School of Public Health - Physical Therapy DPT

Physical Therapy DPT - Doctoral Projects

AREA OF FOCUS: Clinical Research

TITLE: The Effects of Exercise on Endurance, Balance, Functional Movement and Quality of Life in Individuals with Parkinson's Disease

FACULTY ADVISOR: Cathy Curtis, PT, EdD

NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT CAN BE ACCOMMODATED: 2

DESCRIPTION: This project involves the analysis and interpretation of data from a research study examining the effects of group exercise intervention in individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD) already collected and partially reduced by Dr. Curtis.

Physical therapy intervention has been promoted in the literature as a beneficial adjunctive treatment to current medical management for individuals with PD, however, only a few controlled studies have been conducted (Comella et al, 1994; Formisano et al, 1992; Gauthier et al, 1987). Further research is necessary to identify valid/reliable measures sensitive to both motoric and psychosocial change; to develop effective, economically viable means to provide therapy for this population; and to document the effects of physical therapy exercise interventions. The purpose of this study was to determine if an 8 week group exercise program for individuals with PD can improve: 1). the movement strategy of a bend, walk and reach task as measured using motion analysis (Johnels et al., 1993); 2). quality of life based on the MOS-36 Item Short-Form Health Survey (Ware & Sherbourne, 1992); 3). endurance as measured by the Six-Minute Walk Test (Butland et al., 1982) and the Borg Scale of Perceived Exertion (Borg, 1982); and 4). balance based on the Berg Balance Score (Berg et al, 1992).

Students will be expected to review the literature on exercise and PD as well as the measures used in this study. Since the data has already been collected, students will be responsible for aspects of the data reduction and statistical analysis, which can be done on campus or at home. Students will also be involved in preparations for presentation at state or national meetings and possibly publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Each student’s Professional Service Project manuscript will reflect an understanding of Parkinson’s disease, the benefits of exercise intervention for a progressive disorder and address one or more aspects of the study. This project provides students with an excellent opportunity for learning about clinical research, outcomes measurement and professional scholarship.

Special Considerations: None

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