Aquatic Physical Therapy in the balance and gait of people with Parkinson’s Disease: a pilot study

Background. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative, chronic, progressive disease, resulting mainly from the depletion of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. It is characterized by four cardinal signs, namely: bradykinesia, stiffness, tremor, and postural instability, which contribute to body balance and gait functional deficits. Among the possibilities of intervention, the Aquatic Physical Therapy (APT) stands out in the prevention and rehabilitation of motor and functional alterations, using water physical and thermal properties. Objective. To verify the effects of APT on body balance and gait. Method. This pilot study is part of quasi-experimental research involving a group with a clinical diagnosis of PD. They participated in an APT program for 12 weeks, twice a week. They were assessed with the Mini-BESTest for body balance and the Dynamic Gait Index (DGI) for gait balance. The statistical analysis was made in the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Results. A total of 11 people – mean age of 70.73±3.2 years – participated in the study. After the APT program, no difference was verified in the Mini-BESTest (p=0.41) or the DGI (p=0.105). Conclusions. The APT program proposed was unable to present significant improvement regarding the balance and gait in the group of people with PD in question.

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Music as Add-On Therapy in the Rehabilitation Program of Parkinson’s Disease Patients—A Romanian Pilot Study

Brain Sciences ◽

10.3390/brainsci11050569 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

pp. 569

Author(s):

Dana Marieta Fodor ◽

Xenia-Melania Breda ◽

Dan Valean ◽

Monica Mihaela Marta ◽

Lacramioara Perju-Dumbrava

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Parkinson’S Disease ◽

Parkinson's Disease ◽

Pilot Study ◽

Physical Therapy ◽

Rehabilitation Program ◽

Control Group ◽

Study Group ◽

Motor Outcomes

Music has been proven to have therapeutic potential in neurological disorders, especially Parkinson’s disease (PD), since rhythmic auditory cueing can partially replace the progressive loss of rhythmicity and automaticity. Several reports have highlighted improvements in motor outcomes in PD patients undergoing music therapy, but only a few studies have evaluated non-motor outcomes, such as quality of life (QoL), which deteriorates with disease progression. The current pilot study aims to examine the effects of a multimodal rehabilitation program centered on physical therapy combined with listening to music on self-reported QoL in people with PD, compared to the same rehabilitation program alone. The study was conducted on patients with idiopathic PD who attended a specific rehabilitation program with a duration of 2.5 h daily for 14 days. The patients were divided into the study group (16 patients), who listened to background music during the rehabilitation program sessions, and the control group who did not listen to music during sessions. The patients were assessed using the self-report Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39) at the beginning of the program and 1 month after its initiation. The patients in the study group registered greater improvements in five of the eight areas of life assessed by PDQ-39 compared to the control group. In conclusion, listening to music combined with a multimodal rehabilitation program centered on physical therapy may be beneficial for the patients’ quality of life.

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Does a Virtual Optical Flow Change the Temporal Organization of Parkinson's Disease Patients' Gait During Treadmill Walking ? A Pilot Study

Case Medical Research ◽

10.31525/ct1-nct04019158 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Keyword(s):

Parkinson’S Disease ◽

Parkinson's Disease ◽

Pilot Study ◽

Optical Flow ◽

Treadmill Walking ◽

Temporal Organization ◽

Flow Change

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Exploratory pilot study of exogenous sustained‐release Melatonin on nocturia in Parkinson’s Disease

European Journal of Neurology ◽

10.1111/ene.14774 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Amit Batla ◽

Sara Simeoni ◽

Tomoyuki Uchiyama ◽

Lorenzo deMin ◽

Joanne Baldwin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Parkinson’S Disease ◽

Parkinson's Disease ◽

Pilot Study ◽

Sustained Release

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Evidence for Early and Regular Physical Therapy and Exercise in Parkinson's Disease

Seminars in Neurology ◽

10.1055/s-0041-1725133 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Terry D. Ellis ◽

Cristina Colón-Semenza ◽

Tamara R. DeAngelis ◽

Cathi A. Thomas ◽

Marie-Hélène Saint Hilaire ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Parkinson’S Disease ◽

Parkinson's Disease ◽

Physical Therapy ◽

Secondary Prevention ◽

Medical Management ◽

Long Term Outcomes ◽

High Prevalence ◽

Growing Body ◽

Prevention Model

AbstractAdvances in medical management of Parkinson's disease (PD) have resulted in living longer with disability. Although disability worsens over the course of the disease, there are signs of disability even in the early stages. Several studies reveal an early decline in gait and balance and a high prevalence of nonmotor signs in the prodromal period that contribute to early disability. There is a growing body of evidence revealing the benefits of physical therapy and exercise to mitigate motor and nonmotor signs while improving physical function and reducing disability. The presence of early disability coupled with the benefits of exercise suggests that physical therapy should be initiated earlier in the disease. In this review, we present the evidence revealing early disability in PD and the effectiveness of physical therapy and exercise, followed by a discussion of a secondary prevention model of rehabilitation to reduce early disability and optimize long-term outcomes.

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