Background: A substantial number of individuals with Parkinson�s disease exhibit debilitating non-motor\r\nsymptoms that decrease quality of life. To date, few treatment options exist for the non-motor symptomatology\r\nrelated to Parkinson�s disease. The goal of this pilot investigation was to determine the effects of Tai Chi exercise on\r\nthe non-motor symptomology in Parkinson�s disease.\r\nMethods: Twenty-one individuals with Parkinson�s disease were enrolled in a Tai Chi intervention (n=15) or a\r\nnoncontact control group (n=6). Participants assigned to Tai Chi participated in 60-minute Tai Chi sessions three\r\ntimes per week, for 16 weeks.\r\nPre and post measures included indices of cognitive-executive function including visuomotor tracking and\r\nattention, selective attention, working memory, inhibition, processing speed and task switching. Additionally, all\r\nparticipants were evaluated on the Parkinson�s disease Questionnaire-39 and Tinetti�s Falls Efficacy Scale.\r\nResults: Results indicated that the Tai Chi training group had significantly better scores following the intervention\r\nthan the control group on the Parkinson�s disease Questionnaire-39 total score as well as the emotional well-being\r\nsub score. Trends for improvement were noted for the Tai Chi group on Digits Backwards, Tinetti�s Falls Efficacy\r\nScale, and the activities of daily living and communication sub scores of the Parkinson�s disease Questionnaire-39.\r\nConclusions: This research provides initial data that supports future studies to definitively establish efficacy of\r\nTai Chi to improve non-motor features of Parkinson�s disease.
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