Measurement Tools For Clinical Assessment Characterization And Neurorehabilitation Of Parkinson S Disease

Dr. Carmen Rodriguez-Blazquez received support from AbbVie for attending two scientific congresses. Prof. Mayela Rodriguez-Violante received honorariums from Medtronic and Everneuropharma.

This book describes the range of technologies that have been developed for diagnosing and assessing Parkinson’s disease patients. Also presenting the latest studies providing insights into the changes to the neural system in Parkinson’s disease, it is a valuable resource for neurologists, general practitioners and nurses. Further, the book highlights areas that require more research, and as such will appeal to researchers, biomedical engineers and clinicians.

For many years, the need to develop valid tools to evaluate signs and symptoms of Parkinson Disease (PD) has been present. However the understanding of all intricacies of rating scales development was not widely available and the first attempts were relatively crude. In 2002, the Movement Disorders Society created a task force to systemize the measurement of Parkinson's Disease. Since then, the Task Force has produced and published several critiques to the available rating scales addressing both motor and non-motor domains of Parkinson Disease. Additionally the task force initiated a project to develop a new version of the UPDRS, the MDS-UPDRS. But none of this was made available in one convenient source. Until now. Rating Scales in Parkinson's Disease: Clinical Practice and Research is written for researchers from the medical and social sciences, and for health professionals wishing to evaluate the progress of their patients suffering from Parkinson's Disease. The book is both exhaustive in the description of the scales and informative on the advantages and limitations of each scale. As such, the text clearly guides readers on how to choose and use the instruments available. Extensive cross-referenced tables and charts closely integrate the parts of the book to facilitate readers in moving from one symptom domain to another.

Balance Dysfunction in Parkinson’s Disease: Basic Mechanisms to Clinical Management presents the most updated information on a variety of topics. Sections help clinicians evaluate the types of balance control issues, dynamic balance dysfunction during turning, and the effects of medication, deep brain stimulation, and rehabilitation intervention on balance control. This book is the first to review the four main postural control systems and how they are affected, including balance during quiet stance, reactive postural adjustments to external perturbations, anticipatory postural adjustments in preparation for voluntary movements, and dynamic balance control during walking and turning. In addition, the book's authors summarize the effects of levodopa, deep brain stimulation, and rehabilitation intervention for each balance domain. This book is recommended for anyone interested in how and why balance control is affected by PD. Provides the first comprehensive review of research to date on balance dysfunctions in Parkinson's disease Discusses how to translate current neuroscience research into practice regarding neural control of balance Provides evidence on the effects of current interventions on balance control

These practice guidelines draw upon the widest relevant knowledge and evidence available to describe and inform contemporary best practice occupational therapy for people with Parkinson's disease. They include practical examples of interventions to allow occupational therapists to apply new treatments to their practice.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) affects approximately 4 million people globally and is most commonly seen in people over the age of 50. The disease is a progressive disorder of the nervous system, and presents a number of movement and cognitive symptoms, thereby greatly affecting a patients quality of life. The use of scales for assessment in neurological disorders such as PD arises from the need to quantify disorders and states (such constructs as disability, symptoms, quality of life). Assessment scales are often categorised into two categories: generic (ie. those scales usable in any health condition), and specific (ie. scales developed for exclusive use in PD). They can have a variety of components: single-item and multi-item or composite scale; unidimensional and multidimensional; and as disease-centered and patient-centered measures. The creation and validation of scales is complex, with scales undergoing numerous studies to assess criteria such as acceptability, reliability, and responsiveness. In the process of validation of a scale the following attributes should be tested to ascertain whether a scale is an effective instrument of measurement. This Guide assesses the key clinimetric attributes in the assessment of PD, with the intention to offer rapid and pragmatic information on the most relevant scales used in PD.

'Neurorehabilitation in Parkinson's Disease' serves as a reference for the treatment of patients with Parkinson's disease. In addition to providing treatment models for physical therapy, occupational therapy, & speech-language pathology, the text covers topics such as review of pathophysiology, & symptomatology.