Can simple behavioural interventions increase daily physical activity in Parkinson’s disease?

Introduction Physical activity (PA) is a modifiable factor that may influence the course of Parkinson’s disease (PD). This study aimed to apply a simple behavioural intervention aimed at encouraging PD sufferers to increase their everyday PA and to assess which parameters of motor functions will be improved. Methods The research covered 50 PD patients (28 men and 22 women) aged 40–81 years (65.38 ± 9.23), with a duration of the disease of 2–4 years, in stages 1–3 on the Hoehn and Yahr scale. The patients were randomly divided into two groups: the experimental group with behavioural therapy and the control group without intervention. During 12 weeks, the patients from the experimental group had five phone conversations. Each conversation lasted 15 min and was an interview about the subjects’ PA in the last month. The outcome was measured by the Timed Up and Go test (TUG), Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) – part III, FIR [Functional Index “Repty” – own modification of Functional Independence Measure (FIM)], Functional Ambulation Category (FAC), and International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Results The results showed that, after 12 weeks and five phone conversations, in the experimental group spontaneous PA increased and motor functions improved. Conclusions PA improvement depended on age, body mass index, and gender.