Treadmill training for the treatment of gait disturbances in people with Parkinson's disease: a mini-review.
This report reviews recent investigations of the effects of treadmill training (TT) on the gait of patients with Parkinson's disease. A literature search identified 14 relevant studies. Three studies reported on the immediate effects of TT; over-ground walking improved (e.g., increased speed and stride length) after one treadmill session. Effects persisted even 15 min later. Eleven longer-term trials demonstrated feasibility, safety and efficacy, reporting positive benefits in gait speed, stride length and other measures such as disease severity (e.g., Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale) and health-related quality of life, even several weeks after cessation of the TT. Long-term carryover effects also raise the possibility that TT may elicit positive neural plastic changes. While encouraging, the work to date is preliminary; none of the identified studies received a quality rating of Gold or level Ia. Additional high quality randomized controlled studies are needed before TT can be recommended with evidence-based support.
Herman
T
T
Laboratory for Gait and Neurodynamics, Movement Disorders Unit and Parkinson Center, Department of Neurology, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, 6 Weizman Street, 64239, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Giladi
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N
Hausdorff
J M
JM
D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods; D005684:Gait; D006801:Humans; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome