Objective: To verify the impact of dizziness and/or imbalance on patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) by means of the Vestibular Disorders Activities of Daily Living Scale (VADL) and Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC) questionnaires, applied before and after vestibular rehabilitation with virtual reality (VR).

Background: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a chronic disorder caused by the progressive degeneration of dopamine-producing cells in the brain structures, including the substantia nigra. Its main symptoms are motor disorders, such as tremor, bradykinesia, stiffness and postural instability.

Method: A prospective, interventional cohort study was carried out with 16 patients (ages averaging 57.6 years, standard deviation of 18.7 years), submitted to anamnesis, otolaryngological and vestibular testing, in addition to the VADL and the ABC, applied before and after the rehabilitation with VR.

Results: a) The most reported complaints during the anamnesis were: tremor and muscle stiffness (75% each), imbalance (62.5%), gait disorder and vertigo (43.7% each); b) The Instrumental sub-scale in the VADL questionnaire showed significant result (p<0.05); c) The correlation between VADL and ABC questionnaires showed significant result (p <0.05) in the Ambulation sub-scale (1st and 2nd assessments) and in the Functional sub-scale (2nd assessment), and d) There was patients’ clinical improvement in the final assessment after rehabilitation with significant result for the Tightrope Walk e Ski Slalom games (p<0.05).

Conclusion: Our results showed that the applied questionnaires were major tools to measure the independence in the development of everyday activities and its impact on the quality of life of patients with PD. The study also evidenced that the exercises may enhance not only the physical results, but also they may reduce the fear of falls.

References: [1] Mhatre PV, Vilares L, Stibb SM, Albert MV, Pickering L, Marciniak CM, et al. Wii Fit balance board playing improves balance and gait in Parkinson disease. PMR. 2013;5:769-770, [2] Lee HK, Altman LJP, McFarland N, Hass CJ. The relationship between balance confidence and control in individuals with Parkinson’s disease. Parkinsonisn Relat Disord. 2016;26:24-28.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/the-use-of-exergames-in-neurorehabilitation-in-people-with-parkinsons-disease-its-impact-on-daily-life/