Association of Specific Leg Muscle Strength and Motor Features in Parkinson’s Disease

Background. Postural instability and gait difficulties (PIGD) are a significant cause of falls, mobility loss, and lower quality of life in Parkinson’s disease (PD). The connection between PD progression and diminished strength in the lower limbs has been acknowledged. However, the identification of...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Chatkaew Pongmala, Chernkhuan Stonsaovapak, Austin Luker, Alexis Griggs, Miriam van Emde Boas, Jacob M. Haus, Nicolaas I. Bohnen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2024-01-01
Series:Parkinson's Disease
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2024/5580870
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1832559706857537536
author Chatkaew Pongmala
Chernkhuan Stonsaovapak
Austin Luker
Alexis Griggs
Miriam van Emde Boas
Jacob M. Haus
Nicolaas I. Bohnen
author_facet Chatkaew Pongmala
Chernkhuan Stonsaovapak
Austin Luker
Alexis Griggs
Miriam van Emde Boas
Jacob M. Haus
Nicolaas I. Bohnen
author_sort Chatkaew Pongmala
collection DOAJ
description Background. Postural instability and gait difficulties (PIGD) are a significant cause of falls, mobility loss, and lower quality of life in Parkinson’s disease (PD). The connection between PD progression and diminished strength in the lower limbs has been acknowledged. However, the identification of specific muscle groups linked to PIGD and non-PIGD motor features is still unknown. Objective. To explore the relationship between the strength of specific lower limb muscle groups, along with muscle mass, and their associations with PIGD, PIGD subtypes, and non-PIGD motor features in PD. Methods. 95 PD participants underwent detailed motor and non-motor test batteries, including lower limb isometric strength testing and whole-body lean mass assessments. Correlation analysis and univariate and multivariate linear/logistic forward stepwise regression were performed to test associations between PIGD and non-PIGD motor features with normalized value (z-score) of lower limb muscle strength and measures of lean mass. Results. Multivariate regression analysis, adjusted for age, gender, and levodopa equivalent dose, revealed that hip abductor strength was significantly associated with overall PIGD motor severity ratings (p<0.001), impaired balance (p<0.001), and non-PIGD Parkinsonian motor features (p<0.001). Conversely, hip extensor strength was significantly associated with falls, slow walking, and FoG motor features (p=0.016; p=0.003; p=0.020, respectively). Conclusion. We found that lower hip abductor strength was associated with PIGD and non-PIGD motor features. The association between non-PIGD motor features may suggest specific vulnerability of the hip abductors as part of a proposed brain-muscle loop hypothesis in PD. Moreover, lower hip extensor strength correlated with falls, slow walking, and FoG.
format Article
id doaj-art-926dc12664414b3787794cd80136a0f6
institution Kabale University
issn 2042-0080
language English
publishDate 2024-01-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series Parkinson's Disease
spelling doaj-art-926dc12664414b3787794cd80136a0f62025-02-03T01:29:29ZengWileyParkinson's Disease2042-00802024-01-01202410.1155/2024/5580870Association of Specific Leg Muscle Strength and Motor Features in Parkinson’s DiseaseChatkaew Pongmala0Chernkhuan Stonsaovapak1Austin Luker2Alexis Griggs3Miriam van Emde Boas4Jacob M. Haus5Nicolaas I. Bohnen6Functional Neuroimaging, Cognitive and Mobility LaboratoryDepartment of Rehabilitation MedicineFunctional Neuroimaging, Cognitive and Mobility LaboratoryFunctional Neuroimaging, Cognitive and Mobility LaboratoryFunctional Neuroimaging, Cognitive and Mobility LaboratorySchool of KinesiologyFunctional Neuroimaging, Cognitive and Mobility LaboratoryBackground. Postural instability and gait difficulties (PIGD) are a significant cause of falls, mobility loss, and lower quality of life in Parkinson’s disease (PD). The connection between PD progression and diminished strength in the lower limbs has been acknowledged. However, the identification of specific muscle groups linked to PIGD and non-PIGD motor features is still unknown. Objective. To explore the relationship between the strength of specific lower limb muscle groups, along with muscle mass, and their associations with PIGD, PIGD subtypes, and non-PIGD motor features in PD. Methods. 95 PD participants underwent detailed motor and non-motor test batteries, including lower limb isometric strength testing and whole-body lean mass assessments. Correlation analysis and univariate and multivariate linear/logistic forward stepwise regression were performed to test associations between PIGD and non-PIGD motor features with normalized value (z-score) of lower limb muscle strength and measures of lean mass. Results. Multivariate regression analysis, adjusted for age, gender, and levodopa equivalent dose, revealed that hip abductor strength was significantly associated with overall PIGD motor severity ratings (p<0.001), impaired balance (p<0.001), and non-PIGD Parkinsonian motor features (p<0.001). Conversely, hip extensor strength was significantly associated with falls, slow walking, and FoG motor features (p=0.016; p=0.003; p=0.020, respectively). Conclusion. We found that lower hip abductor strength was associated with PIGD and non-PIGD motor features. The association between non-PIGD motor features may suggest specific vulnerability of the hip abductors as part of a proposed brain-muscle loop hypothesis in PD. Moreover, lower hip extensor strength correlated with falls, slow walking, and FoG.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2024/5580870
spellingShingle Chatkaew Pongmala
Chernkhuan Stonsaovapak
Austin Luker
Alexis Griggs
Miriam van Emde Boas
Jacob M. Haus
Nicolaas I. Bohnen
Association of Specific Leg Muscle Strength and Motor Features in Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson's Disease
title Association of Specific Leg Muscle Strength and Motor Features in Parkinson’s Disease
title_full Association of Specific Leg Muscle Strength and Motor Features in Parkinson’s Disease
title_fullStr Association of Specific Leg Muscle Strength and Motor Features in Parkinson’s Disease
title_full_unstemmed Association of Specific Leg Muscle Strength and Motor Features in Parkinson’s Disease
title_short Association of Specific Leg Muscle Strength and Motor Features in Parkinson’s Disease
title_sort association of specific leg muscle strength and motor features in parkinson s disease
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2024/5580870
work_keys_str_mv AT chatkaewpongmala associationofspecificlegmusclestrengthandmotorfeaturesinparkinsonsdisease
AT chernkhuanstonsaovapak associationofspecificlegmusclestrengthandmotorfeaturesinparkinsonsdisease
AT austinluker associationofspecificlegmusclestrengthandmotorfeaturesinparkinsonsdisease
AT alexisgriggs associationofspecificlegmusclestrengthandmotorfeaturesinparkinsonsdisease
AT miriamvanemdeboas associationofspecificlegmusclestrengthandmotorfeaturesinparkinsonsdisease
AT jacobmhaus associationofspecificlegmusclestrengthandmotorfeaturesinparkinsonsdisease
AT nicolaasibohnen associationofspecificlegmusclestrengthandmotorfeaturesinparkinsonsdisease