Balance confidence, kinesiophobia, and related factors in parkinson's disease: a controlled study.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to compare balance confidence, kinesiophobia, balance performance, and fear of falling between individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and healthy controls, and to examine their relationships with clinical parameters.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, 31 patients with idiopathic PD and 31 healthy controls were included. Disease severity was assessed using the Modified Hoehn-Yahr (mH&Y) scale and the Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS). Balance performance was measured with the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), balance confidence with the Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale-6 (ABC-6), kinesiophobia with the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia-17 (TSK-17), and fear of falling with the Falls Efficacy Scale (FES).

RESULTS

Patients with PD had significantly lower BBS (p = 0.003) and ABC-6 scores (p = 0.003), and significantly higher TSK-17 (p < 0.001) and FES scores (p = 0.001) compared to controls. Based on the TSK-17 cut-off value of 37, high kinesiophobia was found in 54.8% of PD patients and 9.7% of controls (p < 0.001). No significant correlations were observed with age, BMI, disease duration, or mH&Y stage. However, MDS-UPDRS total scores correlated negatively with ABC-6 (r=-0.592, p < 0.001) and BBS (r=-0.504, p = 0.004), and positively with TSK-17 (r = 0.541, p = 0.002) and FES (r = 0.638, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Patients with PD show reduced balance performance and confidence and higher kinesiophobia and fear of falling. Unlike the mH&Y scale, MDS-UPDRS scores were strongly associated with these outcomes, highlighting its value in reflecting both functional and psychosocial aspects. Rehabilitation should address motor and psychological factors to improve participation and reduce isolation.