Abstract
Quality of life encompasses physical, psychological and social aspects of health. Apart from motor symptoms (physical aspects), Parkinson’s disease (PD) is also closely related with various non-motor symptoms (psychological and social aspects) that can undermine quality of life greatly, even in early stages of the disease. Most research studies in this field focus on analysis of motor symptoms in PD sufferers. Although benefits of physical activity for the psychosocial quality of life are well-known, they have been mostly neglected in case of the people suffering from PD. Numerous studies clearly show that training programs can ameliorate the quality of life as far as non-motor functions in PD sufferers are concerned. The only psychological aspects of the disease related to the effects of exercise that have been researched so far are depression and cognitive functions. Depression is the most common denominator of poor quality of life, while dementia often accompanies the Parkinson’s disease. Studies have shown positive effects of exercise on the social life of those suffering from the disease, especially in case of group exercise. Studying psychological and social aspects of such chronic conditions as PD is of utmost importance for monitoring the patient’s adjustment to the disease, functioning with it, as well as the overall well-being and satisfaction with life. Thus far, the results have been pointing towards improvement of the quality of life. Exercise is a readily available method of treatment in case of PD, especially if applied in the early stages of the disease. In addition to reviewing the existing studies on the relation between exercise and quality of life of the patients, this paper will also focus on the way the psychological and social aspects of PD are influenced by exercise.
Highlights
In addition to reviewing the existing studies on the relation between exercise and quality of life of the patients, this paper will focus on the way the psychological and social aspects of Parkinson’s disease (PD) are influenced by exercise
Apart from presenting an overview of research studies on the relationship between exercise and quality of life of PD sufferers, this paper focuses on the effects of exercise on the psychological and social aspects of the quality of life of those suffering from PD
The goal of research studies dealing with quality of life with PD is to examine certain health components, rather than to provide a global assessment
Summary
Motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease include rigidity, tremor, slowness of movement and postural instability (trouble with balance and walking) These disturbances lead to deteriorating functional status which affects the sufferer’s ability to walk, stand up, roll over in bed or put the shoes on [3]. Non-motor symptoms of PD are important factors of the quality of life and impact its physical, psychological and social aspects. Over the course of the last several years, assessment of the quality of life has gained greater significance due to the fact that chronic diseases with their physical and psychosocial repercussions often have a negative impact on the patient’s quality of life Research in this field is of great importance, having in mind the increasing incidence of chronic non-communicable diseases [8]
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