Objective: To verify whether there is a correlation between cognition, depression and quality of life with balance in the elderly with Parkinson’s disease.

Background: Regarding motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease, postural instability is one of the main and most compromising, and it may be present from the earlier stages of the disease.
Among the nonmotor symptoms, the emphasis is cognitive dysfunction and depression, which can negatively impact quality of life.

Method: This was a cross-sectional study which included 22 elderly with Parkinson’s disease, assessed using the following instruments: Hoehn and Yahr Scale, Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), Trail Making Test (TMT), Verbal Fluency Tests, Figure Test, Short Form Health Survey 36 (SF-36) and Stroop Test. Balance was assessed using the force platform in the bipedal, tandem with open eyes (OE), tandem with closed eyes (CE) and tandem with dual task (DT) positions. In each position, the parameters center of pressure (COP) area, amplitude of COP sway (anteroposterior and mediolateral) mean velocity (anteroposterior and mediolateral), and the number of correct answers in the Stroop Tests were evaluated.

Results: The cognition correlated with balance through the TMT and the Figures Test on the bipedal, tandem with CE and tandem with DT positions. There was no correlation between the other tests that evaluated cognition with balance and there was no correlation between balance and depression. The quality of life that domains correlated with balance were general health status (in bipedal, tandem with open eyes and tandem with double task positions) and social aspects (in tandem double task position).

Conclusion: There is a correlation between balance and cognition; balance and the domains general health and social aspects in individuals with Parkinson’s disease.

References: Pantall A, Del S, Rochester L. Gait & Posture Longitudinal changes over thirty-six months in postural control dynamics and cognitive function in people with Parkinson ’ s disease. Gait Posture [Internet]. 2018;62(April):468–74. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gaitpost.2018.04.016 Terra MB, Da Silva RA, Bueno MEB., Ferraz HB;, Smaili SM. Center of pressure-based balance evaluation in individuals with Parkinson’s disease: a reliability study. Physiother Theory Pract. 2018;1–9. Harro CC, Kelch A, Hargis C, Dewitt A. Comparing Balance Performance on Force Platform Measures in Individuals with Parkinson ’ s Disease and Healthy Adults. Parkinsons Dis. 2020;2018:1–12.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/does-cognition-depression-and-quality-of-life-influence-the-balance-of-elderly-with-parkinsons-disease/