Affiliations: [a] Doctoral and Master Program in Rehabilitation Sciences, Nove de Julho University, São Paulo, Brazil
| [b] Movement Analysis Lab, University Nove de Julho, São Paulo, Brazil
| [c] Departamento de Desporto, University of State of Para, Campus de Altamira, Altamira, PA, Brazil
| [d]
Department of Electronic Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| [e] IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana, Rome, Italy
| [f]
University Center of Anápolis – Uni Evangélica, Anápolis, Goiás, Brazil
Correspondence:
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Address for correspondence: Ana Francisca Rozin Kleiner, Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Via Golgi 39, 20133 Milano, Italy. Tel.: +39 02 2399 3351; E-mail anafrkleiner@gmail.com.
Abstract: OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the effects of gait training with virtual reality (VR) on walking distance and physical fitness in individuals with Parkinson’s Disease (PD). METHODS:Thirty-seven individuals with PD participated in this prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trial. They were randomly allocated to a control group submitted to conventional training (n = 12), a treadmill group submitted to gait training on a treadmill (n = 13) and a VR group submitted to gait training using the XboxTM (n = 12). Clinical measures, gait variables and the Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) were evaluated: pre-intervention, after one intervention session, post-intervention and follow up (30 days after intervention). RESULTS:The VR and treadmill groups travelled longer distances on the 6MWT and had faster gait speed in comparison to the control group. The VR and treadmill groups demonstrated an increase in pre-6MWT HR. The VR group had more intense HR after the first session and throughout training, but these gains were not maintained at the follow-up. CONCLUSION:The present findings demonstrate that gait training with a VR program is as effective as treadmill training with regard to gains in walking distance and improvements in temporal gait variables in individuals with PD.
