Article

Freezing of gait (FOG) is a disabling impairment for people with
Parkinson's disease (PD) and may not respond to medications. The effectiveness of
physical therapy for FOG is debatable. Action observation strategies to overcome
FOG may enhance physical training. OBJECTIVE: To assess whether action
observation, combined with practicing the observed actions, may reduce FOG
episodes. METHODS: Twenty patients with PD entered a single-blind trial and were
randomly assigned to the experimental (Action) or control (Landscape) groups.
Those in the Action group watched video clips showing specific movements and
strategies to circumvent FOG episodes, whereas those in the Landscape group
watched video clips of static pictures showing different landscapes. All patients
underwent identical physical therapy training, 3 sessions a week for 4 weeks.
RESULTS: The FOG Questionnaire score and the number of FOG episodes were
significantly reduced in both groups after the training period. At follow-up
examination (4 weeks after the end of the intervention), a significant reduction
in the number of FOG episodes was observed only in the Action group. Motor
performance (walking and balance) and quality-of-life assessments were
significantly improved in both groups at the end of training and at follow-up.
CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that action observation has a positive
additional effect on recovery of walking ability in PD patients with FOG. Further
studies on the combination of observation and imitation to supplement a physical
training program may result in an innovative rehabilitative approach for FOG.

Langue : ANGLAIS