Scheduled for Poster Session: Research Strands Across the Alliance, Thursday, April 10, 2008, 3:15 PM - 4:45 PM, Convention Center: Exhibit Hall, Reseach Consortium Poster Sessions


Home-Based Exercise Intervention for Individuals With Parkinson's Disease

Joe Robert Nocera, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL and Michael Horvat, University of Georgia, Athens, GA

Significance: Individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) demonstrate increased physical disability when compared to their aged-matched healthy counterparts. Differences between individuals with PD and healthy, age matched peers, in terms of functional tasks such as walking, balance, and muscular strength have been extensively evaluated. Improvements in these vital aspects of function have been exhibited in individuals with PD through exercise interventions and other forms of therapy. However, much of this therapy has been conducted in a laboratory, health facility, or physical therapy setting. With the difficulties associated with this disease (i.e. health care and medication costs as well as travel limitations) these types of therapy may not be accessible to all individuals living with PD. It was hypothesized that a home-based exercise intervention would demonstrate similar improvements in overall function while concurrently allowing for accessibility to all individuals with PD. The purpose of this study was to design and evaluate a home-based exercise intervention for individuals with Parkinson's disease. Design: Sixteen individuals, eight with Parkinson's disease (74.6 ± 8.3 year) and eight healthy, aged-matched controls (71.0 ± 5.9 year) participated in this study. The measures of interested were; (1) balance as measured by a NeuroCom EquiTest Sensory Organization Test protocol, (2) a Functional Limitations Assessment measured on the EquiTest long forceplate including a Sit-to-Stand, Step-Up/Over, and a Walk Across and (3) isokinetic strength as measured by the HumanNorm isokinetic dynamometer. Following pre testing participants, excluding control, participated in a 10 week home-based exercise intervention aimed at increasing lower extremity strength. At the conclusion of 10-weeks all participants were posttested utilizing the same protocol as pre testing. Results: Results indicated that those with PD significantly improved their overall balance as a result of the intervention, Wilks = .623, F(1, 11) = 6.656, P = .026. Based on data analysis it was concluded that individuals with Parkinson's disease can significantly improve functional performance measures utilizing a convenient, cost effective, home-based exercise intervention.


Keyword(s): aging/older adult issues, disease prevention/wellness, exercise/fitness/physical activity

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