The Effect of Non-Immersive Virtual Reality Exergames versus Traditional Physiotherapy in Parkinson’s Disease Older Patients: Preliminary Results from a Randomized-Controlled Trial

Elvira Maranesi (), Elisa Casoni, Renato Baldoni, Ilaria Barboni, Nadia Rinaldi, Barbara Tramontana, Giulio Amabili, Marco Benadduci, Federico Barbarossa, Riccardo Luzi, Valentina Di Donna, Pietro Scendoni, Giuseppe Pelliccioni, Fabrizia Lattanzio, Giovanni Renato Riccardi and Roberta Bevilacqua
Additional contact information
Elvira Maranesi: Scientific Direction, IRCCS INRCA, 60124 Ancona, Italy
Elisa Casoni: Clinical Unit of Physical Rehabilitation, IRCCS INRCA, 60127 Ancona, Italy
Renato Baldoni: Clinical Unit of Physical Rehabilitation, IRCCS INRCA, 60127 Ancona, Italy
Ilaria Barboni: Clinical Unit of Physical Rehabilitation, IRCCS INRCA, 60127 Ancona, Italy
Nadia Rinaldi: Clinical Unit of Physical Rehabilitation, IRCCS INRCA, 63900 Fermo, Italy
Barbara Tramontana: Clinical Unit of Physical Rehabilitation, IRCCS INRCA, 63900 Fermo, Italy
Giulio Amabili: Scientific Direction, IRCCS INRCA, 60124 Ancona, Italy
Marco Benadduci: Scientific Direction, IRCCS INRCA, 60124 Ancona, Italy
Federico Barbarossa: Scientific Direction, IRCCS INRCA, 60124 Ancona, Italy
Riccardo Luzi: Medical Direction, IRCCS INRCA, 60127 Ancona, Italy
Valentina Di Donna: Clinical Unit of Physical Rehabilitation, IRCCS INRCA, 63900 Fermo, Italy
Pietro Scendoni: Clinical Unit of Physical Rehabilitation, IRCCS INRCA, 63900 Fermo, Italy
Giuseppe Pelliccioni: Neurology Unit, IRCCS INRCA, 60127 Ancona, Italy
Fabrizia Lattanzio: Scientific Direction, IRCCS INRCA, 60124 Ancona, Italy
Giovanni Renato Riccardi: Clinical Unit of Physical Rehabilitation, IRCCS INRCA, 60127 Ancona, Italy
Roberta Bevilacqua: Scientific Direction, IRCCS INRCA, 60124 Ancona, Italy

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 22, 1-11

Abstract: (1) Background: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is one of the most frequent causes of disability among older people. Recently, virtual reality and exergaming have been emerged as promising tools for gait and balance rehabilitation in PD patients. Our purpose is to evaluate an innovative treatment for older patients with PD, based on non-immersive virtual reality exergames, improving gait and balance and reducing falling risk. (2) Methods: Thirty PD patients were recruited and randomly divided into two groups, to receive a traditional rehabilitation (CG) or a technological rehabilitation (TG). (3) Results: A statistical improvement of balance at the end of treatments was observed in both groups (CG: 12.4 ± 0.7 vs. 13.5 ± 0.8, p = 0.017; TG: 13.8 ± 0.5 vs. 14.7 ± 0.4, p = 0.004), while the overall risk of falling was significantly reduced only in the TG (POMA Total: 24.6 ± 0.9 vs. 25.9 ± 0.7, p = 0.010). The results between groups shows that all POMA scores differ in a statistically significant manner in the TG, emphasizing improvement not only in balance but also in gait characteristics (9.7 ± 0.8 vs. 11.4 ± 0.2, p = 0.003). Moreover, TG also improves the psychological sphere, measured thorough MSC-(17.1 ± 0.4 vs. 16.5 ± 0.4, p = 0.034). Although an improvement in FES-I and Gait Speed can be observed, this increase does not turn out to be significant. (4) Conclusions: Results suggest how non-immersive virtual reality exergaming technology offers the opportunity to effectively train cognitive and physical domains at the same time.

Keywords: older people; Parkinson’s disease; balance; gait; technology-based intervention; non-immersive virtual reality exergame; virtual reality; exergame; risk of falling; randomized controlled trial (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
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