INTRODUCTION: Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by a progressive degeneration of selective neurons located in substantia nigra's pars compacta. It consists of a set of four motor symptoms: tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia and postural instability. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the factors related to the decrease in perceived quality of life of individuals with PD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Were evaluated a quality of life of 25 individuals diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, ranked among the five stages and a range of Hoen and Yahr staging, there are evaluated according to the Parkinson Disease Questionnaire-39 (PDQ-39). RESULTS: The 25 subjects (12 men and 13 women) had a mean age of 71.2 ± 8.5 years, ranging between 53-85 years, and time to disease progression of 6.54 ± 7.71, ranging from 1 and 39 years of illness. It was found that the worst perceptions of quality of life are related to the domains 'mobility", with an average of 55% of commitment, and "activity of daily living", with 52.78% of commitment. It was also found a high correlation between the total score of the PDQ-39 domains with the "activities of daily living", "emotional wellbeing" and "mobility". CONCLUSIONS: Through the results is possible contacted that motor deficits associated with the signs and symptoms and secondary complications of PD contribute negatively on the perception of quality of life of individuals.
Parkinson's disease; Quality of life; Physical therapy
