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TAILORING MEDICAL REHABILITATION IN PATIENTS WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE
Prada G, Tutu-Pata V, Fita I, Prada S
Most of the studies regarding Parkinson's disease have focused on drugs and their effects. Medical rehabilitation, although ignored at the beginning, finds its place during the last 15 years. Authors investigated 187 patients with Parkinson's disease, 52% men and 48% women, age range 45 ? 80 years, divided into 2 groups: 57% study group (have followed all the stages of an individualized rehabilitation protocol, with a progressive increase of up to 45% of the maximal resistance) and 43% in second group ? control (who could not increase the intensity of exercise more than 10% of maximum resistance). The first group followed a complex rehabilitation methodology oriented towards the symptomatic triad, cognitive, vegetative, psychic and sleep disorders. Functional reeducation was based on building of programs self-administered by patient-family, shaped by the doctor, carried forward at home and supervised at the outpatient clinic. Both at 1 month and at 6 months from the start of rehabilitation there have been statistically significant differences between study and control group. Motor, vegetative, cognitive, psychic and sleep disorders all have been improved. In conclusion, adding an individualized rehabilitation program to the classical anti-parkinson medication can significantly ameliorate patients' clinical course, especially if family is involved.
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