Comparison of the Effects of Core Stabilization Training Program with and without the Use of Neurofeedback on Fear of Fall in Individuals with Parkinson’s Disease

Abstract

Aim and Background: Significantly, in most previous studies, it has been recognized that fear of falling is one of the health threatening factors of the elderly, especially in people with Parkinson's disease. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare the effects of the core stabilization training program with and without the use of neurofeedback on the fear of falling in patients with Parkinson's disease. Methods and Materials: In this semi-experimental research, the statistical population included men with Parkinson's disease who referred to Rehabilitation Centers in Tehran City, Iran, during 2016. Based on the criteria for entering and leaving the research, 30 eligible individuals were identified and randomly divided into 3 groups of 10 including 20 experimental subjects (core stabilization training, and core stabilization training with neurofeedback) and 10 controls. The research tools included the Fall Efficacy Scale International Form (FES-I) neurofeedback apparatus. Shapiro-Wilk, t, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and least significant difference (LSD) post hoc tests were used to analyze the data. Findings: 12 weeks of core stabilization training and core stabilization training with neurofeedback had significant effects on the fear of falling among the patients Parkinson's disease (P 0.001 for both). Conclusions: According to the findings of this study, it can be concluded that in order to reduce the fear of falling in patients with Parkinson's disease, core stabilization training and core stabilization training with neurofeedback can be used.

Keywords

• exercise training
• neurofeedback
• fear
• falling