What happened?
A 56-year-old man with Parkinson disease sought neurorehabilitation because of generalized weakness, slowness of movement, involuntary upper-limb movements and difficulty walking. The report describes a six-week programme with weekly goals and repeated functional assessment.
Clinical findings
- The patient had a history of falls, increasing right-arm tremor, bradykinesia and difficulty with daily activities.
- Examination noted a slightly masked facial expression, forward-head/kyphotic posture and increased tone in selected upper-limb muscle groups.
- Outcome measures included the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, WHO quality-of-life measure and Barthel Index.
Rehabilitation described in the report
- A planned neurorehabilitation programme used goal-based exercise and functional practice over six weeks.
- The article discusses virtual-reality and exergame approaches in the broader context of Parkinson rehabilitation; consult the full methods for the exact components and progression delivered to this patient.
- The treatment plan was adjusted around the patient's functional deficits and goals.
Reported outcomes
- The authors reported improvement across the measured outcomes during the six-week course.
- The case emphasizes functional mobility and quality of life alongside motor symptoms.
Clinical lessons to consider
- Parkinson rehabilitation should address activity and participation, not only tremor or muscle tone.
- Use measurable baseline and follow-up outcomes and set short, meaningful goals.
- Falls, bradykinesia, cognition, confidence and the home environment may all affect the plan.
Limitations — what this case cannot tell us
- A single uncontrolled case cannot determine which intervention component drove the observed changes.
- The findings should not be interpreted as proof that exergames or one specific protocol works for every person with Parkinson disease.
Original source
Pinky D. Israni, Vaishnavi Yadav, Anam R. Sasun. “Effectiveness of Neurorehabilitation in Improving the Functional Recovery and Quality of Life of Patients With Parkinson's Disease: A Case Report.” Cureus, 2024. DOI: 10.7759/cureus.52021
View the original publicationThis page is an independently written educational summary, not a reproduction of the full paper. Check the original article for complete methods, outcome tables, references and licensing.