Article

PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of eight weekly yoga sessions on balance,
mobility and reported quality of life of an individual with Parkinson's disease
(PD). Furthermore, to test the methodology in order to inform future research.
METHOD: A 69-year-old female with an 8-year history of PD (Hoehn and Yahr rating
two) was selected for the study, which had a single subject ABA design. A 1-week
baseline was followed by an 8-week period of weekly 60 min yoga classes and a
further 5 weeks of treatment withdrawal. Main outcome measures used were Berg
Balance Scale (BBS), Timed Up and Go (TUG) and the Parkinson's Disease
Questionnaire-39 (PDQ-39); collected at baseline, before, during and after the
intervention and at follow-up. RESULTS: An improvement was noted in the BBS and
TUG during the intervention phase; although these changes did not appear to be
clinically significant. No change in quality of life as measured by the PDQ-39
was noted. CONCLUSIONS: The objective improvements in functional activities
during the intervention period were not clinically significant. Subjectively, the
participant gained much enjoyment and relaxation from the yoga classes. This
study justifies the need for further studies using a larger sample size.
Additionally, it will inform the methodological design.

Langue : ANGLAIS