Clinical and technology-based assessment of an innovative integrated rehabilitation programme for persons affected by Parkinson’s disease

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of an integrated rehabilitation treatment of persons affected by Parkinson's disease based on neuromotor exercises, unstable platform and treadmill walk. Seventy-nine patients (42 men, 37 women; mean age 68,2±9 years) affected by Parkinson’s disease diagnosed more than 12 months prior to the study were recruited. Each patient underwent a 4-week rehabilitation programme composed by 20 sessions (5 sessions/week), including 30 minutes of neuromotor exercises aimed at improving the swing phase, facilitation and modulation of dynamic load, step training with obstacles overcoming and stairs execution. In addition, during each rehabilitation session each patient has carried out 15 minutes of proprioceptive exercise on an unstable platform and 15 minutes of treadmill gait. The Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) and the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) were used as clinical outcome measures. A stability index and an oscillation index were computed. The results showed significant improvement of clinical outcome measures and stability and oscillation index at the end of the integrated rehabilitation programme.