Article

New treatments based on peripheral stimulation of the sensory-motor system have
been inspiring new rehabilitation approaches in Parkinson's disease (PD),
especially to reduce gait impairment, levodopa washout effects, and the incidence
of falls. The aim of this study was to evaluate the change in gait and the
clinical status of PD patients after six sessions of a treatment based on
automated mechanical peripheral stimulation (AMPS). Eighteen patients with PD and
15 age-matched healthy individuals (control group) participated in this study. A
dedicated medical device delivered the AMPS. PD patients were treated with AMPS
six times once every 4 days. All PD patients were treated in the off-levodopa
phase and were evaluated with gait analysis before and after the first
intervention (acute phase), after the sixth intervention, 48 h after the sixth
intervention, and 10 days after the end of the treatment. To compare the
differences among the AMPS interventions (pre, 6 AMPS, and 10 days) in terms of
clinical scales, a t-test was used (alpha</=0.05). In addition, to compare the
differences among the AMPS interventions (pre, post, 6 AMPS, 48 h and 10 days),
the gait spatiotemporal parameters were analyzed using the Friedman test and the
Bonferroni post-hoc test (alpha</=0.05). Also, for comparisons between the PD
group and the control group, the gait spatiotemporal parameters were analyzed
using the Mann-Whitney test and the Bonferroni post-hoc test (alpha</=0.05). The
results of the study indicate that the AMPS treatment has a positive effect on
bradykinesia because it improves walking velocity, has a positive effect on the
step and stride length, and has a positive effect on walking stability, measured
by the increase in stride length. These results are consistent with the
improvements measured with clinical scales. These findings indicate that AMPS
treatment seems to generate a more stable walking pattern in PD patients,
reducing the well-known gait impairment that is typical of PD; regular repetition
every 4 days of AMPS treatment appears to be able to improve gait parameters, to
restore rhythmicity, and to reduce the risk of falls, with benefits maintained up
to 10 days after the last treatment. The trial was registered online at
ClinicalTrials.gov (number identifier: NCT0181528).

Langue : ANGLAIS