Abstract
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Background</jats:title> <jats:p>Problematic Internet use (PIU) has been scarcely investigated in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of PIU symptoms in PD using a specific screening instrument and to explore the clinical characteristics of these individuals.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Methods</jats:title> <jats:p>Two-stage observational study in a Movement Disorders clinic. In Evaluation 1, participants with PD were screened by the Brazilian Portuguese Nine-Item Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire–Short Form (BR-PIUQ-SF-9). In Evaluation 2, screening-positive participants underwent an exploratory assessment of Internet use.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Results</jats:title> <jats:p>16.7% of participants with PD were positive for the BR-PIUQ-SF-9. The median Internet use time among these positive-screened participants was 5.5 hours per day. Most of them had impulsive-compulsive behaviors, and somatic concern, anxiety, and depressive mood were common psychiatric symptoms.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Conclusions</jats:title> <jats:p>Approximately one in six participants screened positive for PIU symptoms. Impulsive-compulsive behaviors and depressive symptoms were frequent among those undergoing subsequent exploratory assessment.</jats:p> </jats:sec>