Dry Immersion as a Novel Physical Therapeutic Intervention for Rehabilitation of Parkinson’s Disease Patients: A Feasibility Study

Abstract

Abstract Background The study was aimed at evaluating therapeutic effect of analogue microgravity in a form of “dry immersion” (DI) on motor and non-motor symptoms in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Methods A group of 12 PD patients aged 67 (63–68) years, Hoenh and Yahr staged 1–3, participated in this study. During DI a subject wrapped in a thin waterproof material was immersed in a bathtub at 31°C. The rehabilitation program included 7 DI sessions (45 min each, 2 times per week, on-medication). The Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale parts I, II and III (UPDRS-I/II/III) and the Hamilton’s Depression Rate Scale (HDRS) were applied before the 1st, after 4th and 7th DI session, and 2 weeks and 2 months after the whole DI program. Results The UPDRS-III score, HDRS, and rigidity signs score have significantly decreased by 16–35% two weeks after the DI program. Two months after completion of the DI program all studied parameters regained their pre-treatment values. The UPDRS-I, II, tremor and akinesia signs score did not respond to the DI program. Conclusion The DI program promises rehabilitation potential for patients with parkinsonism.