%0 Generic %A Claesson, Ingrid M. %A Ståhle, Agneta %A Lökk, Johan %A Grooten, Wilhelmus J. A. %D 2017 %T Somatosensory Focused Balance Training without cues can improve balance and gait in early Parkinson’s disease – a randomised pilot study %U https://tandf.figshare.com/articles/dataset/Somatosensory_Focused_Balance_Training_without_cues_can_improve_balance_and_gait_in_early_Parkinson_s_disease_a_randomised_pilot_study/5302831 %R 10.6084/m9.figshare.5302831.v1 %2 https://tandf.figshare.com/ndownloader/files/9080695 %2 https://tandf.figshare.com/ndownloader/files/9080698 %K Exercise %K Parkinson’s disease %K physical therapy %K postural instability %K rehabilitation %K somatosensory systems %X
Purpose: To study the effect of Somatosensory Focused Balance Training without Cues, on gait and balance in people with early Parkinson’s disease.
Materials and methods: This was a randomised pilot study. Twenty-eight community-dwelling people with early Parkinson’s disease were randomised to immediate or delayed start of a 8w-group training in a community fitness location. Outcomes were measured at preintervention and postintervention. In addition, the early start group performed a 6-month follow up. Clinical outcome measures included: Berg Balance Scale (BBS), BDL Balance Scale, Timed Up and Go, 10 m walk test and the motor part of Unified Parkinson’s disease Rating Scale. Nonparametric statistics was used for analysis.
Results: Twenty-two participants (10 men, 12 female) were analysed (median age 69, Hoehn & Yahr 2.0). The participants improved significantly in performance of BBS (p = .007), BDL Balance Scale (p = .005), 10 m walk (p = .012) and mUPDRS (p = .027). At follow up, the improvement had declined. The small sample size restricts generalisability of the results.
Conclusions: The intervention showed positive effects on balance, gait and mUPDRS, suggesting that this specific approach should be further explored as a rehabilitation method to delay balance decline in people in the early stages of Parkinson’s disease.
%I Taylor & Francis