The effect of freezing phenomenon on functionality in patients with parkinson disease

Objective: The objective of the study is to determine association between severity of the freezing of gait and manual dexterities in patients with Parkinson disease. Methods: Sixty-six patients (54 without freezing of gait, 12 with freezing of gait) who were diagnosed with Idiopathic Parkinson disease were included in the study. Twenty-two of patients (33.3%) were female and fourty-four (66.7%) of patients were male. Stage of disease by Hoehn-Yahr Scale (HYS), severity of disease by Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), severity of the freezing of gait by Item 14 of the UPDRS, manual dexterities by Nine-Hole Peg Test (NHPT) bilaterally were assessed. Results: : It was found that the mean of HYS was 2.10±0.60, the mean of UPDRS was 35.60±17.09, the mean of severity of the freezing of gait was 0.25±0.67, the means of NHPT for dominant hand was 29.88±9.19 s, NHPT for nondominant hand was 32.14±11.36 s, NHPT for more effected side was 32.08±11.08 s, NHPT for less effected side was 29.94±9.54 s. Positive low degree significant correlation between severity of the freezing of gait and NHPT-nondominant hand were determined (r=0.286, p=0.020). No significant correlation between severity of the freezing of gait and NHPT-dominant hand were founded (p>0.05). Positive low degree significant correlation between severity of the freezing of gait and NHPT-more affected side and NHPT-less affected side were determined (r=0.254, p=0.039; r=0.267, p=0.030). In addition, it was not found that there was significant difference between the groups when hand dexterities were compared to patients with freezing of gait and without freezing of gait (p>0.05). Conclusion: The results of our study show that hand dexterities for nondominant hand are associated with severity of the freezing of gait in patients with Parkinson disease. In addition, correlation between severity of the freezing of gait and hand dexterities of both sides were found in assessment which made according to affected side of the disease. As severity of the freezing of gait increases of individuals increases, manual dexterities of both more and less affected side of the disease are adversely affected. However, it was not showed that there was difference in terms of hand dexterities between the groups with freezing of gait and without freezing of gait. Key Words: Parkinson disease, manual dexterity, freezing of gait