Feasibility of a virtual exercise coach to promote walking in community-dwelling persons with Parkinson Disease
Open accessAbstract
OBJECTIVE: The short-term benefits of exercise for persons with Parkinson disease (PD) are well established, but long-term adherence is limited. The aim of this study was to explore the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary evidence of the effectiveness of a virtual exercise coach to promote daily walking in community-dwelling persons with Parkinson disease. DESIGN: Twenty subjects with Parkinson disease participated in this phase 1, single-group, nonrandomized clinical trial. The subjects were instructed to interact with the virtual exercise coach for 5 mins, wear a pedometer, and walk daily for 1 mo. Retention rate, satisfaction, and interaction history were assessed at 1 mo. Six-minute walk and gait speed were assessed at baseline and after the intervention. RESULTS: Fifty-five percent of the participants were women, and the mean age was 65.6 yrs. At the study completion, there was 100% retention rate. The subjects had a mean satisfaction score of 5.6/7 (with 7 indicating maximal satisfaction) with the virtual exercise coach. Interaction history revealed that the participants logged in for a mean (SD) of 25.4 (7) days of the recommended 30 days. The mean adherence to daily walking was 85%. Both gait speed and the 6-min walk test significantly improved (P < 0.05). No adverse events were reported. CONCLUSIONS: Sedentary persons with Parkinson disease successfully used a computer and interacted with a virtual exercise coach. Retention, satisfaction, and adherence to daily walking were high for 1 mo, and significant improvements were seen in mobility.
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- Authors
- Ellis, T., Latham, N. K., DeAngelis, T. R., Thomas, C. A., Saint-Hilaire, M., & Bickmore, T. W.
- Affiliations
- Boston University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Ellis, Terry
- Venue
- American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
- Published
- 2013-06
- Volume
- 92
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 472-485
- ISSN
- 0894-9115 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC4266140
- OpenAlex
- W1979696614
- Cited by
- 91
- References
- 37
- Citations by year
- 2025: 8 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 6
- FWCI
- 18.19
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (5k12hd043444-10)
- National Institute on Aging (R01AG028668)
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (K12-HD043444)
- 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 › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Mobile Health and mHealth Applications
- Keywords
- Parkinson's disease, walking, exercise adherence, community-dwelling persons, walking speed, 6-minute walk test, pedometers, feasibility, acceptability, digital health interventions, mobility (physical function)
- MeSH terms
- Acceleration, Aged, Exercise Therapy, Feasibility Studies, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Parkinson Disease, Patient Participation, Severity of Illness Index, Time Factors, User-Computer Interface, Walking, Treatment Outcome, Gait Disorders, Neurologic
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