Educational and Exercise Intervention to Prevent Falls and Participation Restrictions in Subjects With Neurological Diseases
Educational and Exercise Intervention to Prevent Falls and Participation Restrictions in Subjects With Neurological Diseases
A randomized open clinical trial to assess the added value of a comprehensive rehabilitation program on fall prevention and improve participation and activities of daily living. Baseline assessment, 6-month experimental intervention (experimental group) vs. usual rehabilitation programs and assessment at end of treatment and six months after treatment will be performed.
90 patients will be randomly patients will be stratified by disease type and randomized separately.
The trial will be organized in Baseline assessment (clinical characteristics; fall predictors, chosen among the variables found to predict falls in the observational study), experimental intervention (experimental group) vs. usual rehabilitation programs (control group) and assessment at end of treatment and six months after treatment.
The aim of the treatment will be the prevention of falls.
Inclusion Criteria:
Patients with stroke, Parkinson's disease and Multiple Sclerosis residing in the centers' catchment areas, requiring rehabilitation, and releasing a written informed consent.
Exclusion Criteria:
1. Cognitive impairment (Minimental State Examination score <21); 2. Major depression; 3. Severe joint/bone disorder interfering with mobility, 4. Aphasia if interfering with understanding the aims of the study and self-administered tests; 5. relapses in the previous three months (MS); 6. Stroke occurred in least four weeks before study entry.