Effect of Sensorimotor Training on Upper Extremity in Parkinson's Patients

There are many factors affecting the upper extremity such as tremor, bradykinesia, rigidity, and postural instability in Parkinson's patients. According to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) model, there are restrictions on people's activities and participation in life due to structural and functional disorders affecting the upper extremity in PD. In PD, integrating and using proprioceptive feedback, sensorimotor integration and peripheral sensory functions are reported to be impaired. Numerous studies show that the main source of motor problems in PD is dysfunction of sensorimotor integration. Since the cervical region contains a dense concentration of proprioceptive organs such as muscle spindles, it plays an important role in providing afferent proprioceptive information for postural control. Therefore, sensorimotor training targeting the cervical region gains importance. In this study, we aim to reduce PD-specific upper extremity disorders and related activity and participation limitations by increasing motor control in the cervical region with sensorimotor training. Patients with Parkinson's disease will be included in the study and randomly divided into 2 groups. While the general physiotherapy program will be applied to the control group, sensorimotor training will be given in addition to the exercise group.