Effects of Different Percentages Body Weight Supported Treadmill Training on Gait, Balance, Quality of Life and Fatigue in Parkinson's Disease

Effects of Different Percentages Body Weight Supported Treadmill Training on Gait, Balance, Quality of Life and Fatigue in Parkinson's Disease: A Double Blind Randomized Controlled Trial

Body weight supported treadmill training (BWSTT) is an important rehabilitative choice for neurologically impaired subjects such as Parkinson's disease (PD). The aim of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of different percentages BWSTT on gait, balance, quality of life and fatigue in moderate to advanced PD.

Body weight supported treadmill training (BWSTT) is an important rehabilitative choice for neurologically impaired subjects such as Parkinson's disease (PD). The aim of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of different percentages BWSTT on gait, balance, quality of life and fatigue in moderate to advanced PD. Thirty five patients were randomly assigned to one of the three groups according to the percentage unweighed: 0% BWSTT, 10% BWSTT and 20% BWSTT. All patients participated 30 minutes BWSTT sessions 5 days a week, for 6 weeks. Primary outcomes were 6 minute walk test (6MWT), Berg balance scale (BBS), Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS); and secondary outcomes were Nottingham health profile (NHP), Fatigue Impact Scale (FIS) and Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) which were performed at the beginning and end of the rehabilitation.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Clinical diagnosis of Parkinson's disease according to the UK Brain Bank criteria.
• Subjects had clinically moderate to advanced severity of disease (Hoehn and Yahr stage 2 - 4).
• Subjects whose medical treatment had been on stable dosage of dopaminomimetics for at least 4 weeks before the study.
• Subjects ability to walk with or without assistive device.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Subjects had cardiovascular, inflammatory or musculoskeletal problems that could prevent them to participate in an exercise program.
• Subjects whose mini mental status examination score was less than 26.