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BODY COMPOSITION AND POSTURAL INSTABILITY IN PEOPLE WITH IDIOPATHIC PARKINSON’S DISEASE

A.S. Diab, L.A. Hale, M.A. Skinner, G. Hammond-Tooke, A.L. Ward, D.L. Waters

J Aging Res Clin Practice 2016;5(1):14-19

Objectives: Idopathic Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder. Our objective was to investigate the relationship between body composition and postural instability in people with PD, and age- and sex-matched controls. Design: Cross-sectional study among PD sufferers and age- and sex-matched controls. Setting: University of Otago’s Balance Clinic, School of Physiotherapy. Participants: Forty-seven people with PD and 58 age- and sex-matched controls. Measurements: Postural stability was assessed with the Sensory Organization Test, Motor Control Test, Timed Up and Go Test, and Step Test. Body composition was measured by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Movement Disorders Society-Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale was applied to assess PD severity. Results: Mean group differences between PD and controls for the equilibrium composite score, Timed Up and Go Tests, and Step Test were statistically significant (p<0.05); strategy and latency composite scores and body composition variables were not (p>0.05). Three PD participants were sarcopenic; 15 PD and 24 controls were obese. In PD participants, total body lean mass and age predicted latency composite scores. Disease, age, and leg fat mass predicted the Timed Up and Go Test results (p<0.05). Sex and disease predicted the equilibrium composite score (p<0.01). Conclusion: The prevalence of obesity was high and sarcopenia low in the PD group, which is a novel finding. Not surprisingly, participants with PD had reduced postural stability compared to controls. Disease status, age and sex were influential factors in the weak relationships found between postural stability and body composition. These findings may have clinical relevance for the treatment of the physical symptoms of those suffering from PD.

CITATION:
A.S. Diab ; L.A. Hale ; M.A. Skinner ; G. Hammond-Tooke ; A.L. Ward ; D.L. Waters (2016): Body composition and postural instability in people with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease. The Journal of Aging Research and Clinical Practice (JARCP). http://dx.doi.org/10.14283/jarcp.2016.86

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