Audio-Biofeedback Training for Posture and Balance in Patients With Parkinson’s Disease
By Mirelman, Anat; Herman, Talia; Nicolai, Simone; Zijlstra, Agnese; Zijlstra, Wiebren; Becker, Clemens; Chiari, Lorenzo; Hausdorff, Jeffrey M.; Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation, Vol. 8, No. 35Publication Date: June 21, 2011
Study tested the effects of audio-biofeedback (ABF) training on gait, balance, and postural responses in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Participants were seven patients with PD aged 59 to 85 years, one of whom was female. A repeated measures design with a six week intervention program was used. The training, which comprised 18 sessions, was individualized to each patient’s needs and was delivered using an ABF system. The system, a lightweight device containing tri-axial accelerometers and gyroscopes, was attached to each participant’s lower back with a Velcro belt and connected to a personal digital assistant (PDA) via Bluetooth. Headphones were attached to the PDA to provide auditory feedback which was modulated in frequency and amplitude by participants’ movement and change of body orientation. The training was focused on improving posture, sit-to-stand abilities, and dynamic balance in various positions. The ABF system was well accepted by all participants with no adverse events reported. Patients declared a high satisfaction with the training. A significant 3 percent improvement of balance, as assessed by the Berg Balance Scale, was observed, and a 11 percent improvement trend in the Timed Up and Go Test was also seen. In addition, the training appeared to have a positive influence on psychosocial aspects of the disease as assessed by the Parkinson’s Disease Quality of Life questionnaire (PDQ-39) and the level of depression as assessed by the Geriatric Depression Scale.
Published by: BioMed Central Ltd (Website:http://www.biomedcentral.com)
Link to text: http://www.jneuroengrehab.com/content/pdf/1743-0003-8-35.pdf
