Article

Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) suffer from dysrhythmic and
disturbed gait, impaired balance, and decreased postural responses. These
alterations lead to falls, especially as the disease progresses. Based on the
observation that postural control improved in patients with vestibular
dysfunction after audio-biofeedback training, we tested the feasibility and
effects of this training modality in patients with PD.
METHODS: Seven patients
with PD were included in a pilot study comprised of a six weeks intervention
program. The training was individualized to each patient's needs and was
delivered using an audio-biofeedback (ABF) system with headphones. The training
was focused on improving posture, sit-to-stand abilities, and dynamic balance in
various positions. Non-parametric statistics were used to evaluate training
effects. RESULTS: The ABF system was well accepted by all participants with no
adverse events reported. Patients declared high satisfaction with the training. A
significant improvement of balance, as assessed by the Berg Balance Scale, was
observed (improvement of 3% p = 0.032), and a trend in the Timed up and go test
(improvement of 11%; p = 0.07) was also seen. In addition, the training appeared
to have a positive influence on psychosocial aspects of the disease as assessed
by the Parkinson's disease quality of life questionnaire (PDQ-39) and the level
of depression as assessed by the Geriatric Depression Scale. CONCLUSIONS: This
is, to our knowledge, the first report demonstrating that audio-biofeedback
training for patients with PD is feasible and is associated with improvements of
balance and several psychosocial aspects.

Langue : ANGLAIS