Self-reported physical and mental health and motor functioning in elders with and without Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's Disease (PD) is a neurological disorder characterized by motor symptoms and other clinical conditions, such as cognitive impairment, negative mood, anxiety. The present study explored the impact of PD on self-reported physical and mental health, objective cognition and postural control. The relationship among these variables was examined in order to understand the impact on quality of life. Fifty-four participants, 27 with and 27 without PD, were recruited in Sardinia - an area with an atypical prevalence of PD and psychological characteristics that might mitigate the impact of PD on life quality. Participants completed objective tests of cognitive ability and postural control and self-report measures of physical and mental health. The detrimental effect of PD was evident across all outcomes. Self-reported physical and mental health were both related to postural control. Variance in perceived physical health was explained, not only by PD itself and postural control but also by participation in leisure activities. Self-report outcomes related to life quality are related not only by motor disturbances associated with PD but also with lifestyle activities. In conclusion, social contexts promoting socially-oriented activities, such as that found in Sardinia, may, therefore, mitigate some of the detrimental consequences of PD.