PARKINSON'S DISEASE, EXERCISE THERAPY AND ACTIVITY OF DAILY LIVING

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurological disease with tremor, bradykinesia, akinesia and rigidity. These symptoms significantly hamper the performance of activities of daily living (ADL), which are necessary for normal functioning of every individual. Exercise therapy is part of physical medicine which is using movements and strength of muscles to aim healing, improvement of health, preventing disabilities and acomplishing higher grade of funcitionality. Often exercise therapy is combined with other therapies of physical medicine. The aim is to examine effects of exercise therapy on ADL in patients with Parkinson's disease. There were 40 examinees who had exercise therapy. In the conducted study there was increased representation of female gender, with no statistically significant difference in representation. Average age of examinees was 73,9±11,6 years and duration of hospitalization in group of examinees was 27,1±12,2 days. Comparation of average values between Barthel index (BI) as patients were admitted and released shows that Barthel index was increased from 10,7±6,3 when patients were admitted to 12,45±6,2 which was statistically significant. Statistical analysis showed that difference between genders is not statistically significant (p>0,05), meaning that influence of gender isn't important when Barthel index was measured. Corelation analysis of age and duration of hospitalization on Barthel index showed that non of monitored parametar has not statistically significant influence on improvement of Barthel index. Exercise therapy shows statistically significant improvement in activities of daily living, measured with Barthel index.