Aquatic physical therapy effects on cardiorespiratory variables in Parkinson's disease

Abstract Introduction Parkinson’s (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. It has motor and non-motor symptoms which is directly related to these people’s decreased autonomy and quality of life. Aquatic physical therapy (APT) is a non-drug treatment option that is a resource to complement functional rehabilitation and/or prevention. Objective To analyze the effects of an APT program on cardiovascular and fatigue conditions in individuals with PD. Methods The cardiorespiratory conditions were assessed with vital signs – heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP), measured before and after each intervention. The double product (DP) and the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), measured pre- and post-intervention, were also used as variables. The intervention had eight 40- minute biweekly sessions over 4 weeks, with immersion in a heated swimming pool at 33 ºC on average. The statistical analysis was made with the paired t-test (to analyze the FSS) and the repeated measures ANOVA test (for DP, BP and HR); significance was set at p < 0.05. Results Fatigue perception with FSS improved significantly (p = 0.037), from 4.7 ± 1.6 (pre-intervention) to 4.3 ± 1.6 (post-intervention). There were no statistically significant differences in DP, BP and HR (p = 1). Conclusion HR and BP remained at appropriate values for older people, and DP remained within a safe submaximal training range. Furthermore, the proposed APT program statistically decreased fatigue in this specific group of people with PD.