Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

The ability to move easily within our homes and communities is an important component of our independence. For people with Parkinson's disease, these everyday movements can be difficult, impacting independence and quality of life. Part of the reason that these movements are difficult has to do with motor symptoms such as rigidity, tremor, and slowness of movement as a result of Parkinson's disease. Other reasons for the difficulty have to with non-motor symptoms associated with the disease, such as pain and depression. The proposed research will look at how Parkinson's disease affects people's mobility within their environment and what symptoms of the disease are most to associated with loss of mobility. At this point in time, few studies have been conducted to look at the influence of non-motor symptoms on mobility in Parkinson's disease, even though people with Parkinson's often find these symptoms to be the most troubling. It is important to understand the burden of these symptoms, because of how closely mobility is linked to quality of life and the role within one's community. This study aims to fill this knowledge gap using surveys and in-person interviews, so that patients, physicians and caregivers can have complete discussions about the effects of the disease. The results of this study will provide valuable information in understanding how the disease affects mobility in different people, aiming to influence interventions for the disease and how resources are distributed within the community to help people cope with their symptoms.