Objective: To evaluate the effects of a specially designed yoga program on mobilty, gait and quality of life in patients with PD.

Background: The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapy in nonmotor symptoms for Parkinson disease (PD) is growing worldwide. The effects of mind-body exercises on individuals with chronic illnesses have attracted increasing attention, and to date little effort had been made to evaluate the effects of these mind-body exercises on individuals with PD on functional mobility and psychosocial well-being.

Methods: Ten patients were enrolled in a yoga class, specifically structured for PD. The class duration was 90 minutes, divided in three sections: meditation with breathing training (10 minutes), asana practice(60 minutes) and deep relaxation through guided meditation (20 minutes). The class took place once a week for two months. At enrollement (T0) and at the end of the program (T1) patients were evaluated with UPDRS I, II,III, IV, FOG and PDQ39.

Results: The group was made of 4 males and 6 females, mean age 65,5±6,78 years (range 57-78 years); mean disease duration 6,8±3,67 (range 2-14 years); Hoehn and Yahr stage I-III. At T0 the group showed: mean UPDRS III 27,5±7,66; mean UPDRS I 12±4,59; mean UPDRS II 12,1±4,79; mean UPDRS IV 1,8±3,7; mean FOG score 9,4±6,2; mean PDQ39 total score 57±17,6; PDQ-mobility score 16,5±7.4; PDQ-ADL score 7,8±3,0 ; PDQ-emotional score 15,9±3,5; PDQ stigma score 10,9±1,02; PDQ-cognition score 0,9±0,99; PDQ-communication score 2±2,7; PDQ-body score 3,8±1,4. At T1 the group showed improved UPDRS I score (p=0.025), improved FOG score (p=0.013), improved PDQ39 total score (p=0.023), with specific improvement in the PDQ emotional (p<0.001) and stigma (p=0.005) components. The LED remained unchanged between T0 and T1; 6 out of the 10 patients were used to take extra l-dopa doses (ELD) and in all of them te number of ELD decreased at T1 (mean ELD number at T0=7,33±2,8; mean ELD number at T1=1,33±0,98; p=0.071). All patients reported decreased OFF time in the next 2-3 days following the yoga practice (p=0.073).

Conclusions: Yoga practice improved quality of life and mobility, particularly freezing of gait, in PD and this improvement is probably mediated by emotional mechanisms through the fronto-striatal circuitry.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/mind-and-movement-in-parkinsons-disease-an-experience-with-yoga/