Activities of daily living and manual hand dexterity in persons with idiopathic Parkinson disease

Abstract

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between daily activities and manual dexterity in persons with Parkinson disease. [Subjects and Methods] The study participants were 25 patients with idiopathic Parkinson disease. This study used two clinical tools, the box-and-block test and Schwab and England Activities of Daily Living scale, to investigate the relationship between manual dexterity and Schwab and England Activities of Daily Living score. [Results] A positive correlation was observed between the Schwab and England Activities of Daily Living and the box-and-block test scores on the more and less affected sides. Moreover, the Schwab and England Activities of Daily Living score had a greater correlation with the box-and-block test score on the less affected side than that on the more affected side. [Conclusion] Manual dexterity and activities of daily living showed a positive correlation in individuals with Parkinson disease. The results of this study suggest that manual dexterity is an important factor for predicting physical performance in daily living in persons with Parkinson disease.