Efficacy of a Robotic-assisted Gait Training in Addition to a Conventional Physical Therapy in Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson's Disease
About this trial
This is an interventional treatment trial for Parkinson's Disease focused on measuring Parkinson's disease, Lokomat, gait training, rehabilitation.
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- Parkinson's disease stage 2 to 3 (calculated in the "on phase") on the Hoehn and Yahr scale
- independent walking
- clinical-pharmacological stabilization until three months before the beginning of the study.
Exclusion Criteria:
- deficits of somatic sensation involving the legs
- vestibular disorders or paroxysmal vertigo
- other neurological, orthopedic or cardiovascular co-morbility
- severe posture abnormalities
- severe-moderate cognitive impairment (Minmental state ≤ 21)
- severe dyskinesia or "on-off"phases
Sites / Locations
- Casa di Cura HabilitaRecruiting
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Experimental
Active Comparator
Experimental group
Control group
Participants received 12 sessions of robotic assisted body weight-supported treadmill training on the Lokomat. Training occurred approximately 3 days/ week for 4 weeks, and each training session on the Lokomat lasted 30 minutes. All sessions were supervised by a trained research therapist. All participants started with 40% body weight-support and an initial treadmill speed of 1.5 km/h. Body weight-support was used primarily to facilitate an increase in walking speed; therefore, progression of training across subsequent sessions was standardized by preferentially increasing speed and then unloading body weight-support. Speed was increased to a range of 2.2 to 2.5 km/h before body weight-support was decreased. There was an active attempt to enhance the level of training at each session.
Participants received 20 sessions of conventional physiotherapy. Training occurred approximately 5 days/week for 4 weeks, and each training session lasted 1 hour .Patients allocated to the Control Group performed a general exercise program and a conventional gait training with a 5-minute rest between them. The general exercise program consisted in cardiovascular warm-up exercises, muscle stretching exercises, active-assisted or active isometric and isotonic exercises for the main muscles of the trunk and limbs, relaxation exercises, coordination and dual task activities and balance exercises. The conventional gait therapy was based on the proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation concept (lasting 30 minutes), with rhythmic initiation, slow reversal, and agonistic reversal exercises applied to the pelvic region, each 10 minutes long.