Six weeks of intensive treadmill training improves gait and quality of life in patients with Parkinson's disease: a pilot study
Abstract
Objective To evaluate the effects of 6 weeks of intensive treadmill training on gait rhythmicity, functional mobility, and quality of life (QOL) in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD).Design An open-label, before-after pilot study.Setting Outpatient movement disorders clinic.Participants Nine patients with PD who were able to ambulate independently and were not demented. Mean age was 70+/-6.8 years. Patients had mild to moderate PD (Hoehn and Yahr stage range, 1.5-3).Interventions Patients walked on a treadmill for 30 minutes during each training session, 4 training sessions a week, for 6 weeks. Once a week, usual overground walking speed was re-evaluated and the treadmill speed was adjusted accordingly.Main outcome measures The 39-item Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39), motor part of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), gait speed, stride time variability, swing time variability, and the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB).Results A comparison of the measures taken before and after the treadmill intervention indicates general improvement. QOL, as measured by the PDQ-39, was reduced (improved) from 32 to 22 (P<.014). Parkinsonian symptoms, as measured by the UPDRS, decreased (improved) from 29 to 22 (P<.043). Usual gait speed increased from 1.11 to 1.26 m/s (P<.014). Swing time variability was lower (better) in all but one patient, changing from 3.0% to 2.3% (P<.06). Scores on the SPPB also improved (P<.008). Interestingly, many of the improvements persisted even 4 weeks later.Conclusions These results show the potential to enhance gait rhythmicity in patients with PD and suggest that a progressive and intensive treadmill training program can be used to minimize impairments in gait, reduce fall risk, and increase QOL in these patients.
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Immediate and long-term retention of gait improvements have been reported following cessation of treadmill exercise.
“Both immediate (upon completion of training 4 to 12 weeks) and long-term retention (lasting several months) of gait improvements have been reported following cessation of treadmill exercise 24, 28, 29.”
From Exercise-enhanced neuroplasticity targeting motor and cognitive circuitry in Parkinson's disease (2013) · cites this paper as [24]
Treadmill exercise studies have shown that individuals with mild to moderate Parkinson's disease can improve gait performance, including velocity, stride length, cadence, postural stability, gait rhythmicity, and joint excursion.
“Studies, using treadmill exercise (with or without body weight support typically used for the purpose of maintaining safety) have shown that through exercise practice individuals with mild to moderate stages of PD can improve gait performance, including velocity, stride length, cadence, postural stability, gait rhythmicity, and joint excursion 24, 25.”
From Exercise-enhanced neuroplasticity targeting motor and cognitive circuitry in Parkinson's disease (2013) · cites this paper as [24]
The control group's effect sizes can be interpreted as small, whereas the CuPiD group's can be considered clinically moderate and comparable to other cueing and treadmill studies.
“According to the recommendations by Hass et al., the control group's effect sizes can be interpreted as small [38], whereas those of the CuPiD group can be considered as clinically moderate and as comparable to other cueing and treadmill studies [9, 16, 39].”
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- Authors
- Herman, T., Giladi, N., Gruendlinger, L., & Hausdorff, J. M.
- Affiliations
- Tel Aviv University (IL)
- Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center (IL)
- Harvard University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Hausdorff, Jeffrey M.
- Venue
- Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2007-09
- Volume
- 88
- Issue
- 9
- Pages
- 1154-1158
- ISSN
- 0003-9993 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2130087282
- Cited by
- 315
- References
- 53
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 18 · 2019: 19 · 2018: 25 · 2017: 17 · 2016: 12 · 2015: 20 · 2014: 29 · 2013: 27 · 2012: 24
- FWCI
- 52.60
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- UCLA - Biblioteca de Ciencias de la Salud (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation › Balance, Gait, and Falls Prevention
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Rehabilitation › Stroke Rehabilitation and Recovery
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Neurology › Parkinson's Disease Mechanisms and Treatments
- Keywords
- Parkinson's disease, treadmill training, quality of life, walking speed, stride time variability, functional mobility, fall risk, exercise intervention, motor symptoms
- MeSH terms
- Aged, Exercise Therapy, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Gait, Humans, Male, Parkinson Disease, Pilot Projects, Quality of Life, Surveys and Questionnaires, Time Factors, Treatment Outcome, Exercise Tolerance
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