CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND MOTOR DISORDERS FOUND IN PATIENTS WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE: INTEGRATIVE LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

Parkinson's disease is a chronic degenerative disease that affects the central nervous system and has a higher prevalence in the age group after 65 years of age. The progression of the disease causes several symptoms, such as motor dysfunctions, cognitive impairment, visual complications, sleep disturbances, postural instability, slowness of movement, anxiety, depression and others. The disease develops over several years and has no cure, but early diagnosis and treatment can help to delay the progression of changes, provide greater autonomy and quality of life for the individual. In this sense, the present study was developed with the objective of describing the main clinical characteristics and motor disorders present in people affected by Parkinson's disease, through an integrative literature review. Searches were carried out in databases available on the internet, using the descriptors "characteristics" and "Parkinson's disease". Only studies published between 2018 and 2022, in Portuguese or English, containing at least one of the descriptors in the title or abstract were selected. Incomplete texts or course completion papers were not selected. After applying all search filters and eligibility criteria, only 10 studies were selected. Data collection was carried out through full reading of the articles. The synthesis of the analyzed literature showed that the most frequent initial motor symptoms were unilateral tremor at rest and bradykinesia and, in the more advanced stages, bilateral tremor, rigidity and postural instability appear. Several non-motor symptoms also affect the individual during the course of the disease and can be recognized by health professionals for the purpose of early diagnosis and treatment. In conclusion, unilateral tremor and bradykinesia are the most frequent initial manifestations and non-motor aspects are still little studied, but the knowledge of health professionals about the clinical and motor profile of people with Parkinson's disease is essential for better planning of activities care strategies for affected patients.