We studied the impact of various motor and nonmotor symptoms upon quality of life in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). The study comprised 110 patients with PD (age: 68.6 years, course of the disease: 7.6 years). The Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS; I–IV) and Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39) were recorded. We recorded the correlations between years of disease and UPDRS IV, as well as PDQ-39 and UPDRS I, II, III and IV. Introduction of all variables into a linear regression model showed that 3 variables accounted for 51% of the variance in PDQ-39. Mental condition, gait disorders and complications of dopaminergic drugs are the variables that most affect the quality of life of patients with PD.

The aim of the present study was to investigate caries prevalence and socioeconomic factors in children with sickle cell anemia. This study was conducted in 160 children with sickle cell anemia aged 3 to 12 years attending the Center for Hematology in Recife, Brazil. Data collection included interviews with guardians concerning social factors and oral examinations to determine the caries prevalence. Statistical analyses were performed using the Kruskal-Wallis and Pearson's chi-square tests at a 5% significance level. The caries prevalence was 55.0%. The dmft index was 2.12, and the DMFT index was 1.50. Income significantly influenced dmft; the mean dmft was 4.57 in children whose family income was less than the Brazilian minimum wage (BMW), whereas in children with a family income three times the BMW or higher, the mean dmft was 2.27. No statistically positive association was found between the educational level of parents and guardians and the caries indices. A statistically significant association was found between dental caries prevalence and family income.

Sickle cell anemia, a genetic disease caused by a mutation in the beta-globin gene, can present oral manifestations such as delayed tooth eruption and hypomineralized enamel and dentin. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence and severity of developmental defects of enamel (DDE) and delayed tooth eruption in children with sickle cell anemia. The sample comprised 56 male and female children with sickle cell anemia aged 6 to 12 years and treated at the Hematology and Hemotherapy Center of Pernambuco, Brazil. The data were collected according to the WHO criteria for DDE and tooth eruption. The prevalence of DDE was 58.2% and increased with age, affecting 43.8% of children aged 6 to 8 years and 66.7% of those aged 10 to 12 years (p>0.05; Pearson's chi-square test). There was no significant association between DDE and sex; the most prevalent type of DDE was diffuse opacity (6.2%). Tooth eruption was delayed in 18 children (32.1%). The delay increased with age and was detected in 11.8% of children aged 6 to 8 years, in 20.0% of those aged 8 to 10 years and in 54.2% of those aged 10 to 12 years (p<0.05; Pearson's chi-square test). Delayed tooth eruption was higher in males (36.7%, p>0.05). The prevalence of DDE was high, increased with age and was similar between sexes, while delayed eruption was higher in males and showed a significant association with age.

The results revealed a high prevalence of malocclusion in children and adolescents with SCD. According to DAI score, the majority of the sample presented with very severe malocclusion and a compulsory treatment need.

To assess the health-related quality of life of children and adolescents with sickle cell disease (SCD). This is a cross-sectional study carried out with 97 male and female patients aged 5 to 18 years with clinical and laboratory diagnosis of SCD, seen at the Hematology and Hemotherapy Hospital of Pernambuco. The Pediatric Quality of Life InventoryTM questionnaires, version 4.0 – child/adolescent report – were applied. Most patients were female (76.3%), had sickle cell anemia (89.7%) and mixed race (59.8%). There was a significant association in the psychosocial domain between age groups 5 to 7 (72.10) and 8 to 12 years (p≤0.05), the latter of which had the worst quality of life score (65.36). There were significant differences between sexes only in patients aged 13 to 18 years for physical functioning and for the overall mean of the domains. The means in both cases were higher in female patients than in male ones (70.89 x 56.88 for physical functioning and 71.72 x 59.77 for the overall mean of the domains). Poor quality of life was observed among children and adolescents with SCD, with negative impacts according to age and sex.