Distribution of motor impairment influences quality of life in Parkinson's disease

We evaluated the relationship between upper extremity (UE) and lower extremity (LE) motor impairments in Parkinson's disease (PD) to overall disability and quality of life (QoL) measures. A total of 639 patients who were diagnosed with idiopathic PD were administered the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), QoL, activities of daily living (ADL), and behavioral scales. Composite UE and LE scores from the motor section of the UPDRS were correlated with ADL, QoL, and behavioral measurement scores while controlling for disease duration. Patients with greater UE and LE motor impairments had lower QoL scores. However, LE impairments had a greater influence than UE impairments across all QoL measures. (C) 2008 Movement Disorder Society.