Dynamic balance and gait speed improve in persons with Parkinson´s disease after Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT)-BIG training: a single subject experimental design study. (3rd March 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kleppang, Tale Tangen; Jørgensen, Lone
• Is Part Of: European journal of physiotherapy. Volume 22:Number 2(2020)
• Page Start: 86
• Page End: 96
• Publication Date: 2020-03-03
• Subjects: Intensive exercise therapy -- motor training -- physiotherapy -- rehabilitation -- therapeutic exercise -- walking; Therapeutics, Physiological -- Periodicals; Physical therapy -- Periodicals; 615.8205
• DOI: 10.1080/21679169.2018.1551420
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2167-9169

Abstract

Abstract: Background: Parkinson ́s disease (PD) is characterised by small, slow movements affecting balance and gait. Lee-Silverman-Voice-Treatment-(LSVT)-BIG is an intensive intervention aiming to restore normal amplitudes of movements. This study aimed to examine whether LSVT-BIG influences dynamic balance and gait in persons with PD. Methods: We used a Single-Subject-Experimental-Design with three phases; phase A (2 weeks) with no treatment, phase B (4 weeks) with LSVT-BIG-treatment and LSVT-BIG-home-training, and phase C (7–8 weeks) with LSVT-BIG-home-training. Two persons with PD participated. Outcome measures included the Mini-Balance-Evaluation-Systems-Test (Mini-BESTest) with its four subcomponents ('anticipatory postural adjustments', 'postural responses', 'sensory orientation', 'balance during gait'), the Step-Test (ST) and 10-Meter-Walk-Test-fast (10MWT-fast). The participants were assessed 6, 4 and 8 times during phase A, B and C, respectively. During phase B, they received 16 individual 1-hour LSVT-BIG-treatment sessions and completed between 28 and 39 1-hour sessions LSVT-BIG-home-training. During phase C, they were encouraged to complete one session of home-training every day. Results: The Mini-BESTest-total-score, 'balance during gait', ST and 10MWT-fast improved significantly in both participants. One participant demonstrated improved 'postural responses'. Two of the Mini-BESTest subcomponents were not sensitive to possible improvements. Conclusion: LSVT-BIG may have a positive effect on dynamic balance and gait-speed in persons with PD.