Tai Chi Intervention by Telerehabilitation

Tai Chi Intervention by Telerehabilitation as an Innovative Solution for Parkinson's Disease Population

Rational : A lot of people in the province of Quebec suffer from Parkinson's disease and they are mostly vulnerable because they gradually lose their autonomy with the worsening of the disease. Physiotherapy was proven to be an effective treatment method for these patients. However, accessibility to care remains a major issue.

Objective: This project aims to establish the clinical feasibility of a Tai chi rehabilitation program through tele rehabilitation to patients suffering of Parkinson's disease.

Methodology : This pilot study will be conduct with a pre/post-test device. Therefore, to reach the objective, an evaluation will be done before the intervention and directly after the end of the 12 weeks program. Also, the obstacles encountered during the interventions will be noted in a logbook.

Benefits: This is a priority research because its aim is to develop a care system that is efficient and accessible for a target population. The results of this study will confirm the possibility to put in place a telerehabilitation program who could reach, on a larger scale, more patients suffering from Parkinson's disease.

Inclusion Criteria:

• to be diagnosed with Parkinson Disease according to the " Movement Disorders Society's diagnostic criteria " for at least 3 years
• Presence of a postural instability measured by the pull test according to Movement Disorders Society-Sponsored revision scale of Unified Parkinson Disease Rating scale " (MDS-UPDRS) with a score to item 3, 12 ≥ 1,
• Have access to Internet
• Have a caregiver available during rehabilitation sessions

Exclusion Criteria:

• Have a une cognitive impairment measured by the " Mini-Mental State Examination " (MMSE), with a total score < 24.