The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a rehabilitative pathway based on dual-task exercise improves balance in patients with Parkinson's disease, compared to a traditional rehabilitation program. It will also investigate the reduction of fall risk, and improvement in autonomy and quality of life.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
- Does dual-task exercise improve balance more effectively than traditional rehabilitation in Parkinson's patients?
- Does dual-task exercise reduce the risk of falls?
- Does dual-task exercise improve patient autonomy in daily activities?
- Does dual-task exercise enhance the overall quality of life for Parkinson's patients? Researchers will compare a dual-task exercise program to a standard rehabilitation program. Both groups will receive 20 sessions, 2-3 times a week for two months, each lasting 45 minutes. The study will be double-blinded, meaning neither participants nor researchers involved in treatment administration and data collection will know group assignments. Randomization will be done using dedicated software to ensure unbiased group distribution.
Participants will:
- Have a confirmed diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (Movement Disorder Society criteria).
- Be in an early to moderate stage of the disease (Hoehn and Yahr score < 3).
- Be over 30 years old.
- Be able to provide informed consent.
- Have a stable medication regimen for at least three months.
Exclusions include:
- Hoehn and Yahr score ≥3.
- Severe cognitive or psychiatric disorders (e.g., dementia).
- Use of interfering medications or treatments.
- Participation in other clinical trials.
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding.
- Need for medication changes during rehabilitation. Evaluations will be conducted at baseline (T=0), after rehabilitation (T=1), and at a two-month follow-up (T=2). Assessments will include the Tinetti Balance and Gait scales, Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, VAS pain scale, TAMPA Scale for Kinesiophobia, Global Perceived Effect (GPE), Barthel Index, EuroQoL-5D-5L, and ABC Scale. UPDRS, Hoehn and Yahr scale, and MOCA Scale will be administered only at baseline (T=0).