The relationship between repetitive finger movement and quality of life in Parkinson's disease

Abstract

Background: Repetitive finger movement significantly impacts daily living activities, but there have been limited studies determining how repetitive finger movement impacts quality of life (QOL) in persons with Parkinson's disease (PD). The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between impairment in repetitive finger movement and QOL in persons with PD.

Methods: Eighty-four participants with PD completed a repetitive movement task and the Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ). Structural equation modeling was used to determine the relationship between repetitive finger movement outcome measures of amplitude and movement rate difference and the domains of the PDQ.

Results: Including all repetitive finger outcome measures with demographic variables produced the strongest model for predicting QOL.

Discussion: Repetitive finger movement is associated with QOL, but more research is needed to better understand the relationship between repetitive finger movement variables and each specific QOL domain.

Keywords: PDQ-39; amplitude; finger tapping; movement rate; structural equation modeling.