Effect of balance training on postural instability in patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease.
BACKGROUND
Postural instability (PI) is a disabling sign of Parkinson's disease (PD) not easily amenable to treatment with medication.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effects of balance training on PI in patients with PD.


METHODS
A total of 64 patients with PI were randomly assigned to the experimental group (n = 33) for balance training or to the control group (n = 31) for general physical exercises. Each patient received 21 treatment sessions of 50 minutes each. Patients were evaluated by a blinded rater before and after treatment as well as 1 month posttreatment using the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC), postural transfer test, self-destabilization of the center of foot pressure test, number of falls, Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), modified Hoehn and Yahr (H&Y) Staging Scale, and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS).


RESULTS
At the end of treatment, the experimental group showed significant improvements in all outcome measures, except for the UPDRS and the H&Y scale. Improvement was maintained at the 1-month follow-up in all outcome measures except for the GDS. No significant changes in performance were observed in the control group.


CONCLUSIONS
A program of balance training can improve PI in patients with PD.
Department of Neurological, Neuropsychological, Morphological and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy. nicola.smania@univr.it
Nicola
N
Smania
Elisabetta
E
Corato
Michele
M
Tinazzi
Clementina
C
Stanzani
Antonio
A
Fiaschi
Paolo
P
Girardi
Marialuisa
M
Gandolfi
D000368:Aged; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D020233:Gait Disorders, Neurologic / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009069:Movement Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome