CAN WALKING CAPACITY PREDICT RESPIRATORY FUNCTIONS OF PEOPLE WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE?

Lucas Meireles Matos ^1,2* Francisca Maria de Araujo Oliveira ³ Rodrigo Santiago Barbosa Rocha ⁴ Aline da Silva Pimentel ³ Laura Maria Tomazi Neves ^2,3 Alex Harley Crisp ^1,2 Leonardo Alexandre Peyré-Tartaruga ^5,6,7 Luca Correale ^7,8 MARCELO COERTJENS ⁹ Elren Passos-Monteiro ^1,10,2,7*

• ¹ Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil
• ² Programa de Pós Graduação em Ciências do Movimento Humano, Belém, Brazil
• ³ Universidade Federal do Pará, Castanhal, Brazil
• ⁴ Universidade do Estado do Pará, Belem, Para, Brazil
• ⁵ Unit of Normal Human Anatomy, Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Lombardy, Italy
• ⁶ LaBiodin Biodynamics Laboratory, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre. RS, Brazil
• ⁷ Human Locomotion Laboratory (LOCOLAB), Pavia, Lombardy, Italy
• ⁸ Unit of Nutrition Science, Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Lombardy, Italy
• ⁹ Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Delta do Parnaíba, Parnaiba. PI, Brazil
• ¹⁰ Unit of Forensic Medicine and Forensic Sciences, Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Lombardy, Italy

Introduction: People with Parkinson's Disease (PwPD) and an impaired respiratory profile show a lower walking ability. Still, it is unknown if there is a relationship between walking ability and respiratory function that can be used to predict the latter. This crosssectional study evaluated the relationship between walking ability and respiratory function in PwPD. Methods: Seventeen older PwPD, between 60 and 80 years old were asked to perform a 10-m walking test at self-selected, fast speed, and respiratory tests and these variables analyzed by an multiple linear regression. Results: The respiratory profile revealed that 44% of the patients were restrictive, 33% were obstructive, and 22% were mixed. 73% of the PwPD presented a low lung capacity, as demonstrated by the forced expiratory volume in one second divided by the forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC).Multiple linear regression demonstrated that self-selected walking speed explained 53% and 58% (p = 0.027 and p = 0.016) of the variation in maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressures, respectively. The fast walking speed explained 62% and 66% (p = 0.008 and p = 0.005) of the maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressure variation, respectively. Furthermore, the locomotor rehabilitation index explained 39% (p = 0.022) of the variance in the FEV1/FVC. Conclusions: These results suggest that walking ability, particularly at self-selected and fast speeds, is a suitable screening parameter for pulmonary impairments in PwPD. Furthermore, the locomotor rehabilitation index indicates the ability to expire rapidly as a proportion of forced vital capacity in PwPD.Thus, the walking ability test can be an easily applicable and low-cost biomarker for assessing respiratory changes in PwPD.