Agility and balance deficits in individuais with Parkinson disease and their correlation with the functional independence of the gait

OBJECTIVES: Parkinson's disease is related to the decline in daily functional activities, favoring reduced quality of life. Because of it, the aim of this study was to analyze the balance and gait agility of parkinsonian and their correlation on the functional activities. METHODS: It was evaluated 21 volunteers: 10 parkinsonian and 11 clinically healthy individuals. All the volunteers were assessed using the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), the Time Up and Go Test (TUGT) and a pedometer during 48 hours. RESULTS: It was observed that the values obtained by BBS and TUGT were significantly different between the groups (p < 0.05). For the number of steps it was not observed the same, the steps/48 hours were equivalent for both groups. Furthermore, it was observed great correlation between the number of steps and the BBS. CONCLUSION: Individuals with Parkinson disease showed a deficit of balance and gait agility, but there was no interference in the independence of gait, since the subjects evaluated had similar number of steps in relation to the control group during the evaluation period.