title: Partial Body Weight-Supported Treadmill Training in Patients With Parkinson Disease: Impact on Gait and Clinical Manifestation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of conventional gait training (CGT) and partial weight-supported treadmill training (PWSTT) on gait and clinical manifestation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective experimental research design.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with idiopathic Parkinson disease (PD) (N=60; mean age, 58.15±8.7y) on stable dosage of dopaminomimetic drugs were randomly assigned into the 3 following groups (20 patients in each group): (1) nonexercising PD group, (2) CGT group, and (3) PWSTT group.
  
  
  METHODS
  The interventions included in the study were CGT and PWSTT. The sessions of the CGT and PWSTT groups were given in patient's self-reported best on status after regular medications. The interventions were given for 30min/d, 4d/wk, for 4 weeks (16 sessions).
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical severity was measured by the Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) and its subscores. Gait was measured by 2 minutes of treadmill walking and the 10-m walk test. Outcome measures were evaluated in their best on status at baseline and after the second and fourth weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four weeks of CGT and PWSTT gait training showed significant improvements of UPDRS scores, its subscores, and gait performance measures. Moreover, the effects of PWSTT were significantly better than CGT on most measures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PWSTT is a promising intervention tool to improve the clinical and gait outcome measures in patients with PD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurophysiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, India; Department of Physical Therapy, College of Applied Health sciences, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL.
authors.forename: Mohan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ganesan
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurophysiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, India.
authors.forename: Talakad N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Sathyaprabha
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, India.
authors.forename: Pramod Kumar
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Pal
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Rehabilitation, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, India. Electronic address: drgupta159@yahoo.co.in.
authors.forename: Anupam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gupta
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001835:Body Weight; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016138:Walking
keywords: Gait; Parkinson disease; Rehabilitation