<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To evaluate the effect of a physiotherapeutic exercise programme for patients with Huntington´s Disease (HD) concerning motor function and disability, balance and fall related self-efficacy, and to investigate the correlation between the seven assessment tools.</p><p><strong>Participants:</strong> Twelve persons with genetically confirmed HD at an early or middle stage of the disease and with a mean age of 52 (16) years.</p><p><strong>Methods:</strong> The intervention comprised physiotherapy (PT) focused on training of transitions, balance and fall-related self efficacy, twice a week for six weeks. Each treatment session lasted for one hour, was individual and took place at an out-patient clinic. Baseline assessments including five clinical tests and two questionnaires were made 6 and 0 weeks prior to the intervention and 0 and 6 weeks after the intervention.</p><p><strong>Outcome measures:</strong> Motor function and disability were measured with the Unified Huntington's disease Rating Scale; the Total Motor Score and the Total Functional Assessment. Static and dynamic balance was measured with the One- leg stance- test, the Timed Up and GO Test, the Figure of Eight-test and the Berg Balance Scale. Fall-related self-efficacy was measured with the Falls Efficacy Scale.</p><p><strong>Results:</strong> The physiotherapeutic exercise programme demonstrated a significant improvement in balance measured with the Berg Balance Scale (<em>p=.045). </em>The significant correlation coefficients between the different measurements of motor function, disability, balance and fall related self-efficacy ranged from 0.68 to 0.87.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The contents of the out-patient clinic physiotherapeutic exercise programme, with a focus on balance and transitions, seemed to have clinical relevance. PT in different kinds of settings should be studied further to get a better knowledge about the effects of PT and physical activity at home, at an out- patient setting or at the hospital for patients with HD.</p><p><strong>Key Words: </strong>Huntington's disease; Physiotherapy; Motor function; Disability; Balance; Fall- related self efficacy.</p>
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA/oai:DiVA.org:uu-130757 |
| Date | January 2010 |
| Creators | Ekwall, Anna Ingrid Camilla |
| Publisher | Uppsala University, Physiotheraphy |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, text |
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