Objective: There is mounting evidence in support of exercise and physical activity as a first-line approach to managing symptoms and potentially altering disease progression in people with Parkinson disease (PD). For many patients, a critical gap is the need for expert guidance to overcome barriers, set realistic goals, and provide personalized advice to optimize exercise uptake and adherence. The purpose of this case report is to describe a physical activity coaching program (Engage-PD) for individuals newly diagnosed with PD and to highlight rapid modifications made to this program in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods (Case Description): Engage-PD is a single cohort implementation study of a coaching intervention grounded in self-determination theory being conducted at Columbia University Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence in New York City, NY (USA), the early epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. The project was uniquely positioned to be adapted to telehealth delivery and to address an immediate need for support and guidance in the home environment, including people with early-mid–stage PD. Participants completed baseline and follow-up (3 months) assessments and participated in up to 4 coaching sessions, all delivered via a telehealth platform. The intervention incorporated 1:1 coaching, goal-setting, physical activity monitoring, and use of a disease-specific workbook to promote and support safe exercise uptake. Results: While the program is ongoing, 52 referrals were received and 27 individuals with PD enrolled in the first 2 months of the pandemic for a recruitment rate of 52%. Although direct comparisons with pre-coronavirus recruitment are difficult due to the recency of the Engage-PD implementation study, this recruitment rate was larger than expected, which may have been due to several factors (eg, most patients had limited, if any, access to in-person programs and therapy services during this time, so the Engage program filled an immediate need to provide exercise and activity guidance). There was a wide range of scores for both baseline physical activity and self-efficacy measures. Conclusion: Remotely delivered interventions may serve as a sustainable platform for physical activity coaching programs for people with PD as well as other neurodegenerative diseases. Impact: With the uncertainty brought about by the current pandemic, this case report highlights the opportunity to shift the current model of care for individuals with neurodegenerative diseases such as PD.

Background: Wearable, consumer-grade activity trackers have become widely available as a means of monitoring physical activity in the form of step counts. However, step counts may not be accurate in persons with Parkinson disease (PD) due to atypical gait characteristics. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the accuracy of 4 consumer-grade activity trackers in individuals with PD while ambulating during continuous and discontinuous walking tasks. Design: This study used a cross-sectional design. Methods: Thirty-three persons with PD (Hoehn & Yahr stages 1–3) donned 4 models of activity trackers on the less affected side of their bodies. Participants performed 2 continuous walking tasks (2-minute walk tests at comfortable and fast speeds) and 2 discontinuous walking tasks (a simulated household course and an obstacle negotiation course) in an outpatient setting. Bland-Altman plots and intraclass correlation coefficients [ICC(2,1)] were computed as a measure of agreement between actual steps taken (reference standard: video recording) and steps recorded by each tracker. Results: The accuracy of the activity trackers varied widely, with ICCs ranging from −0.03 to 0.98. Overall, the most accurate device across all tasks was the Fitbit Zip, and the least accurate was the Jawbone Up Move during the simulated household course. All activity trackers were more accurate for continuous walking tasks compared with discontinuous walking tasks. Waist-mounted devices were more accurate than wrist-mounted devices with continuous tasks. Bland-Altman plots revealed that all activity trackers underestimated step counts. Limitations: All walking tasks were measured over relatively short distances. Conclusions: In persons with mild-to-moderate PD, waist-worn activity trackers may be prescribed to monitor bouts of continuous walking with reasonable accuracy; however, activity trackers have little utility in monitoring discontinuous walking common in household settings.

Background and Purpose: Respiratory insufficiency is the primary cause of morbidity and mortality in individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Although mechanical interventions are effective in prolonging survival through respiratory support, pulmonary physical therapy interventions are being investigated. The purpose of this systematic review was to examine the effectiveness of pulmonary physical therapy interventions across the progressive stages of ALS. Methods: Six databases were searched for articles from inception to December 2014 investigating pulmonary physical therapy interventions in the ALS population. The search strategy followed Cochrane Collaboration guidelines with replication per database. Effect sizes (ES) were calculated for primary outcome measures: forced vital capacity (FVC) and peak cough expiratory flow (PCEF). Results: Seven studies met inclusion criteria. Four studies used control groups whereas the remainder used repeated measures. With the exception of diaphragmatic breathing, pulmonary physical therapy interventions were effective in improving multiple respiratory outcome measures in this population. Inspiratory muscle training (IMT) was shown to prolong respiratory muscle strength with a strong effect size (ES = 1.48) for FVC. In addition, mean length of survival increased by 12 months. Lung volume recruitment training (LVRT) strongly enhanced immediate cough efficacy with improved FVC (ES = 1.02) and PCEF (ES = 1.82). Manually assisted cough (MAC) only improved PCEF by a small amount (ES = 0.15, bulbar ALS; ES = 0.16, classical ALS groups). Discussion and Conclusions: Specific pulmonary physical therapy interventions (IMT, LVRT, and MAC) have effectiveness in improving respiratory outcome measures and increasing survival. These should be routinely incorporated into the comprehensive management of individuals with ALS. More rigorous methodological investigations should be performed to replicate these findings. Video abstract available with brief technique demonstration of IMT and LVRT (see Supplemental Digital Content 1, http://links.lww.com/JNPT/A136).

Background and Purpose: Physical activity (PA) has many known benefits for people with Parkinson disease (PD); however, many people do not meet recommended levels of frequency or intensity. We designed Engage-PD, a PA coaching program delivered via telehealth and grounded in self-determination theory to promote PA uptake and facilitate exercise self-efficacy in people with Parkinson disease. This study aimed to determine the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of Engage-PD, and to explore whether baseline characteristics were associated with outcomes. Methods: A single cohort of people with PD (n = 62, Hoehn and Yahr I-III) participated in the 3-month Engage-PD program, which consisted of up to 5 telehealth coaching sessions delivered by physical therapists. Feasibility was evaluated based on recruitment and retention rates, along with participants' feedback. Planned and unplanned PA, exercise self-efficacy (ESE), and individualized goals were assessed pre- and post-intervention. Relationships between baseline characteristics and changes in planned PA and ESE were also evaluated. Results: Recruitment (62%) and retention (85%) rates were high, and the intervention was well accepted and perceived by the participants. From pre- to postintervention, participants increased planned PA (d = 0.33), ESE (d = 1.20), and individualized goal performance (d = 1.63) and satisfaction (d = 1.70). Participants with lower baseline planned PA experienced greater improvements in planned PA, and those with lower baseline ESE experienced greater improvements in ESE. Discussion and Conclusions: A telehealth PA coaching program for people with PD was feasible and potentially efficacious. Physical therapist-led coaching may be an important component of a consultative model of care starting early in the disease process. Video Abstract available for more insights from the authors (see the Video, Supplemental Digital Content 1, available at: http://links.lww.com/JNPT/A393).

Background: Parkinson disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease that has a wide range of motor symptoms, such as tremor. Tremors are involuntary movements that occur in rhythmic oscillations and are typically categorized into rest tremor or action tremor. Action tremor occurs during voluntary movements and is a debilitating symptom of PD. As noninvasive interventions are limited, there is an ever-increasing need for an effective intervention for individuals experiencing action tremors. The Microsoft Emma Watch, a wristband with 5 vibrating motors, is a noninvasive, nonpharmaceutical intervention for tremor attenuation. Objective: This pilot study investigated the use of the Emma Watch device to attenuate action tremor in people with PD. Methods: The sample included 9 people with PD who were assessed on handwriting and hand function tasks performed on a digitized tablet. Tasks included drawing horizontal or vertical lines, tracing a star, spiral, writing “elelelel” in cursive, and printing a standardized sentence. Each task was completed 3 times with the Emma Watch programmed at different vibration intensities, which were counterbalanced: high intensity, low intensity (sham), and no vibration. Digital analysis from the tablet captured kinematic, dynamic, and spatial attributes of drawing and writing samples to calculate mathematical indices that quantify upper limb motor function. APDM Opal sensors (APDM Wearable Technologies) placed on both wrists were used to calculate metrics of acceleration and jerk. A questionnaire was provided to each participant after using the Emma Watch to gain a better understanding of their perspectives of using the device. In addition, drawings were compared to determine whether there were any visual differences between intensities. Results: In total, 9 people with PD were tested: 4 males and 5 females with a mean age of 67 (SD 9.4) years. There were no differences between conditions in the outcomes of interest measured with the tablet (duration, mean velocity, number of peaks, pause time, and number of pauses). Visual differences were observed within a small subset of participants, some of whom reported perceived improvement. The majority of participants (8/9) reported the Emma Watch was comfortable, and no problems with the device were reported. Conclusions: There were visually depicted and subjectively reported improvements in handwriting for a small subset of individuals. This pilot study was limited by a small sample size, and this should be taken into consideration with the interpretation of the quantitative results. Combining vibratory devices, such as the Emma Watch, with task specific training, or personalizing the frequency to one’s individual tremor may be important steps to consider when evaluating the effect of vibratory devices on hand function or writing ability in future studies. While the Emma Watch may help attenuate action tremor, its efficacy in improving fine motor or handwriting skills as a stand-alone tool remains to be demonstrated.

Interdisciplinary care is increasingly promoted to enhance satisfaction and outcomes for individuals with complex medical conditions, such as Parkinson's disease (PD). However, there is little research on the feasibility or efficacy of interdisciplinary care in clinical settings. And, while the use of an integrated team of allied health professionals has the potential to provide significant health benefits to individuals with PD, there are educational and logistical barriers to the use of interdisciplinary care in clinical settings. An interdisciplinary care model was described that aimed to facilitate these benefits and alleviate some of these known clinical feasibility challenges. Three cases are also provided to exemplify how this approach to collaborative care was used to address individual needs and to highlight some of the successes and challenges associated with the implementation of an interdisciplinary and person-centered care model via telehealth. These cases may help clinicians adopt techniques to facilitate greater collaboration across disciplines or aid in the development of a feasible interdisciplinary program in their own clinics. Further research is needed to further enhance individual outcomes and integrate other disciplines into the care team.