Knockout Parkinson’s Disease: A Fine Motor Program

Location

Online - Session 4A

Start Date

4-21-2021 3:10 PM

Major Field of Study

Occupational Therapy

Student Type

Graduate

Faculty Mentor(s)

Kitsum Li, OTD, OTR/L, CSRS

Presentation Format

Oral Presentation

Abstract/Description

In the United States, there are more than 10 million individuals living with Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Some of the most common PD symptoms are physical challenges that involve tremors, bradykinesia, limb rigidity, gait and balance problems making it challenging for individuals with PD to complete activities of daily living and they may impact their quality of life (QoL) negatively (Jenny et al., 2020). There are numerous gross motor interventions, however, no intervention programs address fine motor deficits for individuals with PD.

Currently, there is a gap in the evidence that shows specifically how fine motor skills, such as repetitive motions of the fingers, can improve movement and function (Uzochukwy & Stegemuller, 2019). Hence, we propose to investigate if a fine motor skill training program would improve movement, function and QoL in adults with PD. By demonstrating evidence that fine motor skill training will have improvements for adults with PD, especially in ADL participation and QoL, it will fill in the gap of the work that is already being done in the field.

The purpose of our mixed-methods study is to examine the effectiveness of a fine motor training program at Rock Steady Boxing (RSB), a non-contact boxing program, in improving QoL for individuals with PD. The quantitative research question states: Can a fine motor training program improve QoL, as measured by PDQ-39, a self-reported PD questionnaire, in individuals with PD? Additionally, the qualitative research question states: how does motivation, facilitators, and barriers impact engagement in a fine motor program? If the PDQ-39 results show improvement in fine motor skills and QoL, it may indicate that big and vigorous exercises of gross motor skills have equal benefits in fine motor skills. A fine motor program could aid future research for individuals with PD in improving functionality when completing daily occupations.

References

Jenny, A., Meyer, A., Handabaka, I., Calabrese, P., Fuhr, P., & Gschwandtner, U. (2020). Nonmotor- related quality of life in Parkinson’s patients with subjective memory complaints: comparison with PDQ-39. Parkinson’s Disease, 1-5. doi: 10.1155/2020/7953032

Uzochukwu, J.C., Stegemöller, E.L. (2019). Repetitive finger movement and dexterity tasks in people with Parkinson's disease. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 73(3). https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2019.028738

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Apr 21st, 3:10 PM

Knockout Parkinson’s Disease: A Fine Motor Program

Online - Session 4A

In the United States, there are more than 10 million individuals living with Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Some of the most common PD symptoms are physical challenges that involve tremors, bradykinesia, limb rigidity, gait and balance problems making it challenging for individuals with PD to complete activities of daily living and they may impact their quality of life (QoL) negatively (Jenny et al., 2020). There are numerous gross motor interventions, however, no intervention programs address fine motor deficits for individuals with PD.

Currently, there is a gap in the evidence that shows specifically how fine motor skills, such as repetitive motions of the fingers, can improve movement and function (Uzochukwy & Stegemuller, 2019). Hence, we propose to investigate if a fine motor skill training program would improve movement, function and QoL in adults with PD. By demonstrating evidence that fine motor skill training will have improvements for adults with PD, especially in ADL participation and QoL, it will fill in the gap of the work that is already being done in the field.

The purpose of our mixed-methods study is to examine the effectiveness of a fine motor training program at Rock Steady Boxing (RSB), a non-contact boxing program, in improving QoL for individuals with PD. The quantitative research question states: Can a fine motor training program improve QoL, as measured by PDQ-39, a self-reported PD questionnaire, in individuals with PD? Additionally, the qualitative research question states: how does motivation, facilitators, and barriers impact engagement in a fine motor program? If the PDQ-39 results show improvement in fine motor skills and QoL, it may indicate that big and vigorous exercises of gross motor skills have equal benefits in fine motor skills. A fine motor program could aid future research for individuals with PD in improving functionality when completing daily occupations.

References

Jenny, A., Meyer, A., Handabaka, I., Calabrese, P., Fuhr, P., & Gschwandtner, U. (2020). Nonmotor- related quality of life in Parkinson’s patients with subjective memory complaints: comparison with PDQ-39. Parkinson’s Disease, 1-5. doi: 10.1155/2020/7953032

Uzochukwu, J.C., Stegemöller, E.L. (2019). Repetitive finger movement and dexterity tasks in people with Parkinson's disease. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 73(3). https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2019.028738