The Relationship Between Upper Extremity Function and Balance and Functional Mobility in Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's Disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease, affecting 2-3% of the population aged 65 and over, characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons. The basal ganglia play a significant role in the pathogenesis of PD. The lesions of the basal ganglia impair the ability of patients to perform complex, goal-oriented, and skill-requiring movements. Consequently, motor symptoms such as bradykinesia, rigidity, hypokinesia, and tremor, which are progressively worse, are added to the clinical picture of the disease. These symptoms, which cause movement and activity limitations in individuals with PD, also affect upper extremity functions, balance, and functional mobility. Impairment of upper extremity functions, commonly seen from the early stages of the disease, can affect many basic activities of daily living, including buttoning clothes, tying shoelaces, sewin