title: Postural and Balance Disorders in Patients with Parkinson's Disease: A Prospective Open-Label Feasibility Study with Two Months of Action Observation Treatment.
abstract: Action observation treatment has been proposed as therapeutic option in rehabilitation of patients affected by Parkinson's disease (PD) to improve freezing of gait episodes. The purpose of this prospective open-label feasibility study was to evaluate the impact of 8-week action observation training (video-therapy) for the treatment of postural instability and balance impairment in PD patients. Fifteen PD patients aged under 80 years with scores of 1 to 3 on the Hoehn and Yahr staging and without evidence of freezing of gait were recruited. They underwent 24 sessions of video-therapy training based on carefully watching video clips on motor tasks linked to balance, subsequently performing the same observed movements. No statistically significant differences were observed in the identified outcome measures with the Berg Balance Scale and the Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale after two months of follow-up. In the present study, a short course of action observation treatment seems to be not effective in reducing balance impairments and postural instability in patients affected by mild to moderate PD. Further studies with larger samples, longer follow-up period, and standardized protocols of action observation treatment are needed to investigate the effects of this rehabilitation technique in the management of postural and balance disorders of PD patients.
authors.affiliation: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Section, "OORR Hospital", University of Foggia, 71100 Foggia, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Santamato
authors.affiliation: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Section, "OORR Hospital", University of Foggia, 71100 Foggia, Italy.
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ranieri
authors.affiliation: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Section, "OORR Hospital", University of Foggia, 71100 Foggia, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicoletta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cinone
authors.affiliation: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Section, "OORR Hospital", University of Foggia, 71100 Foggia, Italy.
authors.forename: Lucia Anna
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Stuppiello
authors.affiliation: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Section, "OORR Hospital", University of Foggia, 71100 Foggia, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Valeno
authors.affiliation: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Section, "OORR Hospital", University of Foggia, 71100 Foggia, Italy.
authors.forename: Jula Laura
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: De Sanctis
authors.affiliation: Sector of Hygiene, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Foggia, 71100 Foggia, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fortunato
authors.affiliation: Geriatric Medicine-Memory Unit and Rare Disease Centre, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Solfrizzi
authors.affiliation: Geriatric Unit & Laboratory of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Department of Medical Sciences, IRCCS "Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza", San Giovanni Rotondo, 71013 Foggia, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Greco
authors.affiliation: Geriatric Unit & Laboratory of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Department of Medical Sciences, IRCCS "Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza", San Giovanni Rotondo, 71013 Foggia, Italy.
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Seripa
authors.affiliation: Geriatric Unit & Laboratory of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Department of Medical Sciences, IRCCS "Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza", San Giovanni Rotondo, 71013 Foggia, Italy; Neurodegenerative Disease Unit, Department of Basic Medicine, Neuroscience, and Sense Organs, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy; Department of Clinical Research in Neurology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, "Pia Fondazione Cardinale G. Panico", Tricase, 73039 Lecce, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Panza