Parkinson disease impairs motor and sensory functions. Automaticity of gait is lost increasing the use of higher center control of walking, leading to cognitive fatigue, slower movement and motor errors. People with Parkinson disease (PWPD) improve motor performance when external sensory cues, which bypass the faulty basal ganglia, are used during interventions. Enhancing proprioceptive, visual and vestibular cues that are critical for walking has the potential to improve gait and decrease cognitive fatigue by restoring automaticity.
This is a single-blinded randomized controlled study with repeated measures to evaluate the effects of a home exercise program with or without the addition of multi-modal sensory feedback (MMSF) in real-time on automaticity of gait and balance. PWPDs are randomly assigned to one of 2 home exercise groups. There are two 6 week exercise sessions with a 6 week of no exercises inter-spaced between them. The exercises promote rapid and large movement in stepping activities, balance using self-perturbation through single, leg swings and standing on a compliant surface for sensory re-weighting. People in the experimental group perform the program with real-time with MMSF. Participants are to progress exercises in speed and distance as well as performing with eyes closed to improve proprioceptive processing and automaticity.
