Contribution of Axial Motor Impairment to Physical Inactivity in Parkinson Disease

Abstract

Objective To investigate the relationships between motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and activity limitations in persons with PD. Design/Methods Cross-sectional study of persons with mild to moderate PD (N=90). Associations among axial motor features, limb motor signs, the Physical Activity Scale for Elders (PASE), the ability to perform Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and level of ADL dependency were studied. A composite score of axial motor features included the following UPDRS items: speech, rigidity of the neck, arising from chair, posture, gait and postural stability. A composite score of limb motor signs included the following UPDRS items: tremor at rest of all extremities, action tremor, rigidity of all extremities, finger taps, hand movement, rapid alternating hand movements and foot tapping. Results Axial motor features of PD were significantly correlated with physical inactivity (p<.001), decreased ADL (p<.001) and increase in ADL dependency (p<.001). Limb motor signs significantly correlated with decreased ADL (p<.001) and level of ADL dependency (p=.035), but was not correlated with physical inactivity. After controlling for age, gender, disease duration and comorbidity, axial motor features contributed significantly to physical inactivity, decreased ADL and increase in ADL dependency, whereas the limb motor signs did not. Conclusions Axial motor impairment contributed to physical inactivity and decreased ability to perform ADLs in persons with PD.

Trunk Range of Motion Is Related to Axial Rigidity, Functional Mobility and Quality of Life in Parkinson’s Disease: An Exploratory Study

“…Axial impairments related to gait disorders, postural instability [49] and the rigidity of the trunk [15,18,24] have been reported to be strongly associated with disability and poor HRQoL [18] in patients with mild to moderate PD. Moreover, axial motor features of PD have been found significantly correlated with physical inactivity, decreased ability to perform ADLs and increased ADLs dependency [50]. Moreover, gait difficulty, stooped posture, rigidity and postural instability increase the risk of falls and associate consequences that greatly affect functional status and HRQoL.…”

Self-reported physical activity in essential tremor: Relationship with tremor, balance, and cognitive function

“…In some studies, PASE scores correlate with objective measures of energy expenditure; nonetheless this is not the case with all studies [42]. Despite this limitation, the PASE is a standard and commonly-used measure in a wide range of research contexts [4–6], having been employed in more than 150 studies of physical activity. Finally, the mean age of our participants was 80.5 ± 8.1 years.…”

“…The Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE) is a commonly used geriatric self-report scale designed to assess physical activity of older individuals in epidemiological studies [4]; the scale has been used to study patients with cognitive impairment [5] as well as a range of other chronic and progressive neurological disorders of the elderly (e.g., Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease [PD]) [5, 6]. To our knowledge; however, there have been no similar studies of physical activity in patients with essential tremor (ET).…”

Receptor Ligands as Helping Hands to L-DOPA in the Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease

“…Although its etiology has not been determined so far, the main pathological characteristic is the decrease of the dopamine (DA) level due to the degeneration of the dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta [1,2]. This leads to motor (i.e., postural instability, dyskinesias, tremor, and rigidity) and non-motor (i.e., depression, cognitive impairment, pain, hallucinations) symptoms [3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13]. Another pathologically severe aspect is the abnormal formation of protein aggregates inside nerve cells (Lewy bodies), whose primary structural component is the presynaptic neuronal protein α-synuclein.…”