31 January 2012
Trail M,
Petersen NJ,
Nelson N,
Lai EC
Movement disorder specialists have limited information on the specifics
of how patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) spend
their time. We deemed it important to examine the
relationships among activity and daily energy expenditure (DEE),
non-motor
symptoms, and body mass index in veterans with PD who were
outpatients at a Veterans Affairs medical center.
In this exploratory
study, we mailed demographic and activity questionnaires and
gathered data on 100 patients. Activity was categorized into
five domains and three intensity levels, and DEE was
measured in kilocalories.
Light activities accounted for 64.9% of DEE
(9.1 h), moderate activities for 32.9% (2.1 h), and vigorous
activities for 2.2% (0.1 h) of DEE. Television viewing comprised
10.6% (2.5 h) of the day. The effects of non-motor symptoms
were significantly associated with more time spent on activities
of daily life (ADL). Patients rated fatigue and pain as
having the greatest impact on their daily activities. The
overweight/obese
group of PD patients expended more overall DEE (p = 0.044) and more DEE on social activities (p = 0.024) and light intensity activities (p = 0.021)
than did the underweight/normal group. Leisure activities for both
groups changed from active to passive.
Veterans
with PD primarily expended DEE on ADL, TV viewing, and light
intensity activities. Television viewing time may have been under
reported.
Movement disorder specialists can be more
proactive in referring patients to physical therapy and encouraging
their
participation in community exercise and support groups.
