Body posture in patients with Parkinson’s disease

Abstract

Open Access License:This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-commercial 4.0 International (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and is otherwise in compliance with the license. abstract BackgroundThe purpose of the study was to analyze changes in the body posture and to assess the differences in posture between women and men with PD. Material/MethodsA group of 32 patients were examined, who were members of the Parkinson's Disease Association in Kielce. Body posture was examined by an optoelectronic method -Diers formetric III 4D -using raster stereography. ResultsEnlarged chest kyphosis (hyperkyphosis) was observed in 11 (34.37%) individuals. Enlarged lumbar lordosis (hyperlordosis) occurred in 10 (31.25%) patients. Deepened chest kyphosis and lumbar lordosis (hyperkyphosis-hyperlordosis) was noted in 3 (9.37%) individuals. Scoliosis occurred in 28 (87.5%) patients while 4 patients (12.5%) showed signs of scoliotic posture. ConclusionsSignificantly more postural defects were observed in individuals with PD compared to those who were healthy. This is especially true in the case of scoliotic posture. Highly significant differences in posture variables were observed between males and females, concerning body height and mass, angle of lumbar lordosis, trunk length (VP-DM) and trunk length (VP-SP). Patients with PD require systematic rehabilitation, which is as important as pharmacological treatment. Key wordsParkinson's disease, body posture, curvature of the spine Parkinson's disease (Lat. morbus Parkinsoni) is one of the most common diseases of the nervous system. In the course of the disease a wide spectrum of disorders is observed, especially motor, cognitive, and emotional ones. Also disorders in the autonomic nervous system are observed. The disease often begins between the ages of 58-62; however, cases of its earlier development are also noted. It is estimated that the disease occurs in approximately 0.15% of the general population [1,2,3]. The morbidity risk in males is slightly higher compared to females [4,5]. It is estimated that in Poland about 80,000 people are ill with this disease. Apart from motor disorders (e.g. resting tremor, slowness of movements, muscle rigidity, disorders of posture and motor coordination) [6,7], there occur non-motor symptoms, including emotional disorders, cognitive disorders, vegetative symptoms, disorders concerning sleep and sensory sensitivity [8]. The cause of the development of Parkinson's disease has not been recognized to-date, and its treatment is limited to the symptomatic treatment. The pathomechanism of death of dopaminergic neurons has not been discovered. There are several etiologic hypotheses of Parkinson's disease, among others, the theory of environmental factors and toxins [9,10], the theory of genetic factors [11,12], the theory of premature ageing of t...

Body composition assessment by bioelectrical impedance analysis among patients treated with L-dopa for Parkinson’s disease

“…Parkinson's disease (PD) concerns 1% of the human population aged 40-60 years, but can happen also among younger individuals [1]. In this disease, the symptoms occur due to degenerative changes of nervous cells in the substantia negra and in other pigment-bearing neurons within areas of the brain [2,3]. Among the consequences of PD are disorders of body composition and weight loss [4].…”