Feasibility of virtual therapy in rehabilitation of Parkinson’s disease patients: pilot study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1590/S0103-51502012000300021Abstract
Introduction: Among Parkinson’s disease (PD) motor disabilities, postural and balance alterations are important parameters to physical therapists who need to choose specific, targeted therapies for their patients. Among many therapy options, virtual therapy is studied as to whether it can be a viable rehabilitation method. Objective: To verify the applicability of virtual rehabilitation in PD patients for the improvement of their balance and quality of life. Material and methods: Six volunteers, diagnosed to be in Stages II and III of PD (Hoehn and Yahr Scale), were recruited for this study. Patients (65 ± 13 years old) participated in activities involving Wii Fit, for a total of twelve interventions, twice per week. Clinical and qualitative methods were used for the data collection for the initial and final evaluations: Borg’s Scale, Berg Functional Balance Scale, Time Up and Go, anterior and lateral functional reach and Nottingham’s Scale were performed during the study. Penguin Slide, Ski Slalom, Soccer Heading and Table Tilt were the Wii games selected as a form of virtual therapy. Results: The collected data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon test. Motor skill, functional capacities and quality of life were analyzed as variables of the patients’ balance. Statistically significant differences were found in the following tests: Borg’s Scale (p = 0.0464), Berg Functional Balance Scale (p = 0.0277), lateral functional reach to the right (p = 0.0431*) and lateral functional reach to the left (p = 0.0277). Conclusion: It is believed that exercises with virtual reality therapy can be a useful tool to improve the balance in PD patients.Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
Downloads
Published
2017-09-13
How to Cite
Loureiro, A. P. C., Gonçalves Ribas, C., Gianello Gnoato Zotz, T., Chen, R., & Ribas, F. (2017). Feasibility of virtual therapy in rehabilitation of Parkinson’s disease patients: pilot study. Fisioterapia Em Movimento (Physical Therapy in Movement), 25(3). https://doi.org/10.1590/S0103-51502012000300021
Issue
Section
Original Article
License
The authors guarantee that the works submitted to this journal are original and were not prepared in violation of any third party rights, having obtained all the necessary authorizations to include complementary content, such as, but not restricted to, translations, illustrations, tables and citations, whose precise sources the author also undertakes to indicate. The authors also declare that the works do not contain defamatory statements that violate morals, good customs and/or that violate intellectual property rights.
When submitting your paper, the Copyright Assignment signed by all authors must be attached.