The importance of understanding the prodromal phase of Parkinson’s disease (PD) by systematic recording of prediagnostic symptoms and reductions in body functions has been highlighted. The aim of this study was to investigate whether persons later diagnosed with PD exhibit increased physician-certified sickness absence 1, 2, and 5 years prior to a first sick-leave episode attributed to PD. A case-control study was performed to analyze data from all nontrivial (exceeding 14 days) sick-leave episodes in Sweden between 2008 and 2014. The 537 incident PD sick-leave episodes were identified as PD sick-leave cases and compared to 537 sick-leave controls identified by matching age, sex, and date of the first day of the sick-leave episode. The total sickness absence and sickness absence due to musculoskeletal diagnoses were found to be increased among the PD sick-leave cases from 5 years prior to the first sick-leave episode ascribed to PD when compared to the controls. No differences between PD sick-leave cases and sick-leave controls were found with regard to mental and behavioral diagnoses. We conclude that the capacity to participate in working life is reduced already at the early prediagnostic stages of PD. This finding can be used as a basis for further research into the process of identifying individuals at risk for developing PD, particularly in combination with further investigation into biochemical, genetic, and imaging biomarkers.

强调了通过系统地记录诊断前症状和身体机能下降来了解帕金森氏病（PD）前驱期的重要性。这项研究的目的是调查后来被诊断为PD的人在因PD导致的第一次病假发作之前1年，2年和5年是否表现出医生证明的疾病缺勤增加。进行了一项病例对照研究，以分析2008年至2014年期间瑞典所有非平凡（超过14天）病假事件的数据。将537例PD病假事件识别为PD病假案例，并将其与537例病假进行比较-请根据病假发作第一天的年龄，性别和日期进行匹配来确定控件。与对照组相比，PD病假发生的第一个病假发作之前的5年后，PD病假病例中的总疾病缺失和因肌肉骨骼诊断引起的疾病缺失被发现增加。在精神和行为诊断方面，PD病假病例和病假对照之间没有发现差异。我们得出的结论是，在PD的早期诊断阶段，参与工作生活的能力已经降低。这一发现可作为进一步研究确定患有PD危险个体的过程的基础，尤其是与对生物化学，遗传和成像生物标志物的进一步研究相结合。在精神和行为诊断方面，PD病假病例和病假对照之间没有发现差异。我们得出的结论是，在PD的早期诊断阶段，参与工作生活的能力已经降低。这一发现可作为进一步研究确定患有PD危险个体的过程的基础，尤其是与对生物化学，遗传和成像生物标志物的进一步研究相结合。在精神和行为诊断方面，PD病假病例和病假对照之间没有发现差异。我们得出的结论是，在PD的早期诊断阶段，参与工作生活的能力已经降低。这一发现可作为进一步研究确定患有PD危险个体的过程的基础，尤其是与对生物化学，遗传和成像生物标志物的进一步研究相结合。