Objective: To investigate whether Baduanjin Qigong exercise could help improve fine motor skills in patients with Parkinson’s disease.

Background: It is common for people with Parkinson’s disease to suffer from fine motor impairment, which can severely impact their quality of life. Unfortunately, there are very few effective treatments available for this condition.

Method: A total of 60 patients who suffer from Parkinson’s disease (PD) and have hand fine motor disorder with stage 1 to 3 disease on the Hoehn-Yahr staging scale were randomly assigned to two groups. One group consisted of 30 PD patients who practiced Baduanjin exercise five times a week for about 40 minutes (including a 5-minute warm-up, 30 minutes of Baduanjin exercise, and a 5-minute cool-down). The other group consisted of 30 PD patients who continued their usual physical activities. The participants were assessed in the “ON” medication state at baseline and 4-week follow-up time points. The primary outcomes were the scores on the Purdue pegboard test (PPT), while the secondary outcomes were the scores on Movement Disorders Society-Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale, part III (MDS-UPDRS III), and Parkinson’s disease questionnaire (PDQ-39).

Results: The study found that the Baduanjin group had statistically significant improvement in the “non-dominant hand” and “assembly” scores compared to the usual physical activity group (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in the “dominant hand” and “both hands” scores (P>0.05). Additionally, participants in the Baduanjin group showed better performance in PDQ-39 (P<0.05).

Conclusion: Our study concludes that a 4-week Baduanjin program can significantly improve fine motor impairment and quality of life in patients with mild to moderate Parkinson’s disease. These findings offer a promising approach that can be extended to the community or home as a complementary therapy for managing fine motor impairment in PD patients.

References: 1. Buard I, Yang X, Kaizer A, Lattanzio L, Kluger B, Enoka RM. Finger dexterity measured by the Grooved Pegboard test indexes Parkinson’s motor severity in a tremor-independent manner. J Electromyogr Kinesiol. Oct 2022;66:102695. doi:10.1016/j.jelekin.2022.102695
2. Lai J, Cai Y, Yang L, Xia M, Cheng X, Chen Y. Effects of Baduanjin exercise on motor function, balance and gait in Parkinson’s disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Open. Nov 15 2022;12(11):e067280. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2022-067280
3. Panyakaew P, Duangjino K, Kerddonfag A, et al. Exploring the Complex Phenotypes of Impaired Finger Dexterity in Mild-to-moderate Stage Parkinson’s Disease: A Time-Series Analysis. J Parkinsons Dis. 2023;13(6):975-988. doi:10.3233/jpd-230029

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/the-effects-of-baduanjin-on-fine-motor-skills-in-mild-and-moderate-parkinsons-disease/