQ-25 score was 67.11 ± 9.35, and OSDI score was 25.17 ± 18.19. CS was significantly associated with the NEI VFQ-25 composite score (r = 0.449, P <0.001) but not with the OSDI score (r = 0.122, P = 0.141). NEI VFQ-25 and OSDI scores showed moderate correlation (r = 0.477, P <0.001). CS also correlated with general vision, near vision, distance vision, mental health, and peripheral vision subscales (P <0.05). CS varied across HY stages (P <0.001), with stages 3 to 4 demonstrating significantly reduced sensitivity compared with stages 1 to 2 (all P <0.001).

CONCLUSIONS CS correlates with vision-related quality of life but not directly with ocular surface symptoms in PwP. Its progressive reduction with advancing HY stages suggests potential as a surrogate marker of disease severity. CS measurements may complement quality-of-life assessments and aid in the early detection of ocular surface compromise in this population.