Activities of daily living and manual hand dexterity in persons with idiopathic parkinson disease.
Yoo-Im Choi, Chiang-Soon Song, Byung-Yoon Chun
PMID 28356630WHAT IT FOUND
In 25 people with mild-to-moderate Parkinson’s disease, better hand dexterity on the less affected side was linked to greater independence in daily activities.
This association was stronger than for the more affected side.
Key findings
01Hand dexterity on the less affected side showed a stronger positive correlation with daily living independence than the more affected side.
02Box-and-block test scores on the more affected side were a significant predictor of daily living independence in a regression model.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study included only 25 participants, which limits the generalisability of the findings. Postural control during activities was not measured, so its influence on daily living performance is unknown. The study did not use disease-specific tools to assess Parkinson’s symptoms like tremor or rigidity, which might also affect hand function. The participants were recruited from local rehabilitation centers, which may not represent people with Parkinson’s disease in the community.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that improving dexterity on the more affected side will directly restore independence. The data shows that daily living performance correlates more strongly with the less affected side, and the study is cross-sectional, so it does not prove that hand dexterity causes changes in independence.