Objective: Determine which of the types of motor or cognitive tasks interfere most severely in the dual task in the daily life of patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD).

Background: In Parkinson’s disease it is known that patients have difficulty performing multiple tasks, however it is not known if motor tasks are those that interfere more than cognitive or viciversa. This information is very useful for the patient and family members, as this can achieve a better quality of life, avoiding falls and reducing stress and anxiety.

Methods: A total of 20 people with PD and 20 control people were compared. All participants were evaluated for cognitive impairment using the MOCA scale and the average was 29 points (SD: 1, range: 29-30). They have no history of other neurological diseases or psychiatric disorders. Patients with PD were evaluated while on the peak effect of antiparkinsonian medication. They have Hoehn and Yahr stages I and II, disease time between 12 and 36 months. The 20 controls were as close as possible to the PD group for age, sex and education. Each participant completed the evaluation of dual task, which consisted of walking at a distance of 6 meters for 1 minute as many times as possible at that time, saying that it started with the letter P and buttoning the same shirt. First they performed each task separately and then simultaneously.

Results: Of the 20 patients with PD (07 women and 13 men), they are in the Hoehn and Yahr I (06) and II (14) stages. The participants had an average age between 61-77 years (average: 69 and SD: 8) and an average of 10 years of formal education (SD: 4, range: 6-14 years). When there was no second task, the number of laps was lower in the group with PD than in the control group (mean = 2.5, SD: 1). The number of words that started with P in one minute was the same in patients with PD than in controls (mean = 20, SD: 3); the number of buttoned and unbuttoned buttons was lower in patients with PD than in the control group (Mean = 14, SD: 4). When they had a dual task in the PD group, the number of laps (Average = 3.5, SD: 2) decreased, the number of buttons that were buttoned and unbuttoned (Mean = 7, SD:3) and the number of words that began with the letter “P” (Mean = 14, SD: 3). The number of laps that decreased (Mean = 3.5, SD: 2) was the same when they performed the motor and cognitive dual task. The decrease in control patients was negligible.

Conclusions: The performance of a dual task regardless of whether it is motor or cognitive simultaneous with gait caused interference with the same severity in the daily life of patients with PD.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/dual-task-in-the-daily-life-of-patients-with-parkinsons-disease/