Teleneurorehabilitation and Motor and Nonmotor Symptoms and Quality of Life in Parkinson Disease: The TELEPARK Randomized Clinical Trial.

Abstract

Importance: To our knowledge, no randomized clinical trials have compared the efficacy and safety of teleneurorehabilitation (TNR) with in-person rehabilitation in Parkinson disease (PD) during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.

Objective: To assess the efficacy and safety of TNR among patients with PD during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Design, setting, and participants: The TELEPARK single-center, assessor-blinded, randomized clinical trial was conducted over 11 months from September 2020 to July 2021, with follow-up after 12 weeks. Final data could be analyzed on July 1, 2024. Patients aged 18 years or older diagnosed with idiopathic PD with Hoehn and Yahr stage 1 to 2.5, Mini-Mental State Examination score of 24 or higher, and who possessed a smartphone allowing videocalling were eligible for inclusion and randomized to in-person or TNR therapy.

Intervention: The in-person group received physiotherapy, aerobic, and breathing exercises for 30 minutes in person once a week for 4 weeks and then once every 2 weeks for 8 weeks. The TNR group received in-person sessions on day 1, followed by supervised sessions via videocalling once a week for the first 4 weeks, then once every 2 weeks for 8 weeks.

Main outcome and measures: The primary outcome was mean change in the Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale III (MDS-UPDRS III) postintervention score from baseline. Mean changes in postintervention MDS-UPDRS II and III, Non-Motor Symptom Scale (NMSS), Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire-8 Summary Index (PDQ8-SI), 6-minute walk test (6MWT), and functional reach test (FRT) scores from baseline between groups was assessed using unpaired t tests.

Results: A total of 63 participants (28 in-person and 35 TNR) were analyzed. Mean (SD) ages in the in-person and TNR groups were 60.50 (7.08) years and 62.80 (12.46) years, respectively. Twelve of 28 patients in the in-person group (42.9%) and 16 of 35 patients in the TNR group (45.7%) were female. Mean (SD) MDS-UPDRS III scores were significantly lower following TNR (pre-TNR: 35.17 [17.72] vs post-TNR: 28.6 [19.7]; P = .001). Mean (SD) change in postintervention MDS-UPDRS III scores was not significantly different between the 2 groups (TNR: -6.74 [11.07] vs in-person: -7.54 [10.52]; P = .39). Median changes in NMSS and PDQ8-SI scores were similar between the groups.

Conclusions and relevance: TNR is safe and effective in improving motor and nonmotor symptoms and quality of life among Indian patients with PD.