The implementation of regular prolonged, and effective rehabilitation in people with Parkinson’s disease is essential for ensuring a good quality of life. However, the continuity of rehabilitation care may find barriers related to economic, geographic, and social issues. In these scenarios, telerehabilitation could be a possible solution to guarantee the continuity of care.
To investigate the efficacy of non-immersive virtual reality-based telerehabilitation on postural stability in people with Parkinson’s disease, compared to at-home self-administered structured conventional motor activities.
Ninety-seven participants were randomized into two groups: 49 in the telerehabilitation group (non-immersive virtual reality-based telerehabilitation) and 48 in the control group (at-home self-administered structured conventional motor activities). Both treatments lasted 30 sessions (3-5 days/week for, 6-10 weeks). Static and dynamic balance, gait, and functional motor outcomes were registered before and after the treatments.
All participants improved the outcomes at the end of the treatments. The primary outcome (mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test) registered a greater significant improvement in the telerehabilitation group than in the control group. The gait and endurance significantly improved in the telerehabilitation group only, with significant within-group and between-group differences.