Page 23 - Petelin, Ana, and Šarabon, Nejc. 2018. Eds. Zdravje starostnikov / Health of the Elderly. Znanstvena monografija / Proceedings. Koper: University of Primorska Press
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avior and the abilities that represent the foundations of voluntary activities dance and exercise as therapy in patients with oarkinson’s disease – case study 23
and are linked to the areas of the prefrontal cortex (Georgiev, 2018).
Due to all the positive effects that dance activity offers, we anticipated
that our dance and exercise program will have a beneficial effect on memory,
attention, motor skills, and above all the posture of a patient with PD, which is
the least studied in the area of PD.
Methods
The subject of the study was a 74-year old patient, diagnosed a year ago with id-
iopathic PD. The main symptoms in his case are muscle rigidity, decreased mo-
bility, stooped posture and slow voluntary movements. He was measured be-
fore the first and after the last training unit. We used the following tests, which
are described in the literature: Timed Up and Go (Moharić, 2009), Berg Bal-�
ance Scale (Moharić, 2009), Tandem stand with closed eyes and Stork balance
stand test (Moharić, 2009), Trail Making Test (Schieber, n.d.), Stroop test (De
Natale et al., 2017), Memory Assessment Scales (Williams, 1990).
We also used Memory test for motor task; number of the trials in which
subject learns a certain simple movement pattern. First, the observer dem-
onstrates the movement pattern, second he adds the explanation and in the
third step, the observer and the subject perform the movement together. In the
fourth step, the subject performs the movement alone, accompanied by the ver-
bal explanation from the observer. All the following attempts include indepen-
dent memory learning. We used two basic steps of low impact aerobics, namely
a Grapevine and the big mambo. We evaluated the body posture by observing
the person standing up and while moving, from the front and the side view.
We compared the angles of the joints with the model of the ideal body posture.
During the evaluation, we took photographs in the first, fifth and eighth weeks
of the study.
Intervention
The workouts were scheduled twice per week for 8 weeks. 1.5 hour sessions were
consisted of a seated warmup with elements of contemporary dance and bal-
let, stretching exercises for shortened and overworked muscle groups (m. pec-
toralis, m. iliopsoas, m. quadriceps) and strength exercises for weak muscles
(trunk and back muscles, muscles of the upper arm and shoulder girdle, glu-
teus muscles). In the first five weeks, the muscles were stretched with a dy-
namic and static method, and later, when the muscular tone slightly deterio-
rated, we also performed the PNF (proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation)
method, which according to research is considered to be one of the more effec-
tive methods for increasing mobility (Sharman et al., 2006; Hindle et al., 2012).
With some exercises we included manual stretching with the help of a partner,
since this was the only way we could put the muscle in the optimal position for
stretching. Subject started with eight repetitions in one set and gradually in-
and are linked to the areas of the prefrontal cortex (Georgiev, 2018).
Due to all the positive effects that dance activity offers, we anticipated
that our dance and exercise program will have a beneficial effect on memory,
attention, motor skills, and above all the posture of a patient with PD, which is
the least studied in the area of PD.
Methods
The subject of the study was a 74-year old patient, diagnosed a year ago with id-
iopathic PD. The main symptoms in his case are muscle rigidity, decreased mo-
bility, stooped posture and slow voluntary movements. He was measured be-
fore the first and after the last training unit. We used the following tests, which
are described in the literature: Timed Up and Go (Moharić, 2009), Berg Bal-�
ance Scale (Moharić, 2009), Tandem stand with closed eyes and Stork balance
stand test (Moharić, 2009), Trail Making Test (Schieber, n.d.), Stroop test (De
Natale et al., 2017), Memory Assessment Scales (Williams, 1990).
We also used Memory test for motor task; number of the trials in which
subject learns a certain simple movement pattern. First, the observer dem-
onstrates the movement pattern, second he adds the explanation and in the
third step, the observer and the subject perform the movement together. In the
fourth step, the subject performs the movement alone, accompanied by the ver-
bal explanation from the observer. All the following attempts include indepen-
dent memory learning. We used two basic steps of low impact aerobics, namely
a Grapevine and the big mambo. We evaluated the body posture by observing
the person standing up and while moving, from the front and the side view.
We compared the angles of the joints with the model of the ideal body posture.
During the evaluation, we took photographs in the first, fifth and eighth weeks
of the study.
Intervention
The workouts were scheduled twice per week for 8 weeks. 1.5 hour sessions were
consisted of a seated warmup with elements of contemporary dance and bal-
let, stretching exercises for shortened and overworked muscle groups (m. pec-
toralis, m. iliopsoas, m. quadriceps) and strength exercises for weak muscles
(trunk and back muscles, muscles of the upper arm and shoulder girdle, glu-
teus muscles). In the first five weeks, the muscles were stretched with a dy-
namic and static method, and later, when the muscular tone slightly deterio-
rated, we also performed the PNF (proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation)
method, which according to research is considered to be one of the more effec-
tive methods for increasing mobility (Sharman et al., 2006; Hindle et al., 2012).
With some exercises we included manual stretching with the help of a partner,
since this was the only way we could put the muscle in the optimal position for
stretching. Subject started with eight repetitions in one set and gradually in-
