Home-based prescribed exercise improves balance-related activities and gait speed in people with Parkinson 's disease , and these improvements are similar to improvements with equivalent centre-based exercise .
QUESTIONS In people with Parkinson 's disease , does home-based prescribed exercise improve balance-related activities and quality of life compared with no intervention ?
Are the effects of home-based exercise similar to those of equivalent centre-based exercise ?
Balance training in individuals with Parkinson's disease: Therapist-supervised vs. home-based exercise programme.
BACKGROUND Poor locomotion and balance in Parkinson 's disease ( PD ) often diminishes independence . Accordingly , gait is considered one of the most relevant rehabilitation outcomes , and home-based balance exercises might be a viable mode of exercise delivery for individuals with PD . However , research on PD interventions rarely indicate best practice s to deliver exercises . Therefore , this study endeavoured to compare the efficacy of a home-based and therapist-supervised balance programme on gait parameters , dynamic balance , balance confidence and motivation in individuals diagnosed with PD . METHODS An experimental study design , including a cluster r and omized convenience sample , of 40 participants with idiopathic PD ( Hoehn and Yahr stage I-III ; age : 65.0±7.7years ) . Participants were divided into a therapist-supervised ( n=24 ) and home-based group ( n=16 ) . Groups received either eight weeks of balance training with an exercise therapist or a DVD . Outcome measures include the instrumented Timed-Up- and -Go , Functional Gait Analysis ( FGA ) , Activity-specific Balance confidence ( ABC ) scale and Intrinsic Motivation Inventory ( IMI ) . RESULTS Both groups improved in stride length ( p<0.05 ) . Similar FGA improved by 9 % and 16 % in the therapist-supervised and home-based group , respectively ( p<0.01 ) . Only the therapist-supervised group showed improvements in ABC ( p=0.051 ) , stride velocity ( p=0.0006 ) and cadence ( p=0.046 ) over the intervention ; the latter two were also better compared to home-based ( p<0.05 ) . Furthermore the therapist-supervised group were more motivated ( p=002 ) . CONCLUSION The home-based balance programme was effective in improving some aspects of gait , albeit the programme supervised by an exercise therapist included somewhat more benefits after the intervention i.e. stride velocity and cadence in individuals with mild to moderate PD
Home-based prescribed exercise improves balance-related activities and gait speed in people with Parkinson 's disease , and these improvements are similar to improvements with equivalent centre-based exercise .
QUESTIONS In people with Parkinson 's disease , does home-based prescribed exercise improve balance-related activities and quality of life compared with no intervention ?
Are the effects of home-based exercise similar to those of equivalent centre-based exercise ?