"Test D'évaluation Des Membres Supérieurs Des Personnes Âgées" (TEMPA) to assess upper limb activity in Parkinson's disease

Short-term effects of Pilates-based exercise on upper limb strength and function in people with Parkinson's disease

BACKGROUND

People with Parkinson's disease (PD) have impaired upper limb motor coordination, limiting the execution of activities of daily living. This study investigated the feasibility and safety of a short-term Pilates-based exercise program in the treatment of upper limb motor coordination for people with PD.

METHODS

Fifteen patients - n (%) 4 women/11 men (27/73), median [interquartile range] age 66 [9] years - participated in this quasi-experimental (before-and-after) clinical trial. Patients underwent a 6-week (30 min/day, 3 days/week) Pilates exercise program using Reformer, Cadillac, Chair, and Barrel equipment. Feasibility was evaluated by adherence to the program and the ability to perform the exercises including progressions on difficulty. Safety was evaluated based on self-reported adverse events. Clinical and functional trends before and after the intervention were also computed regarding handgrip strength (HGS), fine motor coordination (9 Hole Peg Test; 9HPT), bradykinesia (Movement Disorder Society - Unified Parkinson's disease Rating Scale; MDS-UPDRS), and upper limb functionality (Test D'évaluation des Membres Supérieurs des Personnes Âgées, TEMPA).

RESULTS

Of the 18 Pilates sessions, exercise adherence was 100%. The only adverse event observed was mild muscle pain. Pre-post differences were observed only for body bradykinesia and hypokinesia (1.0 [0.0] vs. 0.0 [1.0] s, adjusted p = 0.048).

CONCLUSIONS

A short-term Pilates-based exercise program in the treatment of upper limb muscle strength, manual dexterity, bradykinesia, and functionality is feasible and safe for people with PD. Changes in upper limb bradykinesia encourage randomized clinical trials.

Clinical assessment of upper limb impairments and functional capacity in Parkinson's disease: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

 Parkinson's disease (PD) may progressively reduce the upper limb's functionality. Currently, there is no standardized upper limb functional capacity assessment in PD in the rehabilitation field.

OBJECTIVE

 To identify specific outcome measurements to assess upper limbs in PD and access functional capacity.

METHODS

 We systematically reviewed and analyzed the literature in English published from August/2012 to August/2022 according to PRISMA. The following keywords were used in our search: "upper limbs" OR "upper extremity" and "Parkinson's disease." Two researchers searched independently, including studies accordingly to our inclusion and exclusion criteria. Registered at PROSPERO CRD42021254486.

RESULTS

 We found 797 studies, and 50 were included in this review (n = 2.239 participants in H&Y stage 1-4). The most common upper limbs outcome measures found in the studies were: (i) UPDRS-III and MDS-UPDRS to assess the severity and progression of PD motor symptoms (tremor, bradykinesia, and rigidity) (ii) Nine Hole Peg Test and Purdue Pegboard Test to assess manual dexterity; (iii) Spiral test and Funnel test to provoke and assess freezing of upper limbs; (iv) Technology assessment such as wearables sensors, apps, and other device were also found.

CONCLUSION

 We found evidence to support upper limb impairments assessments in PD. However, there is still a large shortage of specific tests to assess the functional capacity of the upper limbs. The upper limbs' functional capacity is insufficiently investigated during the clinical and rehabilitation examination due to a lack of specific outcome measures to assess functionality.

Virtual reality as an intervention tool for upper limbs in Parkinson’s disease: a case series

ABSTRACT Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder in which dopaminergic loss occurs in the basal nuclei region. One major complaint associated with PD is upper extremity motor deficits (UE), frequently reported in difficulties to perform activities of daily living (ADL), which may negatively affect quality of life. In recent years new technologies have emerged to assist the UE rehabilitation process in PD, such as virtual reality. Therefore, this study sought to verify the effects of an intervention in the UE with semi-immersive virtual reality equipment on ADLs and quality of life of individuals with PD. Six individuals with PD were selected for intervention, and evaluated by the Mini Mental State Examination, the Hoehn & Yahr Scale, the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), the Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39) and the test d’évaluation des membres supérieurs de personnes âgées (TEMPA). The interventions lasted 27 minutes per session, twice per week, for 5 weeks, using the Leap Motion Controller. Individuals showed improvement in muscle strength, muscle endurance, ADLs, and quality of life, all statistically significant. In conclusion, the protocol based on virtual reality applied to the upper limbs effectively improved the activities of daily living and quality of life in individuals with PD.

Realidade virtual como ferramenta de intervenção para os membros superiores na doença de Parkinson: série de casos

RESUMO A doença de Parkinson (DP) é uma desordem neurodegenerativa na qual ocorre a perda dopaminérgica na região dos núcleos da base. Uma das principais queixas associadas à DP são os déficits motores dos membros superiores (MMSS) frequentemente relatados em dificuldades para realizar as atividades de vida diária (AVDs), podendo interferir negativamente na qualidade de vida. Nos últimos anos novas tecnologias surgiram para auxiliar no processo de reabilitação dos MMSS na DP, sendo a realidade virtual uma delas. Portanto, este estudo teve como objetivo verificar os efeitos de uma intervenção nos MMSS com equipamento de realidade virtual semi-imersiva nas AVDs e na qualidade de vida de indivíduos com DP. Foram selecionados seis indivíduos com DP para intervenção, avaliados por meio do miniexame do estado mental, da escala de Hoehn e Yahr, da escala unificada de avaliação para a DP (UPDRS), do questionário sobre a doença de Parkinson (PDQ-39) e do test d’évaluation des membres supérieurs de personnes âgées (Tempa). Seis sujeitos foram submetidos à intervenção com duração de 27 minutos por sessão, duas vezes na semana, por cinco semanas, utilizando o Leap Motion Controller. Obteve-se melhora na força muscular, na resistência muscular, nas AVDs e na qualidade de vida, todos com significância estatística. Dessa forma, verificou-se que o protocolo baseado em realidade virtual aplicada nos MMSS foi eficaz para melhorar as AVDs e a qualidade de vida dos indivíduos com DP deste estudo.

Progressive muscle-strength protocol for the functionality of upper limbs and quality of life in individuals with Parkinson's disease: Pilot study

The effects of physical-therapy intervention on the motor function of upper limbs and the quality of life in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) are not fully understood. We evaluated the effects of a progressive muscle-strengthening protocol for upper limbs on the functionality and quality of life. Patients were divided into two groups: Intervention (n = 6) and Control (n = 7). Assessment tools used were: Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire, Nine-Hole Peg Test (9HPT), Test d'Évaluation des Membres Supérieurs de Personnes Âgées (TEMPA), 10-Repetition Maximum (10-RM) and handgrip dynamometer, which were applied pre- and post-intervention, with follow-up for one month after the last training session. Only, the Intervention group (post-intervention) showed significant statistical differences, with the following outcomes: UPDRS III (p = 0.042); 9HPT, right (p = 0.028) and left side (p = 0.028); TEMPA for total right side (p = 0.028), left side (p = 0.028) and total bilateral tasks (p = 0.028); TEMPA task 2 - open a jar and take a spoonful of coffee (p = 0.028), task 3 - pick up a pitcher and pour water into a glass for right (p = 0.046) and left side (p = 0.028), task 5 - write on an envelope and stick on a stamp (p = 0.028), and task 6 - shuffle and deal playing cards (p = 0.028). We observed significant statistical differences between groups (post-intervention) for TEMPA task 6 (p = 0.032), total right side (p = 0.032), and total bilateral tasks (p = 0.032). An increase in the maximum load in the post-intervention stage, based on the 10-RM test, was observed on the right (p = 0.003) and left (p = 0.007) sides. Our results showed an improvement in upper-limb functionality in PD patients submitted to progressive muscle-strength training, although not in quality of life.