Association between physical activity and health literacy in patients with Parkinson's disease: an online web survey.

BACKGROUND: For patients with Parkinson's disease (PwPD), promotion of habitual physical activity (PA) assists in the prevention of disease progression. Patients' health literacy (HL) is integral for meeting PA standards and turning it into a habit. This study evaluated the association between PA level and each HL domain in PwPD. METHODS: Online web-based assessment instruments and self-administered questionnaires, including the PA Questionnaire (IPAQ) Short Form and the Functional, Communicative, and Critical Health Literacy (FCCHL) scale, were used to assess PA levels and health literacy domains of PwPD. RESULTS: The mean age of PwPD (n = 114) was 65.9 (SD = 11.6) years; 59.6% female, and the mean duration of disease was 6.4 (SD = 5.1) years. Of participants, 47.4% met the recommended criteria for PA. When comparing each HL domain by PA level, participants with lower PA had significantly lower critical HL (p = 0.03). Logistic regression analysis revealed that PA level correlated with critical HL (OR = 2.46; 95% CI = 1.16-5.19; p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Adherence to recommended PA standards was associated with critical HL, but not other HL domains. Proactive attitudes to critically evaluate and utilize as well as understand health information may positively influence the promotion of PA.

Impact of Parkinson's Disease on Caregiver Quality of Life in Japan.

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) adversely affects the quality of life (QoL) of not only patients but also their caregivers. Objective: To determine the factors that most impact the QoL of family caregivers of patients with PD in a large Japanese population using data from the Japanese Quality-of-Life Survey of Parkinson's Disease (JAQPAD) study. Methods: Questionnaires, including the Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire-Carer (PDQ-Carer), were distributed to patients and their caregivers. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed with the PDQ-Carer Summary Index (SI) score as the dependent variable to determine the factors that impact caregiver QoL. Results: Overall, 1,346 caregivers were included in the analysis. Female sex, unemployment, caring for a patient with a high-level need for nursing care, and a high Nonmotor Symptoms Questionnaire score were factors with a significant negative impact on caregiver QoL. Conclusion: Results from this study identified several factors that affect caregiver QoL in Japan.

Physical Activity and Its Diurnal Fluctuations Vary by Non-Motor Symptoms in Patients with Parkinson's Disease: An Exploratory Study.

Background: This exploratory study investigated the association between non-motor symptoms (NMS) and both physical activity and diurnal activity patterns in patients with Parkinson's disease (PwPD). Methods: Participants included PwPD with modified Hoehn and Yahr stages 1−3. The presence of NMS was assessed with Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) Part I. Physical activity was measured using a waist-mounted triaxial accelerometer. Logistic regression analyses evaluated associations between NMS and physical activity; furthermore, diurnal fluctuation in physical activity due to NMS was examined by ANCOVA. Results: Forty-five PwPD were included in the study. Among the domains of NMS, pain and other sensations (OR, 8.36; 95% CI, 1.59−43.94) and fatigue (OR, 14.26; 95% CI, 1.85−109.90) were associated with low daily step count (<4200 steps/day). Analysis by time of day showed no characteristic variability in physical activity but had constant effect sizes for pain and other sensations (p = 0.20, ES = 0.36) and fatigue (p = 0.08, ES = 0.38). Conclusion: Our exploratory study suggested that PwPD with pain and other sensations and fatigue recorded lower step counts than their asymptomatic counterparts. Therefore, PwPD with pain and fatigue may need more support in promoting physical activity.

Off Time Independently Affects Quality of Life in Advanced Parkinson's Disease (APD) Patients but Not in Non-APD Patients: Results from the Self-Reported Japanese Quality-of-Life Survey of Parkinson's Disease (JAQPAD) Study.

INTRODUCTION: Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by a triad of motor symptoms and several nonmotor symptoms (NMS). Identifying the most appropriate treatment is essential for improving patient quality of life (QoL). However, it is still not known which PD symptoms more commonly affect patients with advanced PD (APD) versus non-APD. This study examined the factors that most affected the QoL of patients with APD (defined using the 5-2-1 criteria: ≥5 oral levodopa doses a day, off time ≥2 hours a day, or troublesome dyskinesia ≥1 hour a day) versus non-APD in a large Japanese population using the Japanese Quality-of-Life Survey of Parkinson's Disease (JAQPAD) study. METHODS: Participants in this self-reported survey-based study included all members of the Japan Parkinson's Disease Association. Questionnaires assessing NMS and QoL (e.g., the 8-item PD Questionnaire [PDQ-8]) were included. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were conducted to identify clinical factors impacting QoL using the PDQ-8 Summary Index (PDQ-8 SI). RESULTS: Of the 3022 eligible patients, 864 were classified as having non-APD and 1599 as having APD. QoL as assessed by the PDQ-8 SI was notably worse in patients with APD versus non-APD (39.2 vs. 26.9, p < 0.0001). Although off time affected QoL only in patients with APD, PD duration and the NMS Questionnaire score significantly contributed to the QoL in both patients with APD and non-APD. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified the factors more commonly associated with worse QoL in patients with APD versus non-APD. Our findings offer new insights for providing optimal treatment and improving treatment satisfaction in patients with PD.

Table tennis for patients with Parkinson's disease: A single-center, prospective pilot study.

INTRODUCTION: Table tennis is a popular sport worldwide. However, no study has examined whether it is an effective exercise for patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). The efficacy and safety of table tennis exercise for PD patients was examined. METHODS: This 6-month prospective study investigated if our table tennis exercise program could improve parkinsonian motor symptoms, cognition and psychiatric symptoms. Twelve PD patients with Hoehn & Yahr stage ≤4 were recruited. Patients participated in a 6-hour exercise session once weekly. All patients were assessed with the Movement Disorder Society Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) parts I-IV, Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB), Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), and Starkstein Apathy Scale (SAS) at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months. RESULTS: Nine of 12 PD patients were analyzed, except for three patients for which data was missing. MDS-UPDRS parts II and III were improved at 3 months (median -4.0, p = 0.012 and median -10.0, p = 0.012) and 6 months (median -7.0, p = 0.015 and median -12.0, p = 0.008), whereas MDS-UPDRS total parts I scores and total IV scores, MoCA, FAB, SDS, and SAS were unchanged. Adverse events included fall and backache in one patient each. CONCLUSION: A table tennis exercise program is relatively safe and may improve activities of daily living and motor symptoms in patients with PD.

Evaluation of Motor Complications in Parkinson's Disease: Understanding the Perception Gap between Patients and Physicians.

BACKGROUND: Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) receiving levodopa treatment often report motor complications including wearing-off (WO), dyskinesia, and morning akinesia. As motor complications are associated with a decrease in patients' quality of life (QoL), it is important to identify their occurrence and commence immediate management. This study investigated whether differences in the perception of motor complications exist between patients and their physicians in routine clinical practice. METHODS: After an Internet-based screening survey, questionnaires were distributed to physicians and their patients in Japan. The 9-item Wearing-Off Questionnaire (WOQ-9) was used to objectively assess the presence of WO; patients with WOQ-9 scores ≥2 were considered to have WO. McNemar's test was used to compare physician assessment versus WOQ-9 scores, patient self-awareness versus physician assessment, and patient self-awareness versus WOQ-9, separately. Morning akinesia and dyskinesia were assessed by both physician assessment and patient self-awareness with McNemar's test. QoL was assessed using the 8-item Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-8) with the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. RESULTS: A total of 235 patients with PD and their 92 physicians participated in this survey. A significant discordance was observed between the WOQ-9 and physician assessment of WO (67.2% vs 46.0%; p < 0.0001). Furthermore, patient self-awareness of WO was 35.3% (p = 0.0004, vs physician). Morning akinesia (patient, 58.7%; physician, 48.9%; p = 0.0032), dyskinesia (patient, 34.0%; physician, 23.4%; p = 0.0006), and bodily discomfort (patient, 25.0; physician, 0.0; p = 0.0102) of QoL were underrecognized by physicians. CONCLUSIONS: This study investigated differences in the perception of WO between patients with PD and their physicians in routine clinical practice and highlighted that patients have a low awareness of the symptoms of WO compared with physician assessments and WOQ-9. Conversely, morning akinesia, dyskinesia, and bodily discomfort were underrecognized by physicians.