Research Article

Effectiveness of an Inpatient Movement Disorders Program for Patients with Atypical Parkinsonism

Table 2

Description of interventions.

Functional trainingRolling from supine position to sitting position and from sitting position to supine position.
Transferring from sitting position to standing position, from chair to bed, and from chair to toilet.
Dressing and grooming.
Balance: reactive and anticipatory within functional contexts.

Gait trainingWalking with external auditory cues from a metronome to optimize gait speed and cadence; increasing cadence by 10% over baseline and progressing until cadence approaches normal or until subject reaches maximum capacity.
Reducing freezing (context specific: doorways, thresholds, and narrow spaces) with visual cues in the form of lines on the floor from tape or laser beams.
Reducing freezing (context specific: doorways, thresholds, and narrow spaces) with visual cues in the form of lines on the floor from tape or laser beams.
Improving adaptation (various walking surfaces, obstacles in the environment, starting and stopping, and turning head while walking).
Curb negotiation and stair climbing.

Range of motion, flexibility, strengthening exercisesRange of motion (increase trunk extension and rotation).
Stretching (hip flexor, hamstring, and gastrocnemius muscles).
Strengthening (trunk and hip postural muscles and knee and ankle extensor muscles).

Speech exercisesExercises to improve vocal rate control.
Exercises to improve phonation.