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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Digit. Health
Sec. Health Communications and Behavior Change
Volume 6 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fdgth.2024.1486662

Online training program maintains motor functions and quality of life in patients with Parkinson's disease

Provisionally accepted
Hiroshi Nakanishi Hiroshi Nakanishi Ryoma Morigaki Ryoma Morigaki *Joji Fujikawa Joji Fujikawa Hiroshi Ohmae Hiroshi Ohmae Keisuke Shinohara Keisuke Shinohara Nobuaki Yamamoto Nobuaki Yamamoto Yuishin Izumi Yuishin Izumi Yasushi Takagi Yasushi Takagi
  • Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Objective: Several systematic reviews have shown that physical exercise positively affects motor function (MF) and quality of life (QoL) in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). After the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, several studies were conducted to reveal the effects of telerehabilitation for patients with PD. However, only a few empirical results of online programs for PD patients have been reported. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the effects of an online physical and cognitive training program on MF and QoL in patients with PD. Methods: We evaluated the impact of our online program on the QoL and MF of patients with PD by comparing data at baseline and after six months of intervention. For the QoL assessment, we used the Schwab and England Activities of Daily Living scale and Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39), whereas, for MF, we measured movement status using the modified 20-m walk test and timed up-and-go (TUG) test. Results: We enrolled 20 patients for QoL and 19 for MF in this study. For PDQ-39, social support (p=0.046, δ=0.320) and cognitions (p=0.028, δ=0.268) significantly improved. Additionally, cadence (p=0.032, g=-0.377) in the modified 20-m walk and exam duration (p=0.003, δ=0.296) and forward gait (p=0.003, δ=0.341) in the TUG test showed significant differences before and after the intervention. Conclusion: Our results suggest that online physical and cognitive training programs positively affect MF and QoL in individuals with PD.

    Keywords: Parkinson's disease, telerehabilitation, Online system, cognitive training, physical exercise, Motor function, Quality of Life, Frailty

    Received: 26 Aug 2024; Accepted: 28 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Nakanishi, Morigaki, Fujikawa, Ohmae, Shinohara, Yamamoto, Izumi and Takagi. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Ryoma Morigaki, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.