Article

Impaired sensory processing in Parkinson's disease (PD) has been argued to
contribute to balance deficits. Exercises aimed at improving sensory feedback and
body awareness have the potential to ameliorate balance deficits in PD. Recently,
PD SAFEx, a sensory and attention focused rehabilitation program, has been shown
to improve motor deficits in PD, although balance control has never been
evaluated. The objective of this study was to measure the effects of PD SAFEx on
balance control in PD. Twenty-one participants with mild to moderate idiopathic
PD completed 12 weeks of PD SAFEx training (three times/week) in a group setting.
Prior to training, participants completed a pre-assessment evaluating balance in
accordance with an objective, computerized test of balance (modified clinical
test of sensory integration and balance (m-CTSIB) and postural stability testing
(PST)) protocols. The m-CTSIB was our primary outcome measure, which allowed
assessment of balance in both eyes open and closed conditions, thus enabling
evaluation of specific sensory contributions to balance improvement. At
post-test, a significant interaction between time of assessment and vision
condition (p=.014) demonstrated that all participants significantly improved
balance control, specifically when eyes were closed. Balance control did not
change from pre to post with eyes open. These results provide evidence that PD
SAFEx is effective at improving the ability to utilize proprioceptive
information, resulting in improved balance control in the absence of vision.
Enhancing the ability to utilize proprioception for individuals with PD is an
important intermediary to improving balance deficits.
CI - Copyright (c) 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Langue : ANGLAIS