title: Effects of Global Postural Reeducation on gait kinematics in parkinsonian patients: a pilot randomized three-dimensional motion analysis study.
abstract: The Global Postural Reeducation (GPR) method is a physical therapy based on the stretching of antigravity muscle chains with the parallel enhancement of the basal tone of antagonistic muscles addressed to improve static and dynamic stability. Through a three-dimensional motion analysis (3DMA) system, our study aims to investigate whether in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients a GPR program results in a more physiological gait pattern. The kinematic parameters of gait of twenty subjects with clinically diagnosed PD were calculated. The patients were randomly assigned to a study (10 or control (10) group. All subjects underwent neurological and 3DMA assessments at entry time (t 0), at 4 weeks (t 1, end of GPR program), and at 8 and 12 weeks (t 2 and t 3, follow-up evaluation). The study group underwent a four-week GPR program, three times a week, for 40 min individual sessions. Kinematic gait parameters of thigh (T), knee (K) and ankle (A) and UPDRS-III scores were evaluated. At the end of the GPR program, we observed an improvement of the kinematic gait pattern, documented by the increase in KΔc and TΔc values that respectively express the flexion amplitude of knee and thigh. The amelioration was persistent at follow-up assessments, with a parallel enhancement in clinical parameters. GPR intervention shows a long-term efficacy on gait pattern in PD patients. Furthermore, we validated 3DMA as a valuable tool to study the kinematics of gait thus refining the understanding of the effects of specific rehabilitation programs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Motor Sciences and Wellness, University of Naples Parthenope, via Medina 40, 80133, Naples, Italy.|Institute Hermitage-Capodimonte, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Agosti
authors.affiliation: Department of Motor Sciences and Wellness, University of Naples Parthenope, via Medina 40, 80133, Naples, Italy.|Institute Hermitage-Capodimonte, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Carmine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vitale
authors.affiliation: Department of Motor Sciences and Wellness, University of Naples Parthenope, via Medina 40, 80133, Naples, Italy.|Institute Hermitage-Capodimonte, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Avella
authors.affiliation: Institute Hermitage-Capodimonte, Naples, Italy.|Department of Sciences and Technologies, University of Naples Parthenope, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Rosaria
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rucco
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Second University of Naples, Caserta, Italy.
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Santangelo
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive and Odontostomatological Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Pierpaolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sorrentino
authors.affiliation: Department of Motor Sciences and Wellness, University of Naples Parthenope, via Medina 40, 80133, Naples, Italy.|Institute Hermitage-Capodimonte, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Varriale
authors.affiliation: Department of Motor Sciences and Wellness, University of Naples Parthenope, via Medina 40, 80133, Naples, Italy. giuseppe.sorrentino@uniparthenope.it.|Institute Hermitage-Capodimonte, Naples, Italy. giuseppe.sorrentino@uniparthenope.it.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sorrentino
mesh_terms: D000842:Ankle / Q000503:physiopathology; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007717:Knee / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013848:Thigh / Q000503:physiopathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: 3D motion analysis; Gait; Global postural reeducation; Kinematics; Parkinson disease; Range of motion