The study, conducted among 150 patients by Dr. Galit Yogev-Seligmann and Dr. Michal Kafri, found that 43% of patients reported a worsening in muscle stiffness, tremors, imbalance and fatigue. Some 37% of patients reported a worsening in their ability to walk, 42% reported depression, anxiety and loneliness and 34% gained weight. About 25% of respondents reported an increase in their needs for help for routine chores and day-to-day life.
About 68% of those who reported a worsening of symptoms also reported that they believed the cause was a break in their rehabilitation treatments and physical activity, according to Israel Hayom.
The authors of the study stressed that they received reports of an increase of falls, fractures and hospitalizations of Parkinson's patients at the end of the lockdown, saying this was an "expression of the deteriorating functional condition caused during the lockdown," according to Israel Hayom.
Michal Shoshani, 71, told Israel Hayom that she experienced difficulty sleeping, nightmares, difficulty walking, fixation and motor stiffness and gained weight during the lockdowns, when she lost access to complementary therapies such as hydrotherapy and occupational therapy.
Eyal Levy, director-general of the Israel Parkinson Association, told Israel Hayom that the association had recently launched Parkinet, a selection of remote physical activity classes to allow patients to maintain an exercise routine and remote rehabilitation activities.