AUTHOR=Schaeffer Eva , Busch Jan-Hinrich , Roeben Benjamin , Otterbein Sascha , Saraykin Pavel , Leks Edyta , Liepelt-Scarfone Inga , Synofzik Matthis , Elshehabi Morad , Maetzler Walter , Hansen Clint , Andris Sarah , Berg Daniela
TITLE=Effects of Exergaming on Attentional Deficits and Dual-Tasking in Parkinson's Disease
JOURNAL=Frontiers in Neurology
VOLUME=10
YEAR=2019
URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neurology/articles/10.3389/fneur.2019.00646
DOI=10.3389/fneur.2019.00646
ISSN=1664-2295
ABSTRACT=Introduction: Impairment of dual-tasking, as an attention-based primary cognitive dysfunction, is frequently observed in Parkinson's Disease (PD). The Training-PD study investigated the efficiency of exergaming, as a novel cognitive-motor training approach, to improve attention-based deficits and dual-tasking in PD when compared to healthy controls.
Methods: Eighteen PD patients and 17 matched healthy controls received a 6-week home-based training period of exergaming. Treatment effects were monitored using quantitative motor assessment of gait and cognitive testing as baseline and after 6 weeks of training.
Results: At baseline PD patients showed a significantly worse performance in several quantitative motor assessment parameters and in two items of cognitive testing. After 6 weeks of exergames training, the comparison of normal gait vs. dual-tasking in general showed an improvement of stride length in the PD group, without a gait-condition specific improvement. In the direct comparison of three different gait conditions (normal gait vs. dual-tasking calculating while walking vs. dual-tasking crossing while walking) PD patients showed a significant improvement of stride length under the dual-tasking calculating condition. This corresponded to a significant improvement in one parameter of the D2 attention test.
Conclusions: We conclude, that exergaming, as an easy to apply, safe technique, can improve deficits in cognitive-motor dual-tasking and attention in PD.