The effect of sensory-motor training on hand and upper extremity sensory and motor function in patients with idiopathic Parkinson disease.

STUDY DESIGN

Blinded randomized controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION

Patients with Parkinson disease (PD) have sensory problems, but there is still no accurate understanding of the effects of sensory-motor interventions on PD.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

To investigate the effects of sensory-motor training (SMT) on hand and upper extremity sensory and motor function in patients with PD.

METHODS

Forty patients with PD were allocated to the SMT group or the control group (CG) (mean ages ± standard deviation: SMT, 61.05 ± 13.9 years; CG, 59.15 ± 11.26 years). The CG received the common rehabilitation therapies, whereas the SMT group received SMT. The SMT included discrimination of temperatures, weights, textures, shapes, and objects and was performed 5 times each week for 2 weeks.

RESULTS

Significantly reducing the error rates in the haptic object recognition test (dominant hand [DH]: F = 15.36, P = .001, and effect size [ES] = 0.29; nondominant hand [NDH]: F = 9.33, P = .004, and ES = 0.21) and the error means in the wrist proprioception sensation test (DH: F = 9.11, P = .005, and ES = 0.19; NDH: F = 13.04, P = .001, and ES = 0.26) and increasing matched objects in the hand active sensation test (DH: F = 12.15, P = .001, and ES = 0.24; NDH: F = 5.03, P = .03, and ES = 0.12) founded in the SMT. Also, the DH (F = 6.65, P = .01, and ES = 0.15), both hands (F = 7.61, P = .009, and ES = 0.17), and assembly (F = 7.02, P = .01, and ES = 0.15) subtests of fine motor performance, as well as DH (F = 10.1, P = .003, and ES = 0.21) and NDH (F = 8.37, P = .006, and ES = 0.18) in upper extremity functional performance, were improved in the SMT.

DISCUSSION

SMT improved hand and upper extremity sensory-motor function in patients with PD.

CONCLUSION

The SMT group showed improved sensory and motor function. But these results were limited to levels 1 to 3 of the Hoehn and Yahr Scale.