Balance rehabilitation with a virtual reality protocol for patients with hereditary spastic paraplegia: Protocol for a clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Neurodegenerative diseases are sporadic hereditary conditions characterized by progressive dysfunction of the nervous system. Among the symptoms, vestibulopathy is one of the causes of discomfort and a decrease in quality of life. Hereditary spastic paraplegia is a heterogeneous group of hereditary degenerative diseases involving the disorder of a single gene and is characterized by the progressive retrograde degeneration of fibers in the spinal cord. OBJECTIVE: To determine the benefits of vestibular rehabilitation involving virtual reality by comparing pre intervention and post intervention assessments in individuals with hereditary spastic paraplegia. METHODS: In this randomized controlled clinical trial from the Rebec platform RBR-3jmx67 in which allocation concealment was performed and the evaluators be blinded will be included. The participants will include 40 patients diagnosed with hereditary spastic paraplegia. The interventions will include vestibular rehabilitation with virtual reality using the Wii® console, Wii-Remote and Wii Balance Board (Nintendo), and the studies will include pre- and post intervention assessments. Group I will include twenty volunteers who performed balance games. Group II will include twenty volunteers who performed balance games and muscle strength games. The games lasted from 30 minutes to an hour, and the sessions were performed twice a week for 10 weeks (total: 20 sessions). RESULTS: This study provides a definitive assessment of the effectiveness of a virtual reality vestibular rehabilitation program in halting the progression of hereditary spastic paraplegia, and this treatment can be personalized and affordable. CONCLUSION: The study will determine whether a vestibular rehabilitation program with the Nintendo Wii® involving virtual reality can reduce the progressive effect of hereditary spastic paraplegia and serve as an alternative treatment option that is accessible and inexpensive. Rebec platform trial: RBR-3JMX67.

The Use of Exergames in the Neurorehabilitation of People with Parkinson Disease: The Impact on Daily Life.

Introduction Parkinson disease (PD) is a progressive degeneration characterized by motor disorders, such as tremor, bradykinesia, stiffness and postural instability. Objective To evaluate the independence, confidence and balance in the development of daily activities in patients with PD before and after rehabilitation. Methods A descriptive, retrospective cross-sectional study was carried out with 16 patients (mean 57.6 ± 18.7 years), submitted to anamnesis, otolaryngological evaluation and vestibular assessment. The Vestibular Disorders Activities of Daily Living (VADL) and the Activities-Specific Balance Confidence (ABC) scales were applied before and after rehabilitation with virtual reality. Results a) The instrumental subscale of the questionnaire showed statistically significant result ( p = 0.022; 95% CI 1.21; 2.21) between the first and second assessments; b) The correlation between the questionnaires showed statistically significant result in the ambulation subscale ( p = 0.011; 95% CI -0.85; -0.17) first and ( p = 0.002, 95% CI -0.88; -0.31) second assessments, and the functional subscale was only verified in the second assessment ( p = 0.011, 95% CI -0.85; -0.17); and c) The patients presented clinical improvement in the final assessment after rehabilitation with significant result for the tightrope walk ( p = 0.034, 95% CI -12.5; -0.3) and ski slalom games ( p = 0.005, 95% CI -34.8; -6.6). Conclusions Our results showed that the VADL and ABC questionnaires, applied before and after rehabilitation, were important tools to measure the independence, confidence and balance while developing daily activities. The VADL and ABC questionnaires may effectively contribute to quantify the effect of the applied therapeutics and, consequently, its impact on the quality of life of patients with PD.

The Use of Exergames in the Neurorehabilitation of People with Parkinson Disease: The Impact on Daily Life

Abstract Introduction Parkinson disease (PD) is a progressive degeneration characterized by motor disorders, such as tremor, bradykinesia, stiffness and postural instability. Objective To evaluate the independence, confidence and balance in the development of daily activities in patients with PD before and after rehabilitation. Methods A descriptive, retrospective cross-sectional study was carried out with 16 patients (mean 57.6 ± 18.7 years), submitted to anamnesis, otolaryngological evaluation and vestibular assessment. The Vestibular Disorders Activities of Daily Living (VADL) and the Activities-Specific Balance Confidence (ABC) scales were applied before and after rehabilitation with virtual reality. Results a) The instrumental subscale of the questionnaire showed statistically significant result (p = 0.022; 95 % CI 1.21; 2.21) between the first and second assessments; b) The correlation between the questionnaires showed statistically significant result in the ambulation subscale (p = 0.011; 95 % CI -0.85; -0.17) first and (p = 0.002, 95 % CI -0.88; -0.31) second assessments, and the functional subscale was only verified in the second assessment (p = 0.011, 95 % CI -0.85; -0.17); and c) The patients presented clinical improvement in the final assessment after rehabilitation with significant result for the tightrope walk (p = 0.034, 95 % CI -12.5; -0.3) and ski slalom games (p = 0.005, 95 % CI -34.8; -6.6). Conclusions Our results showed that the VADL and ABC questionnaires, applied before and after rehabilitation, were important tools to measure the independence, confidence and balance while developing daily activities. The VADL and ABC questionnaires may effectively contribute to quantify the effect of the applied therapeutics and, consequently, its impact on the quality of life of patients with PD.