Objective: To verify the effect of the application of physical exercises with a dual task on gait speed and the occurrence of falls in people with Parkinson’s disease (PD).

Background: PD is a degenerative and progressive disease of the central nervous system, whose prevalence increases with age, affecting the cognitive and locomotor systems. Physical activity, combined with a cognitive task, can help to improve the gait of patients with PD. This can have a positive impact on the risk of falls, which are common in this population.

Method: This is a longitudinal and experimental study with quantitative data analysis. Twelve PD patients of both sexes from the city of Dracena-SP (Brazil) were included. To analyze gait speed, the TUG (Timed Up and Go Test) was performed [1]. Patients were asked about the occurrence of falls in the 30 days retroactive to the first assessment (pre-intervention) and 30 days retroactive to the second assessment (post-intervention). They were subsequently allocated into two groups: group without reported falls (G0) and group with at least one reported fall (G1). The intervention was performed with walking, coordination, balance on an unstable platform, and stretching exercises, using a dual task, performed 2 days a week, 1 hour a day, for 16 weeks. Both G0 and G1 were similar in ages and TUG results before intervention. The paired Student’s T test was used and statistical significance was set at 5%. The project was approved by the Research Ethics Committee under number 2.976.768.

Results: There were differences in the results of the TUG test, with a reduction in the execution time after the intervention. The mean time spent in the TUG in the pre-intervention moment was 31.7 (32.4) seconds (s). After the intervention, the observed mean was 17.2 (12.0) s (p-value = 0.039).
The gait speed was higher in patients in G0. There was a difference in the mean TUG time between the groups, with longer test times in G1 (44.4 s vs 22.57 s), in the pre-intervention moment (p-value = 0.033). There was also a difference in relation to the group that reported a fall 30 days retroactive to the second evaluation (47.2 s vs 20.57 s – p-value = 0.005).

Conclusion: It was concluded that physical exercise with additional dual task performed by the patients provided an improvement in gait speed and this variable is possibly associated with the risk of falls in this sample.

References: [1] Podsiadlo, D., & Richardson, S. (1991). The Timed ”Up & Go”: A Test of Basic Functional Mobilitv for Frail Elderlv Persons. Journal of American Geriatrics Society, 39, 142–148.

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