Melodious Therapy for Parkinson’s Patients

CLAUDIO PACCHETTI, MD, etal of the Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Centre, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy conducted a study about the use of music in conjunction with physical therapy for Parkinson’s disease patients. The aim of therapists to manage Parkinson’s disease (PD) is to obtain symptom control as well as to reduce clinical disability and to improve quality of life. By incorporating music into the therapy program the patient exercises his motor as well as emotional responses.They explored the efficacy of active music therapy (MT) on the motor and emotional functions in patients with PD. The study lasted 3 months. It consisted of weekly sessions of MT and physical therapy (PT).They used thirty-two patients with PD made up of two groups of 16 each. PT sessions included a series of passive stretching exercises, strategies to improve balance and gait and specific motor tasks. The results showed that MT had a significant overall effect on bradykinesia as measured by the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale. Improvements in activities of daily living and in quality of life were also documented in the MT group. PT improved rigidity. The conclusions drawn were that MT is effective on motor, affect, and behavioral functions. They propose active MT as a new method for inclusion in PD rehabilitation programs. In addition to the music therapy integrated into the physical therapy program making use of the TUTOR system can also enhance the motivation of Parkinson’s patients. The exercises that are part of the TUTOR system consist of specific games that challenge the patient to move his affected limb. The newly developed HANDTUTOR physical therapy product, for example, has become a key system in neuromuscular rehabilitation for Parkinson’s,TBI and stroke victims and those recovering from spinal cord injuries, MS, CP and other limb movement limitations. The HANDTUTOR is a hand therapy tool used by occupational and physical therapists. This innovative device implements an impairment based program with augmented motion feedback that encourages motor learning through intensive active exercises and movement practice. The HANDTUTOR, ARMTUTOR, LEGTUTOR and 3DTUTOR consist of wearable glove and braces that detect limb movements showing the patient how much active or assisted active movement they are actually accomplishing. The rehabilitation software uses special rehabilitation games to set a new target in terms of the patient’s ability to move their limb. The devices then measure the limb movement and give feedback on the success of the patient in this new objective. In this way the patient is given feedback that allows him to understand which effort is more successful in moving their affected limb again. Subsequently the TUTOR system provides exercises that are challenging and motivating and allow for repetitive and intensive exercise practice. The HANDTUTOR, ARMTUTOR, LEGTUTOR and 3DTUTOR are now part of the physical therapy solutions of leading U.S. German, Italian, French, UK and other foreign hospitals. See WWW.MEDITOUCH.CO.IL for more information.