Effects of a Multidisciplinary Intensive Rehabilitation Treatment (MIRT) on Balance in Patients With Parkinson's Disease Evaluated With a Stabilometric Platform

Pharmacotherapy with dopaminergic medications and deep brain stimulation cannot provide significant improvements in postural instability in Parkinson's disease, whereas previous reports of physical interventions have suggested promising results. The investigators want to study the effects of our multidisciplinary intensive rehabilitation treatment (MIRT) on balance disorders in PD.

PD patients in stage 3 of Hoen & Yahr will undergo clinical and instrumental evaluations at the beginning (T0) and at the end (T1) of the MIRT. Berg Balance Scale (BBS) will be performed to assess static and dynamic balance abilities. In order to determine some variables as index of postural stability, the investigators will use a stabilometric platform. With respect to the average centre of gravity the standard deviation (SD) of trunk sway will be calculated: total, in antero-posterior (AP) and in medio-lateral (ML) direction. The investigators can obtain a statokinesigram, that is the layout of a line connecting the successive positions of the center of pressure during the recording, and the area of the ellipse containing 90% of the sampled positions of the center of pressure. These measurements will be calculated with open eyes (OE), and while the patient was performing a cognitive task (open eyes counting [OEC]).