Online dance versus online therapeutic exercise on quality of life - a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial investigating social telerehabilitation efficacy in Parkinson disease

Abstract

Background

Social telerehabilitation delivers rehabilitation services over online video conferencing within a social context. The modality of multimodal therapeutic exercises is the most recommended rehabilitation for individuals with PD, although other modalities, such as dance, have shown potential benefits. The investigation of the feasibility and efficacy of these therapeutic strategies in a remote online format is unknown.

Methods

This is a prospectively registered two-arm randomised controlled trial investigating the efficacy of online dance compared to online multimodal therapeutic exercise by looking at the biopsychosocial PD aspects. Individuals diagnosed with idiopathic PD between 40 and 90 years old, at any stage of disease severity, and without cognitive impairment will be recruited from the community. Participants will be randomly allocated to one of the two social telerehabilitation groups: (1) dance and music or (2) multimodal therapeutic exercise and music. Interventions will occur twice a week for twelve weeks. Each session will last 60 min. Tele-assessments will be conducted pre-, post-, and one-month follow-up through a videoconference platform.

Results

For feasibility, primary outcomes will include adherence, attendance, adverse events, and participants’ perceptions of enjoyment and socialisation. For efficacy, primary outcomes will investigate well-being by positive affect (by the Positive Affect and Negative Affect Schedule) and persistent anxiety, episodic anxiety, and avoidance behaviour (by the Parkinson Anxiety Scale). Secondary outcomes will include motor severity (by the UPDRS III), functional lower extremity strength (by the Five Times Sit to Stand Test), memory and attention (by the Attention and Recognition Memory Test), and quality of life (by the Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire 39).

Conclusion

We hypothesise that both interventions would effectively ameliorate motor symptoms. However, we expect dance to be more enjoyable and improve well-being by increasing positive affect and reducing anxiety signs.

Keywords:

• Parkinson’s disease
• physiotherapy
• dance
• telehealth
• telerehabilitation

Acknowledgements

None.

Authors’ contributions

C.P. conceived the presented idea and wrote the project and the first draft of the manuscript, with the supervision and guidance of the advisor A.P. Authors R.S.M. and F.P. contributed to the manuscript preparation. R.S.M. and A.N.H. helped to shape the structure of the intervention protocol. C.R. and G.O. contributed to the definition of physiological outcome measurements. All authors read, contributed to, and approved the final manuscript.

Disclosure statement

The author(s) declare(s) that there is no conflict of interest.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

This research project was approved at the Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Brazil (CAAE: 58321322.80000.5345).