Chest mobility, cough strength, muscle strength, physical activity, and quality of life in parkinson's patients who had COVID-19.

Background: Some symptoms of COVID-19 may persist for a long time in individuals who had COVID-19. Since effects of COVID-19 on chest mobility, cough strength, grip strength, physical activity, and quality of life in Parkinson's patients are still unclear, current study aimed to investigate this issue.

Methods: Parkinson's patients with and without a history of COVID-19 (n = 17, 66.65 ± 12.01 years versus n = 21, 68.71 ± 10.35 years) were included in this study. Cognitive functions (Mini-Mental State Examination), severity and disability status of Parkinson's disease (Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS), Modified Hoehn and Yahr Scale (MHYS)), chest mobility (chest circumference measurement with a tape measure), cough strength (a PEFmeter), hand grip strength (a hand-dynamometer), physical activity level (a pedometer) and quality of life (Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire-39 (PDQ-39)) were evaluated in all individuals.

Results: Parkinson's patients with COVID-19 history had lower subcostal chest circumference measurement difference, grip strength and step count measured on 1st day, and higher MDS-UPDRS part I and PDQ-39 scores than patients without COVID-19 history (p < 0.05). Cognitive functions, MHYS, other parts of MDS-UPDRS, axillar and epigastric chest circumference measurement differences, cough strength and average step counts values were similar between groups (p > 0.05).

Conclusions: Disease severity due to non-motor symptoms, abdominal respiration, peripheral muscle strength, daily step count and quality of life worsened in Parkinson's patients with COVID-19 history compared to those without COVID-19 history and these parameters should be therefore monitored regularly. Chest respiration and cough strength were preserved in these individuals.