Effects of Motor Imagery and Action Observation on Upper Limb Motor Chances and Cognitive Chances in Parkinson's Disease

In the researchers' words

Parkinson's disease is degenerative, progressive, and chronic. It is considered potentially disabling, in view of the motor alterations, such as bradykinesia, rigidity, and tremor in the upper limbs, and non-motor alterations, such as cognitive ones involving attention, concentration and memory difficulties. Thus, neurorehabilitation modalities, such as motor imagery and action observation, have been used. The aim of this research is to investigate the effects of motor imagery and action observation on upper limb motor and cognitive changes in Parkinson's disease. This is a randomized controlled trial type study. The population of the study involves people with Parkinson's disease in stages 1-3 on the Hoehn and Yahr scale, aged 20 to 80 years, who must be on stable medication, have no cognitive impairment with risk of dementia, be able to imagine motor activities and have upper limb motor impairment. The study groups will be: a) motor imagery, observation of action and motor execution; b) motor imagery and motor execution; c) observation of action and motor execution; d) motor imagery and motor execution and exoskeleton; e) observation of action and motor execution and exoskeleton. The interventions of all groups will be an intensive approach of 10 continuous sessions, with a two-day break in the middle of the intervention, totaling two weeks, with each session lasting 40…