Measurement of patient-centered outcomes in Parkinson's disease: what do patients really want from their treatment?

Visual feedback improves propulsive force generation during treadmill walking in people with Parkinson disease

Persons with Parkinson's disease experience gait alterations, such as reduced step length. Gait dysfunction is a significant research priority as the current treatments targeting gait impairment are limited. This study aimed to investigate the effects of visual biofeedback on propulsive force during treadmill walking in persons with Parkinson's. Sixteen ambulatory persons with Parkinson's participated in the study. They received real-time biofeedback of anterior ground reaction force during treadmill walking at a constant speed. Peak propulsive force values were measured and normalized to body weight. Spatiotemporal parameters were also assessed, including stride length and double support percent. Persons with Parkinson's significantly increased peak propulsive force during biofeedback compared to baseline (p <.0001, Cohen's dz = 1.69). Variability in peak anterior ground reaction force decreased across repeated trials (p <.0001, dz = 1.51). While spatiotemporal parameters did not show significant changes individually, stride length and double support percent improved marginally during biofeedback trials. Persons with Parkinson's can increase propulsive force with visual biofeedback, suggesting the presence of a propulsive reserve. Though stride length did not significantly change, clinically meaningful improvements were observed. Targeting push-off force through visual biofeedback may offer a potential rehabilitation technique to enhance gait performance in Persons with Parkinson's. Future studies could explore the long-term efficacy of this intervention and investigate additional strategies to improve gait in Parkinson's disease.

Effect of musical cues on gait in individuals with Parkinson disease with comorbid dementia

BACKGROUND

Individuals with Parkinson disease and comorbid dementia (PDD) demonstrate gait impairments, but little is known about how these individuals respond to interventions for gait dysfunction. Rhythmic auditory stimulation (RAS), which utilizes music or other auditory cues to alter gait, has been shown to be effective for improving gait in individuals with PD without dementia, but has not been explored in individuals with PDD.

RESEARCH QUESTION

Can individuals with PDD modulate their gait in response to music and mental singing cues?

METHODS

This single center, cross-sectional, interventional study included 17 individuals with PDD. Participants received Music and Mental singing cues at tempos of 90 %, 100 %, 110 %, and 120 % of their uncued walking cadence. Participants were instructed to walk to the beat of the song. Gait variables were collected using APDM Opal sensors. Data were analyzed using mixed effect models to explore the impact of tempo and cue type (Music vs Mental) on selected gait parameters of velocity, cadence, and stride length.

RESULTS

Mixed effects models showed a significant effect of tempo but not for cue type for velocity (F=11.51, p < .001), cadence (F=11.13, p < .001), and stride length (F=5.68, p = .002). When looking at the marginal means, velocity at a cue rate of 90 % was significantly different from 100 %, indicating participants walked slower with a cue rate of 90 %. Participants did not significantly increase their velocity, cadence, or stride length with faster cue rates of 110 % and 120 % SIGNIFICANCE: Individuals with PDD appear to be able to slow their velocity in response to slower cues, but do not appear to be able to increase their velocity, cadence, or stride length in response to faster cue tempos. This is different from what has been reported in individuals with PD without dementia. Further research is necessary to understand the underlying mechanism for these differences.

Effects of HiBalance training program on physical function of individuals with idiopathic Parkinson disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis

PURPOSE

The effectiveness of the HiBalance training program for individuals with Parkinson disease (PD) remains debated, prompting a systematic investigation. This study aims to assess whether the HiBalance training program yields favorable outcomes on physical function and self-reported function measures in PD individuals.

METHODS

A systematic search across PubMed, Cochrane Library, Ovid, Scopus, and PEDro databases identified studies exploring HiBalance training's impact on physical function in idiopathic PD. Publication date restrictions were not applied. Two independent reviewers evaluated bias risk using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool and study quality using the PEDro scale. Effect size (standardized mean difference, SMD) and heterogeneity (Higgins I2) were determined.

RESULTS

Six studies underwent qualitative analysis, with two randomized-controlled trials and one multi-center clinical trial being included in the meta-analysis. HiBalance training exhibited a significant impact on physical function (SMD = 0.49; P = 0.0003). The Mini-BESTest score and gait velocity displayed improvements with moderate-effect sizes. However, solely gait velocity showed clinical enhancement. Yet, these benefits did not remain at the 6- and 12-month follow-ups post-intervention. Self-reported function measures showed no alteration post-HiBalance training. Publication bias was absent.

CONCLUSION

HiBalance training led to clinically significant improvements solely in gait velocity, though these gains waned over time. The findings suggest the necessity of refining the HiBalance program to sustain positive outcomes and ensure lasting enhancements. This underscores the importance of post-HiBalance training exercise programs to maintain benefits in the long term.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

The protocol of this review and meta-analysis was registered at PROSPERO (CRD42022325649). Available from: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42022325649 .

Treatment Detection and Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, Part III Estimation Using Finger Tapping Tasks

The validation of objective and easy-to-implement biomarkers that can monitor the effects of fast-acting drugs among Parkinson's disease (PD) patients would benefit antiparkinsonian drug development. We developed composite biomarkers to detect levodopa/carbidopa effects and to estimate PD symptom severity. For this development, we trained machine learning algorithms to select the optimal combination of finger tapping task features to predict treatment effects and disease severity. Data were collected during a placebo-controlled, crossover study with 20 PD patients. The alternate index and middle finger tapping (IMFT), alternative index finger tapping (IFT), and thumb-index finger tapping (TIFT) tasks and the Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) III were performed during treatment. We trained classification algorithms to select features consisting of the MDS-UPDRS III item scores; the individual IMFT, IFT, and TIFT; and all three tapping tasks collectively to classify treatment effects. Furthermore, we trained regression algorithms to estimate the MDS-UPDRS III total score using the tapping task features individually and collectively. The IFT composite biomarker had the best classification performance (83.50% accuracy, 93.95% precision) and outperformed the MDS-UPDRS III composite biomarker (75.75% accuracy, 73.93% precision). It also achieved the best performance when the MDS-UPDRS III total score was estimated (mean absolute error: 7.87, Pearson's correlation: 0.69). We demonstrated that the IFT composite biomarker outperformed the combined tapping tasks and the MDS-UPDRS III composite biomarkers in detecting treatment effects. This provides evidence for adopting the IFT composite biomarker for detecting antiparkinsonian treatment effect in clinical trials. © 2023 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Association of Parkinson's disease status with accelerometer-derived physical activity and sedentary behavior in older women: The Women's Health Study (WHS)

Evidence suggests that individuals diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease (PD) spend less time in moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) compared to those without PD. However, prior studies primarily included men and did not consider movement across the entire intensity spectrum. To address these gaps, the association of PD status with total volume physical activity and time spent in sedentary, low light-intensity physical activity (LLPA), high light-intensity physical activity (HLPA), and MVPA among older women was examined. This is a cross-sectional analysis of 17,466 ambulatory women enrolled in the Women's Health Study (WHS) with a median (IQR) age of 70 (67-75) years who were asked to wear an accelerometer for 7 days from 2011 to 2015 for the ancillary study. Reported PD status was assessed via annual mail-in questionnaires prior to device wear. Compared to those without PD (n = 16,661), PD (n = 80) was associated with 98,400 fewer vector magnitude (VM) counts per day and with spending an average of 23.2 more minutes per day sedentary and 10.5 more minutes per day in LLPA. Further, PD was associated with spending 6.4 and 27.3 fewer minutes per day in HLPA and MVPA, respectively, compared to women without PD. PD in women is associated with more daily sedentary time and less time spent in health-enhancing physical activity. Prevention strategies to promote physical activity should be emphasized to enhance health and limit progression of disability in women living with PD.

Validation of the Swedish Patient-Reported Outcomes in Parkinson's Disease Scale in Outpatients

BACKGROUND

Successful treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD) requires symptom monitoring. Patient-Reported Outcomes in Parkinson's Disease (PRO-PD) is a broad scale that covers 35 motor and nonmotor symptoms, but its validation is limited.

OBJECTIVE

The aim was to validate PRO-PD in a random sample of outpatients with PD.

METHODS

Of 2123 PD patients who visited outpatient clinics in West Sweden over a 12-month period, 25% were randomly selected and invited to participate in a longitudinal observational study. Included patients were assessed at baseline, 1 year, and 3 years, with a subset also assessed at 3 to 6 months. The assessments included PRO-PD, other patient-reported scales, and Clinical Impression of Severity Index for Parkinson's Disease (CISI-PD).

RESULTS

The study included 286 PD patients. PRO-PD ratings were available from 716 (96%) of 747 study visits. All PRO-PD items exhibited positive skewness without ceiling effects. Internal consistency at baseline was excellent (Cronbach's α: 0.93). Six-month test-retest reliability was good (intraclass correlation coefficient: 0.87). Convergent validity was good, with correlation coefficients between total PRO-PD and the 8-Item Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire of 0.70, the Non-Motor Symptoms Questionnaire of 0.70, EuroQoL Five-Dimension Five-Level Scale of 0.71, and CISI-PD of 0.69. Median PRO-PD score at baseline was 995 (interquartile range: 613-1399), with a median yearly increase of 71 (interquartile range: -21 to 111). Items representing axial motor symptoms increased most over time. The minimal clinically important change in total score was 119.

CONCLUSIONS

PRO-PD was found reliable and valid for monitoring symptoms in a representative sample of outpatients with PD. © 2023 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Methods to elicit and evaluate the attainment of patient goals in older adults: A scoping review

OBJECTIVE

This scoping review aimed to identify patient goal elicitation and evaluation methods for older adults, and to investigate which methods can be used in medication optimization interventions for nursing home residents (NHRs).

METHODS

The Arksey and O'Malley framework guided the review. A search was launched in PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, and Web of Science. Reference selection and data extraction were performed by three independent reviewers, followed by team discussions to solve discrepancies. Inductive thematic analysis was applied to synthesize the data. Included papers were reconsidered to identify methods for medication optimization interventions for NHRs.

RESULTS

Ninety-six references, encompassing 38 elicitation and 12 evaluation methods, were included. Elicitation methods differed in structure, content, and patient involvement levels. Qualitative and quantitative methods were found to assess goal attainment. Five elicitation and three evaluation methods were developed for NHRs, but none of these contained a medication-related assessment.

CONCLUSION

A variety of goal elicitation and evaluation methods for older adults was found, but none for medication optimization interventions in NHRs.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

A holistic approach seems important to integrate patient goals into medication optimization interventions, not limiting goal elicitation to a medication-related assessment. Also, the choice of assessor seems important to obtain patient goals.

Benefits of Tango Therapy in Alleviating the Motor and Non-Motor Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease Patients—A Narrative Review

The present study examines the efficacy of tango therapy on motor and non-motor symptomatology in Parkinson’s disease, as detailed in articles published over the previous four decades (1980–2022). All data was collected using PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and Science Direct. The present descriptive study outlines the advantages of tango in the rehabilitation of Parkinson’s disease’s motor and non-motor symptoms. Numerous studies have been conducted to determine the usefulness of tango for people with PD. Information from various research is critical for determining if tango is a useful supplementary therapy for the variety of symptoms related to Parkinson’s disease. The purpose of this review was to describe the present state of research on this subject. Thus, the objective of this review is to promote awareness of tango therapy’s therapeutic benefits for Parkinson’s disease.

Assessing preoperative hope and expectations related to functional neurosurgery: a new questionnaire

BACKGROUND

Despite successful functional neurosurgery, patients suffering from epilepsy or Parkinson's disease may experience postoperative psychological distress and social maladjustments. Difficulties in coping with postoperative changes, even positive ones, have shown to be related to patients' presurgery cognitive representations (i.e., expectations, hope). The aim of this study was to develop an instrument assessing various key features of surgery outcomes' representations, namely the Preoperative Hope and Expectations Questionnaire (PHEQ).

METHODS

Participants were patients (n = 50) diagnosed with Parkinson's disease (n = 25) or epilepsy (n = 25), candidates for functional neurosurgery (i.e., Deep brain stimulation, anterior temporal lobectomy). Two to three weeks before the planned surgery, they were administrated items assessing their actual state, preoperative expectations, and hope regarding surgery outcomes. They also completed measures assessing optimism, quality of life and mood.

RESULTS

Exploratory analysis resulted in a 14-item version of the PHEQ composed of two factors (abstract representations, including psychological well-being and concrete representations, such as direct surgery outcomes). The PHEQ demonstrated high internal consistency and good convergent validity. Patients were more prone to express postoperative improvements in terms of hope rather than expectations. They generally focused on concrete rather than abstract features, although patients with Parkinson's disease had higher abstract future-oriented representations.

CONCLUSIONS

The PHEQ presents satisfactory psychometric properties and may be considered as a reliable instrument for research and clinical practice.

Ethical Aspects of Personal Science for Persons with Parkinson's Disease: What Happens When Self-Tracking Goes from Selfcare to Publication?

Using Parkinson's disease as an exemplary chronic condition, this Commentary discusses ethical aspects of using self-tracking for personal science, as compared to using self-tracking in the context of conducting clinical research on groups of study participants. Conventional group-based clinical research aims to find generalisable answers to clinical or public health questions. The aim of personal science is different: to find meaningful answers that matter first and foremost to an individual with a particular health challenge. In the case of personal science, the researcher and the participant are one and the same, which means that specific ethical issues may arise, such as the need to protect the participant against self-harm. To allow patient-led research in the form of personal science in the Parkinson field to evolve further, the development of a specific ethical framework for self-tracking for personal science is needed.

Two weeks of twice-daily prism adaptation treatment does not improve posture or gait in Parkinson's disease: a double-blind randomized controlled trial

Background

Gait difficulties in Parkinson’s disease have been related to problems shifting the center of gravity forward. We previously showed reduced forward stepping latencies for people with Parkinson’s disease after one session of adaptation to upward visual shifts, which produces downward motor after-effects and potentially shifts the center of gravity forward. Here we tested if repeated prism adaptation improved gait and postural control in Parkinson’s disease through a parallel, double-blind, randomized, sham-controlled trial.

Methods

We recruited participants with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease aged 40–85 and meeting any one of three clinical criteria: (1) Hoehn and Yahr Stage II.5–IV; (2) scoring > 0 on the gait, freezing of gait, and/or postural stability items of the Movement Disorder Society Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale; or (3) Timed Up and Go > 12 s. Sealed envelope style randomization allocated participants to two weeks of twice-daily prism adaptation or sham treatment. Participants, care givers, and those assessing the outcomes were blinded to group assignment. Primary outcomes were changes in postural control measured using the Berg Balance Scale and the Limits of Stability, Sensory Organization, and Motor Control tests from the Smart EquiTest system. Secondary outcomes included other physiotherapy and questionnaire measures. Outcomes were assessed at the Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center immediately before and after the treatment period, with further long-term postal follow-up over 3 months. Outcomes were analyzed using analyses of variance with follow-up t tests.

Results

Eighteen participants were allocated to undergo prism adaptation, of which sixteen were analyzed. Thirteen participants were allocated to undergo sham treatment, and all were analyzed. The prism adaptation group showed increased forward stepping velocity on the Limits of Stability test (pre: M=2.33, SEM=0.24; post: M=2.88, SEM=0.26; t(15)=3.2, p=.005, d=.819). The sham group showed no such change (pre: M=2.13, SEM=0.22; 1d post: M=2.24, SEM=0.22; t(13)=.636, p=.537, d=.176). However, there were no group differences for any other outcome measures and no indications that prism adaptation produced functional improvements in posture, gait, or activities of daily living.

Conclusions

Prism adaptation does not improve gait or postural control in Parkinson’s disease.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.govNCT02380859. Registered prospectively on 5 March 2015.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13063-021-05832-2.

Measuring General Expectations of Advanced Stage Treatment Outcomes in Parkinson's Disease

BACKGROUND

Recent research suggests that a significant number of those who receive advanced treatments for Parkinson's disease (PD) do not report improvements for some symptoms, which may relate to their pre-treatment expectations. It is important that expectations of treatment are measured and discussed prior to advanced treatment.

OBJECTIVE

The primary aim of this study was to develop a measure of treatment expectations of two advanced-stage treatments in PD, deep brain stimulation (DBS), and Levodopa/Carbidopa Intestinal Gel (LCIG). A secondary aim was to explore potential predictors of treatment expectations.

METHODS

The questionnaire-based measure was developed by researchers in conjunction with a highly experienced clinician, and evaluated treatment expectations in 189 people aged 46-91 years (M = 71.35, SD = 8.73; 61% male) with idiopathic PD.

RESULTS

The overall measure demonstrated excellent internal consistency (α= 0.96). Exploratory factor analysis suggested the scale was unidimensional for both DBS and LCIG. Participant expectations of the two treatments differed significantly, with expectations being higher for DBS. Perceived symptom severity was the strongest predictor of treatment expectations.

CONCLUSION

This scale has potential to inform clinicians about client expectations prior to advanced stage therapy for PD, with a view to the management of these expectations. Further evaluation of the scale is required across different treatment contexts.

Does Personality Change Follow Deep Brain Stimulation in Parkinson's Disease Patients?

Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) has emerged as a safe, effective, and appealing treatment for Parkinson's Disease (PD), particularly for improving motor symptoms (e. g., tremor, bradykinesia, and rigidity). However, concerns have been raised about whether DBS causes psychological changes, including changes to personality: characteristic and relatively stable patterns of affect, behavior, cognition, and desire. In this article, after first presenting some background information about PD and DBS, we examined evidence obtained from various empirical research methods (quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods for evaluating patient valued characteristics) pertaining to whether DBS causes personality change. General limitations across research methods include a lack of randomized clinical trials and small sample sizes. We organized our review of findings according to different layers of personality variables: dispositional traits (including personality pathology), characteristic adaptations, and narrative identity. Though most work has been done on dispositional traits, there is not much evidence that dispositional traits change following DBS. Little work has been done on characteristic adaptations, but there is somewhat consistent evidence for positive perceived progress toward goals across a number of domains: routine activities, work, social/relational, and leisure. Nascent work on narrative identity holds promise for revealing issues around self-image that may be common following DBS. We listed a number of strategies for advancing research, highlighting opportunities related to personality conceptualization, personality assessment, and interdisciplinary scholarship. Finally, we offer practical applications of our findings for the informed consent process and for ongoing treatment.

Patient-Centered Identification of Meaningful Regulatory Endpoints for Medical Devices to Treat Parkinson's Disease

Introduction. A growing literature has developed on identifying outcomes that matter to patients. This study demonstrates an approach involving patient and regulatory perspectives to identify outcomes that are meaningful in the context of medical devices for Parkinson’s disease (PD). Methods. A systematic process was used for specifying relevant regulatory endpoints by synthesizing inputs of various sources and stakeholders. First, a literature review was conducted to identify important benefits, risks, and other considerations for medical devices to treat PD; patient discussion groups (n = 6) were conducted to refine the list of considerations, followed by a survey (n = 29) to prioritize them; and patient and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reviewers informed specification of the final endpoints. Two FDA clinicians gave clinical and regulatory perspectives at each step. Results. Movement symptoms were ranked as most important (ranked 1 or 2 by 72% of participants) and psychological and cognitive symptoms as the next most important (ranked 1 or 2 by 52% of participants). Within movement symptoms, falls, impaired movement, bradykinesia, resting tremor, stiffness, and rigidity were ranked highly. Overall, nine attributes were identified and prioritized as patient-centric for use in clinical trial design and quantitative patient preference studies. These attributes were benefits and risks related to therapeutics for PD as well as other considerations, including time until a medical device is available for patient use. Discussion. This prospective approach identified meaningful and relevant benefits, risks, and other considerations that may be used for clinical trial design and quantitative patient preference studies. Although PD was the focus of this study, the approach can be used to study patient perspectives about other disease or treatment areas.

Continuous Subcutaneous Apomorphine Infusion in Parkinson's Disease: A Single-Center, Long-Term Follow-Up Study of the Causes for Discontinuation

(1) Background: Subcutaneous apomorphine infusion (SCAI) is one of the three main treatment options for motor fluctuations in advanced Parkinson’s disease (PD). The adherence to SCAI is generally considered to be low due to adverse events and because it is perceived as a treatment option to be used for a limited period only. We evaluated the reasons for discontinuation of SCAI in relation to when patients stopped treatment. (2) Methods: We reviewed the medical records of PD patients treated with SCAI at a single center, capturing patient demographics and the reasons for cessation of SCAI. (3) Results: 101 patients were included in the analysis, with a median time on treatment of 6.34 years. The main reasons for stopping SCAI were adverse events, death, and dissatisfaction with treatment. In the first 6 years of treatment, the predominant side effects leading to discontinuation were somnolence and hallucinations. (4) Conclusions: We suggest that SCAI can be an effective long-term treatment option for advanced PD, but it requires careful patient selection, a high level of communication with the patient and carer, and rigorous monitoring of the effects of treatment and for any adverse events so they can be promptly managed.

Measurement of patients' acceptable symptom levels and priorities for symptom improvement in advanced lung cancer

PURPOSE

Little research has assessed cancer patients' success criteria and priorities for symptom improvement to inform patient-centered care. Thus, we modified and tested a measure of these constructs for advanced lung cancer patients. We compared acceptable severity levels following symptom treatment across eight symptoms and identified patient subgroups based on symptom importance.

METHODS

Advanced lung cancer patients (N=102) completed a one-time survey, including the modified Patient-Centered Outcomes Questionnaire (PCOQ), standard symptom measures, and other clinical characteristics.

RESULTS

The modified PCOQ showed evidence of construct validity through associations with theoretically related constructs. Symptom severity and importance were moderately correlated. Levels of acceptable symptom severity were low and did not differ across the eight symptoms. Four patient subgroups were identified: (1) those who rated all symptoms as low in importance (n=12); (2) those who rated bronchial symptoms and sleep problems as low in importance and all other symptoms as moderately important (n=29); (3) those who rated nausea and emotional distress as low in importance and all other symptoms as moderately important (n=23); and (4) those who rated all symptoms as highly important (n=33). Subgroups were unrelated to clinical characteristics, except for functional status.

CONCLUSION

The modified PCOQ showed evidence of construct validity. Patients considered low symptom severity to be acceptable, irrespective of the symptom. Findings suggest that symptom severity and importance are related yet distinct aspects of the advanced lung cancer symptom experience. Patients have heterogeneous priorities for symptom improvement, which has implications for tailoring treatment.

Evidence for Early and Regular Physical Therapy and Exercise in Parkinson's Disease

Advances in medical management of Parkinson's disease (PD) have resulted in living longer with disability. Although disability worsens over the course of the disease, there are signs of disability even in the early stages. Several studies reveal an early decline in gait and balance and a high prevalence of nonmotor signs in the prodromal period that contribute to early disability. There is a growing body of evidence revealing the benefits of physical therapy and exercise to mitigate motor and nonmotor signs while improving physical function and reducing disability. The presence of early disability coupled with the benefits of exercise suggests that physical therapy should be initiated earlier in the disease. In this review, we present the evidence revealing early disability in PD and the effectiveness of physical therapy and exercise, followed by a discussion of a secondary prevention model of rehabilitation to reduce early disability and optimize long-term outcomes.

Outcome Evaluation of Highly Challenging Balance Training for People With Parkinson Disease: A Multicenter Effectiveness-Implementation Study

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

In order for people with Parkinson disease (PwPD) to benefit from neurorehabilitation research, interventions tested in research settings require assessment in real-world clinical practice. There is little evidence for whether efficacious exercise interventions for PwPD remain effective when transferred to standard clinical settings. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical effectiveness of the adapted HiBalance program on balance control and gait among PwPD.

METHODS

Participants (n = 117) with mild-moderate Parkinson disease were consecutively included into either the 10-week HiBalance group training (n = 61) or the control (n = 56) group. The main outcome was balance performance (Mini-BESTest). Secondary outcomes were comfortable gait speed (10-m Walk Test); functional mobility (Timed Up and Go [TUG] test) and dual-task interference (cognitive TUG test); physical activity level (steps per day); perceived balance confidence (Activities-specific Balance Confidence scale) and perceived walking difficulty (Walk-12G) and self-rated health (EQ-5D visual analog scale).

RESULTS

In total, 98 people completed the trial. Compared with controls, the training group showed significant improvement in balance performance (P < 0.001), gait speed (P = 0.001), and dual-task interference (P = 0.04) following the intervention. No group differences were observed for physical activity level or any patient-reported measures.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

Highly challenging balance training is effective at improving balance, gait, and dual-task performance when delivered at a clinically feasible dose, in a range of rehabilitation settings, without direct involvement of the research group.Video Abstract available for more insights from the authors (see the Video, Supplementary Digital Content 1, available at: http://links.lww.com/JNPT/A299).

Standardizing Outcome Assessment in Parkinson Disease: A Knowledge Translation Project

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Rehabilitation therapists do not consistently utilize standardized outcome measures. The purpose of this study was to develop and implement a tailored knowledge translation (KT) intervention to facilitate application of standardized outcome measures used in patients with Parkinson disease (PD) receiving outpatient rehabilitation.

METHODS

Four clinics within a hospital-based outpatient system including physical therapists (n = 7) and occupational therapists (n = 2) collaborated with researcher clinicians. A mixed-methods study, using the knowledge to action (KTA) framework, was executed to standardize the assessment battery completed on patients with PD. The project was titled iKNOW-PD (integrating KNOWledge translation for Parkinson Disease).

RESULTS

Four measures were selected for iKNOW-PD (9-Hole Peg Test, miniBESTest, 10-m walk test, and 5 times sit-to-stand). A multimodal intervention that overcame specific identified barriers (equipment, time) was implemented to ensure successful uptake. Consistency of utilizing iKNOW-PD measures on initial evaluation and discharge, across therapists and clinics, was evaluated. Therapists significantly increased the use of iKNOW-PD measures from 1.9 to 3.1 on initial evaluation (P < 0.001). The 10-meter walk test demonstrated the greatest uptake (>50%) from pre-iKNOW-PD to post-iKNOW-PD.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

Standardizing outcome assessment for persons with PD in an outpatient setting can be successfully implemented. Overcoming identified barriers and capitalizing on facilitators promoted the uptake of standardized outcomes. Following the 6-month intervention period, therapists endorsed an improvement in their application of standardized measures and labeled iKNOW-PD as a positive experience that allowed them to minimize variability in practice.Video Abstract available for more insights from the authors (see the Video, Supplemental Content 1, available at: http://links.lww.com/JNPT/A329).

Knowledge, Attitude, and Perceptions about Deep Brain Stimulation for Parkinson's Disease: Observations from a Single Indian Center

Objective

Willingness to undergo deep brain stimulation (DBS) among patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and their overall satisfaction with the procedure is highly dependent upon expectations, which are based on the core concepts of knowledge, attitude and perceptions. The present study aims to evaluate these factors in patients and caregivers with PD from a single tertiary care hospital in India.

Methods

A structured questionnaire designed to assess the knowledge, attitude and perceptions about DBS in PD was administered to 400 patients with PD and their caregivers.

Results

A very small proportion of patients and caregivers were aware of DBS. Even those who claimed to be aware of DBS were inadequately informed and had incorrect knowledge, which led to wrong attitudes and perceptions.

Conclusion

There are very significant knowledge gaps and misconceptions regarding DBS among patients with PD and caregivers. Adequate and appropriate education is necessary to clarify these misconceptions to avoid the development of unrealistic expectations and poor satisfaction.

Patient selected goals and satisfaction after bilateral subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation in Parkinson's disease

Assessing patient goals is crucial in understanding patient centered outcomes and satisfaction. However, patient goals may change throughout treatment. Our objective is to identify the changes in patient-selected goals of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients undergoing bilateral subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS) and examine the relationship among patient-selected goal achievement, standard DBS outcome measures, and overall patient satisfaction. Seventy-five patients undergoing bilateral STN-DBS listed three patient-selected goals before surgery. After six months, patients were asked to restate the three goals and to rate the degree of goal achievement and the overall satisfaction of surgery. The three most frequently selected goals were "dyskinesia", "gait disorder", and "medication off duration". After six months, 80.0% of patients could not accurately recall their pre-DBS goals. "Dyskinesia" was the most consistently selected goal, more patients selected "tremor" and "less medication" at post-DBS compared to pre-DBS, and less patients selected "gait disorder" at post-DBS compared to pre-DBS. 74.7% of patients reported overall satisfaction by stating they were "very much" or "much better after surgery". Patient satisfaction significantly correlated with goal achievement (r = 0.640; p < 0.001). Interestingly, change in UPDRS motor scores did not correlate with patient satisfaction (r = 0.100; p = 0.395). Although recalled goals do not accurately represent the pre-surgical goals, the achievement score for recalled goals significantly correlated with patient satisfaction. Patient goals change due to many reasons. Therefore, follow-up patient counseling to discuss goals and outcomes is important in improving patient satisfaction after STN-DBS.

Precision Medicine in Parkinson's Disease - Exploring Patient-Initiated Self-Tracking

Background:

Individually tailored healthcare, in the form of precision medicine, holds substantial potential for the future of medicine, especially for a complex disorder like Parkinson’s disease (PD). Patient self-tracking is an under-researched area in PD.

Objective:

This study aimed to explore patient-initiated self-tracking in PD and discuss it in the context of precision medicine.

Methods:

The first author used a smartphone app to capture finger-tapping data and also noted times for medication intakes.

Results:

Data were collected during four subsequent days. Only data from the first two days were complete enough to analyze, leading to the realization that the collection of data over a period of time can pose a significant burden to patients. From the first two days of data, a dip in finger function was observed around the time for the second medication dose of the day.

Conclusions:

Patient-initiated self-tracking enabled the first author to glean important insights about how her PD symptoms varied over the course of the day. Symptom tracking holds great potential in precision medicine and can, if shared in a clinical encounter, contribute to the learning of both patient and clinician. More work is needed to develop this field and extra focus needs to be given to balancing the burden of tracking for the patient against any expected benefit.

The Primary Gait Screen in Parkinson's disease: Comparison to standardized measures

BACKGROUND

Persons with Parkinson's disease exhibit gait deficits during comfortable-pace overground walking and data from pressure sensitive mats have been used to quantify gait performance. The Primary Gait Screen is a new assessment which includes gait initiation, overground walking, turning, and gait termination. Although overground assessments are useful, the Primary Gait Screen offers a more complex evaluation than traditional gait assessments.

RESEARCH QUESTION

Is the overground walking portion of the Primary Gait Screen comparable to traditional gait assessments?

METHODS

Persons with Parkinson's disease (N = 175; 47 F, 128 M; 67 ± 9 yrs) prospectively completed 4 passes at a self-selected speed and two trials of the Primary Gait Screen on an 8 m long pressure-sensing mat. Spatiotemporal gait variables were computed and a repeated-measures MANOVA with a Bonferroni correction compared the spatiotemporal variables from the Primary Gait Screen to the self-selected trials: gait velocity, cadence, step length, step time, and stride length.

RESULTS

The analyses failed to detect differences between the Primary Gait Screen and self-selected trials for gait velocity, step length, or stride length (p > .01). Post-hoc tests revealed decreased cadence and increased step time were the only differences between the Primary Gait Screen trials and the self-selected trial (p < .001).

SIGNIFICANCE

Differences seen in cadence and step time during the Primary Gait Screen may be attributed to patients' strategy, but are likely not clinically meaningful. The Primary Gait Screen appears to be a comparable assessment of overground walking in persons with Parkinson's disease, and may be a useful and accurate clinical assessment of walking.

EMPOWER-PD - A physical therapy intervention to empower the individuals with Parkinson's disease: a study protocol for a feasibility randomized controlled trial

Background

One of the greatest barriers found by physical therapy treating individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the adherence to treatment, associated with the lack of motivation to remain active. Therefore, there is a need to change the look given to physical therapy and for the individual, seeking the centralization of the therapy in their preferences. This study aims to present the EMPOWER-PD, a protocol based on individual preferences and its design for feasibility.

Method

A 12-week pilot for a randomized clinical trial will assess the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of the EMPOWER-PD and make comparisons with conventional physical therapy (CPh). Both protocols consist of mobility and locomotion training, and aim at improving motor and non-motor symptoms through different approaches. The EMPOWER-PD aims to provide a source of motivation and empowerment of health through the self-knowledge of the individual’s abilities and limitations, in a protocol that addresses individual preferences. The CPh is based only on physiotherapist decisions, not addressing the individual’s preferences or motivation/empowerment. The target recruitment will be 24 PD individuals, between stages I and III of Hoehn and Yahr (HY), who will be recruited from Brazilian Parkinson’s disease Rehabilitation Initiative (BPaRkI) with allocation ratio 1:1. A computerized block randomization procedure will be implemented by a blinded researcher with the participants blinded to group assignment. The sessions will be conducted in a group setting, twice a week, during 60 min for 8 weeks, followed by 4 weeks of follow-up. The primary outcomes will be the feasibility data (adherence, recruitment rate, and safety). The secondary outcomes will assess the preliminary efficacy on qualitative assessment about individual’s motivation/empowerment and quantitative motor outcomes (Timed Up and Go and Dynamic Gait Index) and non-motor symptoms (6-min walk test and Fatigue Severity Scale). The recommendation to have 6–12 participants per group will be adopted based on the qualitative analysis to the sample size.

Discussion

This study will provide important insights about the physical therapy approach in PD individuals. The EMPOWER-PD is innovative because (1) it proposes an intervention that includes an individual-centered approach with motor control principles; (2) it aims to provide a source of motivation and empowerment of health; (3) assesses the individual in a global view considering motor and non-motor symptoms, using both, qualitative and quantitative metrics.

Trial registration

RBR-7ZBXQ5

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s40814-019-0394-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Effect of Acupuncture on Gait in Parkinson—s Disease: A Case Report

This case report describes the treatment of gait disturbance in a 64-year-old woman with Parkinson's disease. Needling for 10 min of areas of muscle stiffness and of muscle tonus areas in both lower limbs resulted in immediate temporary alleviation of muscle stiffness and muscle tonus of the bilateral anterior surface of the thigh muscle, the biceps femoris muscle, and the semitendinosus muscle for the duration of the treatment, with improvement in the disturbed gait of the patient. This response occurred regularly on repeated treatment, and was maintained between treatments.

Metastatic breast cancer patients' expectations and priorities for symptom improvement

PURPOSE

Little research has examined cancer patients' expectations, goals, and priorities for symptom improvement. Thus, we examined these outcomes in metastatic breast cancer patients to provide patients' perspectives on clinically meaningful symptom improvement and priorities for symptom management.

METHODS

Eighty women with metastatic breast cancer participated in a survey with measures of comorbidity, functional status, engagement in roles and activities, distress, quality of life, and the modified Patient-Centered Outcomes Questionnaire that focused on 10 common symptoms in cancer patients.

RESULTS

On average, patients reported low to moderate severity across the 10 symptoms and expected symptom treatment to be successful. Patients indicated that a 49% reduction in fatigue, 48% reduction in thinking problems, and 43% reduction in sleep problems would represent successful symptom treatment. Cluster analysis based on ratings of the importance of symptom improvement yielded three clusters of patients: (1) those who rated thinking problems, sleep problems, and fatigue as highly important, (2) those who rated pain as moderately important, and (3) those who rated all symptoms as highly important. The first patient cluster differed from other subgroups in severity of thinking problems and education.

CONCLUSIONS

Metastatic breast cancer patients report differing symptom treatment priorities and criteria for treatment success across symptoms. Considering cancer patients' perspectives on clinically meaningful symptom improvement and priorities for symptom management will ensure that treatment is consistent with their values and goals.

The daily lives of people with Parkinson's disease

OBJECTIVE

To understand the daily lives of people with Parkinson's disease.

METHOD

Qualitative research, using as methodological and theoretical referential the Grounded Theory and Symbolic Interactionism, respectively. The in-depth interview was conducted with 30 people with Parkinson's disease.

RESULTS

From data analysis, three themes were selected: Living with the disease - living with the treatment and changes in lifestyle; Modifying of one's job performance - revealing incapacity for work and the need to anticipate retirement and; Living with the stigma - the feeling of prejudice against the disease and the perceived limitations of the health services.

FINAL CONSIDERATIONS

Living with a chronic and non-transferable disease encompasses social, physical and cultural effects, along with the personal experiences of each unique individual. This study assists the improvement of care to people with the disease, because the care practice emerges from the interactions between the subjects.

Perceptions of balance and falls following a supervised training intervention - a qualitative study of people with Parkinson's disease

PURPOSE

To explore perceptions of balance and falls among people with mild to moderate Parkinson's disease 3 - 12 months following participation in supervised balance training.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This qualitative study used in-depth individual interviews for data collection among 13 people with Parkinson's disease. Interviews were systematically analyzed using qualitative content analysis with an inductive approach.

RESULTS

Three main themes arose: Falls - avoided and intended highlights the wide spectrum of fall perceptions, ranging from worse-case scenario to undramatized events; Balance identity incorporates how gradual deterioration in balance served as a reminder of disease progression and how identifying themselves as "aware not afraid" helped certain participants to maintain balance confidence despite everyday activity restriction; Training as treatment recounts how participants used exercise as disease self-management with the aim to maintain independence in daily life. Interpretation of the underlying patterns of these main themes resulted in the overarching theme Training as treatment when battling problems with balance and falls.

CONCLUSIONS

Whereas certain participants expressed a fear of falling which they managed by activity restriction, others described being confident in their balance despite avoidance of balance-challenging activities. Training was used as treatment to self-manage disease-related balance impairments in order to maintain independence in daily life. Implication for Rehabilitation People with Parkinson's disease require early advice about the positive effects of physical activity as well as strategies for self-management in order to ease the psychological and physical burden of progressive balance impairment. Fear of falling should be investigated alongside activity avoidance in this group in order to provide a more accurate insight into the scope of psychological concerns regarding balance and falls in everyday life. Certain people with Parkinson's disease define their balance according to activities they continue to participate in, while others who express fear-related activity avoidance require help to adapt balance-challenging activities in order to maintain balance confidence and avoid physical inactivity.

Toward patient-centered outcomes for cognitive evaluations: the perspective of those affected by Parkinson's disease

OBJECTIVE

Patient-centered outcomes research is predicated on the idea that the opinions, attitudes, and preferences of patients should help inform study design and interpretation. To date, little is known about what defines patient-centered outcomes from cognitive evaluations. The current evaluation sought to explore this issue in persons with Parkinson's disease (PwPD) and their care partners (CP).

METHOD

Focus groups of 22 PwPD/CP dyads were conducted to identify potential consumer oriented endpoints from cognitive evaluations. These endpoints were utilized to create a Patient-Centered Cognitive Assessment Outcomes Scale, which was administered to a different group of 50 PwPD/CP dyads who rated the importance of each outcome and identified their top three priority outcomes.

RESULTS

Three themes emerged from the focus groups: improved knowledge, advice, and planning. Both PwPD and CP rated items in all three domains as being very important outcomes. Priorities for outcomes in both groups favored treatment planning information slightly above knowledge based outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

The PwPD and CP identified improved knowledge, advice for daily activities, and knowledge they could use to plan for future eventualities as very important. This information can be used as a framework for future studies aimed at demonstrating patient-centered outcomes from neuropsychological evaluations. Implications for future research are discussed.

Use of a self-rating scale of the nature and severity of symptoms in Parkinson's Disease (PRO-PD): Correlation with quality of life and existing scales of disease severity

A self-rating scale was developed to permit patient-reported, remote assessment of Parkinson's disease symptom severity. The goal was to create a continuous outcome measure that does not require a clinical exam, does not fluctuate in response to dopaminergic medications, takes only a few minutes to complete, allows for stratification by symptom(s), and captures both motor and non-motor Parkinson's disease symptoms, major contributors to quality of life. The Patient Reported Outcomes in Parkinson's Disease (PRO-PD) is the cumulative score of 32 slider bars, each evaluating a common Parkinson's disease symptom. The PRO-PD has been used as an outcome measure in three studies. The baseline data from each of these studies were pooled for this analysis. Symptom frequency and severity are described, as well as correlation coefficients with existing measures of Parkinson's disease severity. Data on 1031 participants with Parkinson's disease were available for analysis. Fatigue, impaired handwriting, daytime sleepiness, slowness, tremor, muscle cramps, and forgetfulness were the most frequently reported symptoms. Persons with a relatively long duration of Parkinson's disease tended to report more, and more severe, symptoms. The PRO-PD was most highly correlated with the Parkinson's Disease Questionaire-39 (r  =  0.763, P  <  0.000) and Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System Global quality of life (r  =  -0.7293, P  <  0.000), other patient-reported quality of life measures. The PRO-PDnon-motor subset was highly correlated with the Non-Motor Symptom Score (r  =  0.7533, P  <  0.000). There was a moderate correlation seen with Hoehn & Yahr (r  =  0.5922, P  <  0.000), total Unified Parkinson's disease Rating Scale (r  =  0.4724, P  <  0.000), and the Timed-Up-&-Go (r  =  0.4709, P  <  0.000). The PRO-PD may have utility for patients, providers, and researchers as a patient-centered measure of Parkinson's disease symptom severity. Further PRO-PD validation efforts are warranted.

Patient-defined desired outcome, success criteria, and expectation in outpatient physical therapy: a longitudinal assessment

BACKGROUND

Patient-centered approaches offer an alternative method in evaluating treatment outcomes. This study investigated; 1) if patient's criteria for success (satisfaction of clinical outcomes) changes from pre to post treatment, 2) whether patients who met their success criteria also meet minimal clinical important difference scores (MCIDs), and 3) if patient's success criteria differed from their expected (what the patient believes will occur) and desired (what the patient wants to occur) outcomes following intervention.

METHODS

A consecutive sample of 225 subjects with complaints of musculoskeletal pain was referred to an outpatient, sports medicine physical therapy clinic. Participants completed the Patient Centered Outcome Questionnaire (PCOQ) prior to their initial evaluation session and a follow-up PCOQ at discharge. The PCOQ asks subjects to rate their pain, fatigue, emotional distress, and interference with daily activities for usual, desired, successful, and expected levels, and how important improvement is for each domain on a 101-point numerical rating scale. Paired-sample T-test were used to determine patient's pre and post success criterion and whether success criteria differed from desired and expected outcomes following intervention. Chi-squared were used to determine if individuals desired, expected, and success criteria for treatment outcome differed from established MCIDs.

RESULTS

The results revealed no change in success criteria pre to post treatment for all domains. Chi-square test revealed patients desired, expected, and success criteria were independent of established MCIDs (P > .01). There were no differences between patients expected outcomes and success criteria. However, there were differences between patient's desired outcomes and expected and success outcomes, with patients reporting lower desired levels of pain, emotional distress, fatigue, and interference with daily activities following physical therapy intervention (P < .01).

CONCLUSION

Patients in this setting do not appear to modify their success criteria throughout the course of outpatient physical therapy. Additionally, individually defined success criterion differs from established clinically important changes. Clinicians interested in a broader assessment of outcome need to consider patient determined criterion in addition MCIDs. Furthermore, desired outcomes are lower than both expectation and success criteria. In this setting, outcomes following physical therapy episodes were likely to meet patient's expectations and success criteria but not desired criterion.

Insights gleaned by measuring patients' stated goals for DBS: More than tremor

OBJECTIVE

To report prospective repeated measures data detailing the perceived benefit of deep brain stimulation (DBS) on the most commonly cited symptom and activity goals identified by patients with Parkinson disease.

METHODS

Fifty-two participants were recruited from a consecutive series. Participants completed a semi-structured interview soliciting their symptom and behavioral goals and corresponding visual analog scales measuring perceived symptom severity and limits to goal attainment. Severity ratings were completed prior to and at 2 times following DBS. Changes in severity over time were assessed using a mixed effects linear model. The pattern of relationships between the severity ratings and standard clinical research (SCR) measures routinely administered were examined using Pearson correlations.

RESULTS

The most common symptom goals were improvements in tremor, gait, and nonmotor symptoms, whereas the most frequent behavioral goals related to interpersonal relationships, work, and avocational pursuits. Most severity ratings were significantly correlated with each other but not with the SCR measures. Significant improvements were evident on all SCR measures after DBS. Participants' severity ratings for their symptom and behavioral goals improved significantly over time although not all severity ratings changed in the same manner.

CONCLUSIONS

These data illustrate that improvements in participants' individually defined goals were evident over time and that some of these improvements occurred in areas in which the benefits associated with DBS are not as well-documented. The participants' severity ratings were not redundant with SCR measures, suggesting that novel and potentially important information can be gleaned by systematically assessing patients' goals.

Examining chronic care patient preferences for involvement in health-care decision making: the case of Parkinson's disease patients in a patient-centred clinic

Background

Patient‐centred care is a recommended model of care for Parkinson's disease (PD). It aims to provide care that is respectful and responsive to patient preferences, values and perspectives. Provision of patient‐centred care should entail considering how patients want to be involved in their care.

Objective

To understand the participation preferences of patients with PD from a patient‐centred care clinic in health‐care decision‐making processes.

Design, setting and participants:

Mixed‐methods study with early‐stage Parkinson's disease patients from a patient‐centred care clinic. Study involved a modified Autonomy Preference Index survey (N=65) and qualitative, semi‐structured in‐depth interviews, analysed using thematic qualitative content analysis (N=20, purposefully selected from survey participants). Interviews examined (i) the patient preferences for involvement in health‐care decision making; (ii) patient perspectives on the patient–physician relationship; and (iii) patient preferences for communication of information relevant to decision making.

Results

Preferences for participation in decision making varied between individuals and also within individuals depending on decision type, relational and contextual factors. Patients had high preferences for communication of information, but with acknowledged limits. The importance of communication in the patient–physician relationship was emphasized.

Discussion

Patient preferences for involvement in decision making are dynamic and support shared decision making. Relational autonomy corresponds to how patients envision their participation in decision making. Clinicians may need to assess patient preferences on an on‐going basis.

Conclusion

Our results highlight the complexities of decision‐making processes. Improved understanding of individual preferences could enhance respect for persons and make for patient‐centred care that is truly respectful of individual patients’ wants, needs and values.

Satisfaction with Life Scale (SLS-6): First validation study in Parkinson's disease population

INTRODUCTION

To explore the psychometric attributes of a new Satisfaction with Life Scale (SLS-6) in a wide Spanish-speaking population with Parkinson's disease (PD).

METHODS

This was an international, cross-sectional study. Several rater-based and patient-reported outcomes measures for evaluation of PD (e.g., Scales for Outcomes in Parkinson's Disease-Motor) and other constructs (e.g., Duke-UNC Functional Social Support Questionnaire, Scale for Living with Chronic Illness) were applied together with the SLS-6. Acceptability, scaling assumptions, reliability, precision, and construct validity were tested.

RESULTS

The study included 324 patients from five countries, with age (mean ± standard deviation) 66.67 ± 10.68 years. None of the SLS-6 items had missing values and all acceptability parameters fulfilled the standard criteria. Scaling assumptions allowed the calculation of a summary index from items 2 to 6, complementary to the global evaluation (item 1). For these five items, Cronbach's alpha was 0.85; the corrected item-total correlation 0.53-0.73; inter-item correlation, 0.45-0.70, with an item homogeneity index of 0.55. The standard error of measurement, based on Cronbach's alpha for a single observation, was 3.48. SLS-6 correlations were moderate to strong (rs ≥ 0.35) with the patient-reported outcomes and weak to moderate with the rater-based assessments used in the study. The SLS-6 total score was significantly different according to PD severity levels established according to Hoehn and Yahr staging, Clinical Impression of Severity Index, and Patient-Based Global Impression of Severity scale.

CONCLUSION

The results suggest that SLS-6 is an easy, feasible, acceptable, consistent, precise and valid measure to evaluate satisfaction with life in PD patients.

Psychological Benefits of Nonpharmacological Methods Aimed for Improving Balance in Parkinson's Disease: A Systematic Review

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a serious condition with a major negative impact on patient's physical and mental health. Postural instability is one of the cardinal difficulties reported by patients to deal with. Neuroanatomical, animal, and clinical studies on nonparkinsonian and parkinsonian subjects suggest an important correlation between the presence of balance dysfunction and multiple mood disorders, such as anxiety, depression, and apathy. Considering that balance dysfunction is a very common symptom in PD, we can presume that by its management we could positively influence patient's state of mind too. This review is an analysis of nonpharmacological methods shown to be effective and successful for improving balance in patients suffering from PD. Strategies such as general exercise, robotic assisted training, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, Yoga, dance (such as tango or ballet), box, virtual reality-based, or neurofeedback-based techniques and so forth can significantly improve the stability in these patients. Beside this physical outcome, many methods have also shown effect on quality of life, depression level, enjoyment, and motivation to continue in practicing the method independently. The purpose of this review is to provide information about practical and creative methods designed to improve balance in PD and highlight their positive impact on patient's psychology.

Social impact of peripheral nerve injuries

BACKGROUND

Disorders involving the peripheral nervous system can have devastating impacts on patients' daily functions and routines. There is a lack of consideration of the impact of injury on social/emotional well-being and function.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective database and chart review of adult patients presenting between 2010 and 2012 with peripheral nerve compression, brachial plexus injury, thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS), or neuromas. At the initial assessment, patients completed a questionnaire used to obtain demographic and psychosocial variable data including the (1) average level of pain over the last month, (2) self-perceived depression, (3) how much pain impacts quality of life (QoL), (4) current level of stress, and (5) ability to cope with stress. Statistical analyses were used to assess the differences between the dependent variables and diagnostic and demographic groups.

RESULTS

This study included 490 patients (mean age 50 ± 15 years); the most common diagnosis was single nerve compression (n = 171). Impact on QoL was significantly greater in patients with TOS, cutaneous peroneal compressions, and neuroma versus single site nerve compressions. Average pain, impact on QoL, and stress at home were significantly higher in females versus males. Impact on QoL was correlated with average pain, depression, stress at home, and ability to cope with stress at home.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study demonstrates that patients with single site nerve compression neuropathies experience fewer negative psychosocial effects compared to patients with more proximal upper extremity peripheral nerve disorders and neuromas. The impact on QoL was strongly correlated with pain and depression, where patients with neuromas and painful peroneal nerve entrapments reported greater detriments to QoL.

Relationship between the non-motor items of the MDS-UPDRS and Quality of Life in patients with Parkinson's disease

The Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) is a newly developed comprehensive tool to assess Parkinson's disease (PD), which covers a wider range of non-motor PD manifestations than the original UPDRS scale. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between the MDS-UPDRS and Quality of Life (QoL) and to analyze the relationship between individual MDS-UPDRS non-motor items and QoL. A total of 291 PD patients were examined in a multicenter Slovak study. Patients were assessed by the MDS-UPDRS, HY scale and PDQ39. Data were analyzed using the multiple regression analyses. The mean participant age was 68.0 ± 9.0 years, 53.5% were men, mean disease duration was 8.3 ± 5.3 years and mean HY was 2.7 ± 1.0. In a multiple regression analysis model the PDQ39 summary index was related to MDS-UPDRS parts II, I and IV respectively, but not to part III. Individual MDS-UPDRS non-motor items related to the PDQ39 summary index in the summary group and in the non-fluctuating patients subgroup were pain, fatigue and features of dopamine dysregulation syndrome (DDS). In the fluctuating PD patient subgroup, PDQ39 was related to pain and Depressed mood items. Other MDS-UPDRS non-motor items e.g. Anxious mood, Apathy, Cognitive impairment, Hallucinations and psychosis, Sleep problems, Daytime sleepiness and Urinary problems were related to some PDQ39 domains. The overall burden of NMS in PD is more important in terms of QoL than motor symptoms. Individual MDS-UPDRS non-motor items related to worse QoL are especially pain and other sensations, fatigue and features of DDS.

Views of women and clinicians on postpartum preparation and recovery

To explore important domains of women's postpartum experiences as perceived by postpartum mothers and obstetricians/midwives, and to investigate how postpartum care could enhance patient preparation for the postpartum period. Qualitative research study was conducted to explore women's and clinicians' perceptions of the postpartum experience. Four focus groups of postpartum women (n = 45) and two focus groups of obstetric clinicians (n = 13) were held at a large urban teaching hospital in New York City. All focus groups were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using grounded theory. Four main themes were identified: lack of women's knowledge about postpartum health and lack of preparation for the postpartum experience, lack of continuity of care and absence of maternal care during the early postpartum period, disconnect between providers and postpartum mothers, and suggestions for improvement. Mothers did not expect many of the symptoms they experienced after childbirth and were disappointed with the lack of support by providers during this critical time in their recovery. Differences existed in the major postpartum concerns of mothers and clinicians. However, both mothers and clinicians agreed that preparation during the antepartum period could be beneficial for postpartum recovery. Results from this study indicate that many mothers do not feel prepared for the postpartum experience. Study findings raise the hypothesis that capturing patient-centered domains that define the postpartum experience and integrating these domains into patient care may enhance patient preparation for postpartum recovery and improve postpartum outcomes.

[Potential analysis for research on physiotherapy-led treadmill training in Parkinson's disease]

HEALTH PROBLEM

Parkinson's disease is one of the major neurodegenerative disorders with prevalence rates between 0.1 and 0.2 % in the global population and 1.8 % in people aged 64 years and over. Future incidence rates are estimated to increase within aging societies. The progressive course of Parkinson's disease is clinically characterised by bradykinesia, rigidity and tremor. These limitations in motor functioning reduce the capacity to work, social participation and the clients' quality of life. Parkinson's disease causes incapacity to work and a large number of days off from work. The benefits clients expect from physiotherapy-led treatment include an improvement of gait, a better speed of motion and the decrease of fatigue and rigidity.

CORPUS OF EVIDENCE

A recent Cochrane review (Mehrholz et al., 2010) analysed seven randomised comparisons with 153 participants and found that treadmill training compared with no treatment improved gait speed (SMD 0.50; 95 % confidence interval [0.17 to 0.84]). A lack of evidence exists on how to reduce fatigue and rigidity. There is also need to evaluate long-term effects and cost-effectiveness. Furthermore, an updated meta-analysis should include eleven new randomised trials on treadmill training after 2009. Physiotherapy-led treadmill training can easily be transferred into the German healthcare context since the environmental and educational preconditions are met by German physiotherapeutic care.

IMPLICATION FOR RESEARCH

Within the German context, there is need to prepare a randomised clinical trial evaluating the impact of physiotherapy-led treadmill training on motor functioning, quality of life, costs, adverse events und long-term effects. Prior to this, a feasibility study should explore the acceptance and intensity of treadmill training as well as the access of private physiotherapy practices to people suffering from early- to mid-stage Parkinson's disease.

Specialist rehabilitation for people with Parkinson’s disease in the community: a randomised controlled trial

Background

Multidisciplinary rehabilitation is recommended for Parkinson’s disease, but evidence suggests that benefit is not sustained.

Objectives

(1) Implement a specialist domiciliary rehabilitation service for people with Parkinson’s and carers. (2) Provide continuing support from trained care assistants to half receiving the rehabilitation. (3) Evaluate the clinical effectiveness of the service, and the value added by the care assistants, compared with usual care. (4) Assess the costs of the interventions. (5) Investigate the acceptability of the service. (6) Deliver guidance for commissioners.

Design

Pragmatic three-parallel group randomised controlled trial.

Setting

Community, county of Surrey, England, 2010–11.

Participants

People with Parkinson’s, at all stages of the disease, and live-in carers.

Interventions

Groups A and B received specialist rehabilitation from a multidisciplinary team (MDT) – comprising Parkinson’s nurse specialists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and speech and language therapists – delivered at home, tailored to individual needs, over 6 weeks (about 9 hours’ individual therapy per patient). In addition to the MDT, participants in group B received ongoing support for a further 4 months from a care assistant trained in Parkinson’s (PCA), embedded in the MDT (1 hour per week per patient). Participants in control group (C) received care as usual (no co-ordinated MDT or ongoing support).

Main outcome measures

Follow-up assessments were conducted in participants’ homes at 6, 24 and 36 weeks after baseline. Primary outcomes: Self-Assessment Parkinson’s Disease Disability Scale (patients); the Modified Caregiver Strain Index (carers). Secondary outcomes included: for patients, disease-specific and generic health-related quality of life, psychological well-being, self-efficacy, mobility, falls and speech; for carers, strain, stress, health-related quality of life, psychological well-being and functioning.

Results

A total of 306 people with Parkinson’s (and 182 live-in carers) were randomised [group A,n = 102 (n = 61); group B,n = 101 (n = 60); group C,n = 103 (n = 61)], of whom 269 (155) were analysed at baseline, pilot cohort excluded. Attrition occurred at all stages. A per-protocol analysis [people with Parkinson’s,n = 227 (live-in carers,n = 125)] [group A,n = 75 (n = 45); group B,n = 69 (n = 37); group C,n = 83 (n = 43)] showed that, at the end of the MDT intervention, people with Parkinson’s in groups A and B, compared with group C, had reduced anxiety (p = 0.02); their carers had improved psychological well-being (p = 0.02). People with Parkinson’s in groups A and B also had marginally reduced disability (primary outcome,p = 0.09), and improved non-motor symptoms (p = 0.06) and health-related quality of life (p = 0.07), compared with C. There were significant differences in change scores between week 6 (end of MDT) and week 24 (end of PCA for group B) in favour of group B, owing to worsening in group A (no PCA support) in posture (p = 0.001); non-motor symptoms (p = 0.05); health-related quality of life (p = 0.07); and self-efficacy (p = 0.09). Carers in group B (vs. group A) reported a tendency for reduced strain (p = 0.06). At 36 weeks post recruitment, 3 months after the end of PCA support for group B, there were few differences between the groups. Participants reported learning about Parkinson’s, and valued individual attention. The MDT cost £833; PCA support was £600 extra, per patient (2011 Great British pounds).

Conclusions

Further research is needed into ways of sustaining benefits from rehabilitation including the use of care assistants.

Study registration

Current Controlled Trials: ISRCTN44577970.

Funding

This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research Health Services and Delivery Research programme and the South East Coast Dementias and Neurodegenerative Disease Research Network (DeNDRoN), and the NHS South East Coast. The report will be published in full inHealth Services and Delivery Research; Vol. 2, No. 51. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

What matters to people with Parkinson's disease living in Australia?

Patient-centred care is increasingly being recognised as an integral aspect of improving the quality of health care services. There has been a recent interest in taking a patient-centred approach to Parkinson's disease (PD) care by involving patients in shared decision making, as well as providing access to multidisciplinary teams of medical practitioners, PD nurse specialists, and allied health professionals. However, to our knowledge there are no data regarding patient preferences for interventions in PD management. The present study examined the relative importance of issues regarding quality of life for people living with PD in Australia using a self-administered survey. Overall, respondents ranked more research funding in PD (mean rank, 340.42) as the most important issue, access to PD nurses (285.50) in second place, followed by access to multidisciplinary facilities/clinics with allied health professionals (283.39) in third place, subsidised PD treatments (233.50) in fourth place, and better general practitioner education (184.69) as the least important issue of the options offered. There was a statistically significant difference between the five issues (H[4] = 65.38, p < 0.001). Within the framework of patient-centred care, public funding allocations perhaps should be based on what patients want. As such, these findings suggest that for people living with a chronic, progressive, incurable illness, research is highly valued.