Comparison of Balance during Dual-Task in-between Cognitively Impaired and Nonimpaired Individuals with Parkinson’s Disease

Abstract

Introduction: Parkinson’s disease manifests as bradykinesia, stiffness, tremors, and abnormalities in gait and balance. When performing dual activities, people with cognitive impairments exhibit noticeable alterations in mobility. The purpose of this study was to determine whether balance during dual tasking is related to cognitive deterioration. The aim was to compare balance during dual-task in-between cognitively impaired (CI) and nonimpaired individuals with Parkinson’s disease. The objective was to evaluate balance using timed up and go test (TUG), TUG-manual (TUG-m), and TUG-cognitive (TUG-c) and to compare its scores in both the groups. Materials and Methods: It was a cross-sectional observational study carried out at outpatient department and Parkinson’s societies. The sampling technique was purposive sampling, and the sample size was 22. Subjects were divided into two groups (by stratification method) according to Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA) scores as CI and nonimpaired group. Both groups performed TUG with manual task and cognitive task. The time taken to complete all TUG tests was measured. Results: Comparison of TUG between the groups showed a highly significant difference in TUG and TUG-m tests (P < 0.001) and a significant difference in TUG-c (P = 0.028). Conclusion: The study found a significant difference in balance scores, assessed by the TUG test during dual-task conditions, between CI and nonimpaired individuals with Parkinson’s disease. This highlights the important role cognition plays in balance regulation in Parkinson’s disease.