Effectiveness of physiotherapy in Parkinson's disease: the feasibility of a randomised controlled trial

Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2007 Mar;13(2):115-21. doi: 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2006.07.007. Epub 2006 Oct 20.

Abstract

To study the feasibility of a large randomised controlled trial (RCT) evaluating the effectiveness of physiotherapy in Parkinson's disease (PD), 173 patients were asked to participate in a study with random allocation to best practice physiotherapy, or to no physiotherapy. The primary outcome measures were the Parkinson's disease questionnaire-39, the Parkinson activity scale, and a patient preference outcome scale (PPOS). Only 14% of the patients could be included in the study. The PPOS showed the largest effect size (0.74) with a significant group effect (p<0.05). Specific alterations to the study design to ensure successful RCTs in this field are recommended.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Feasibility Studies
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Parkinson Disease / rehabilitation*
  • Physical Therapy Modalities*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Treatment Outcome*