Parkinson's disease and spirituality.
NeuroRehabilitation January 1, 2020 Clare Redfern, Sarah L Mason, Roger A Barker et al. 8 citations
Over one year, people with Parkinson's disease showed no decline in religious faith or spirituality, despite worsening mobility and cognition. In a longitudinal case-control study, 42 Parkinson's patients and 39 matched disease controls were assessed using spirituality questionnaires, cognitive tests, and qualitative interviews. While the Parkinson's group experienced expected declines in physical and cognitive function, their religiosity and spirituality scores remained stable, and they did not report reduced interest in faith. In contrast, the control group showed a significant drop in religiosity, mainly in religious practices, for unclear reasons. The findings indicate that Parkinson's disease itself does not diminish religious faith or spirituality, even as disability progresses.