White DK, Wagenaar RC, Ellis TD, Tickle-Degnen L
The objective of this study was to investigate changes in walking activity and endurance after interdisciplinary rehabilitation in people with Parkinson disease (PD). Participants had mild to moderate PD (Hoehn and Yahr stage 2-3) and underwent one of three experimental conditions lasting 6 weeks in duration: (1) no active rehabilitation; (2) 3.0 hours of interdisciplinary rehabilitation a week; or (3) 4.5 hours of interdisciplinary rehabilitation a week. Improvement in outcome measures did not significantly change across increasing dosages of interdisciplinary rehabilitation however, higher doses of rehabilitation resulted in significant improvements in the 2MWT for subjects with low baseline walking endurance and in AM measures for subjects with high baseline walking activity..
Interdisciplinary rehabilitation can improve walking activity and endurance depending on baseline walking levels.
Archives of Physical and Medical Rehabilitation, 2009, 90(1), 43-50