A personalised, gait training telerehabilitation programme for people with Parkinson’s Disease: A long-term pilot study

Le résumé fourni par la source

ObjectiveTo assess the feasibility and, preliminarily, the effectiveness of long-term, personalized gait training using a digital wearable system (Gait Tutor) that provides real-time audio biofeedback to correct or reinforce gait behaviour.DesignOpen-label and non-controlled, with assessments before and after intervention.SettingReal-world.ParticipantsTwenty persons with Parkinson's disease.InterventionParticipants performed home-based gait training in their ON medication state for 30 minutes, 3 times per week, for 9 months using a Gait Tutor.Main measuresWe evaluated adherence (% of expected sessions), usability, and, preliminarily, efficacy by assessing the motor performance of the participants before and after the intervention.ResultsSeventeen participants (85%) completed the study, performing an average of 83 sessions. Adherence was higher for persons with an intermediate disease stage (80.5% of expected training sessions), compared to those with a more advanced disease stage (46.2%). All participants reported extremely positive scores on the questionnaire about ease of use and effectiveness (4.37 ± 0.42). The Movement Disorders Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale motor scores remained stable after the training (mean 9 months). In people with an intermediate disease stage, clinical scores and physical capacity tended to improve.ConclusionsFor the first time, this study shows the feasibility of long-term real-world gait training for people with Parkinson's disease, providing preliminary evidence that personalized, technology-driven rehabilitation strategies can be sustained over extended periods and can assist clinicians in objectively assessing gait performance in the real world.

Ce résumé expose les affirmations des auteurs. BNTIC ne l’interprète pas comme une validation indépendante des résultats.