Objective: To evaluate the effects of exergaming in a controlled six week intervention trial to improve attention-based deficits and dual-tasking in PD when compared to healthy controls.

Background: Impairment of dual-tasking, as an attention-based primary cognitive dysfunction, is frequently observed in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Impaired dual-tasking can have a considerable influence on daily activities of PD patients and has been associated with an increased risk of falls.

Method: Nineteen PD patients and nineteen matched healthy controls received a six-week training period of exergaming. Treatment effects were monitored using quantitative motor assessment of gait and cognitive testing at baseline and after six weeks of training.

Results: At baseline PD patients showed a significantly worse performance in several quantitative motor assessment parameters and in two items of cognitive testing. After six weeks of exergames training, PD patients showed a significant control-group-corrected improvement of gait parameters under cognitive dual-tasking conditions, corresponding to a significant improvement in attentional cognitive tasks.

Conclusion: Exergaming, as an easy to apply, safe technique, can improve disease-specific deficits in dual-tasking and attention in PD. Considering the very limited effect of pharmacological treatment and the high correlation with an increased risk of falls, the possibility to improve attentional deficits through exercise is of high clinical relevance for PD patients. Exergaming, combining feedback mechanisms, motivation and simultaneous motor-cognitive activation, might be particularly well-suited to address attentional deficits.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/effects-of-exergaming-on-attentional-deficits-and-dual-tasking-in-parkinsons-disease/