Comparison of Wuqinxi Qigong with Stretching on Single- and Dual-Task Gait, Motor Symptoms and Quality of Life in Parkinson’s Disease: A Preliminary Randomized Control Study

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the therapeutic effect of Wuqinxi Qigong vs. stretching on single- and dual-task gait, motor symptoms, and quality of life in people with mild and moderate Parkinson’s disease (PD). This single-blind, randomized control trial included 40 participants with idiopathic PD who were randomized into the Wuqinxi Qigong (WQ) group or stretching group. Participants completed 12 weeks (two sessions/week) of intervention. The primary outcomes were gait parameters when performing single-task (comfortable pace) and dual-task (obstacle crossing, serial-3 subtraction and backward digit span) walking, including gait speed, stride length, and double support percentage. The secondary outcomes were ratings from the Movement Disorder Society Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS), results of the timed-up-and-go test (TUGT), results of the Mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test (MiniBESTest), and responses from the 39-item Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39). All measures were assessed pre- and post-intervention. The WQ group demonstrated increased gait speed (p = 0.000) during the single task, and increased stride length (p = 0.001, p = 0.021) during the single-task and serial-3 subtraction task. Double support percentage significantly decreased (p = 0.004) in the WQ group during the obstacle crossing task, and also decreased (p = 0.045) in the stretching group during the single-task. TUGT (p = 0.005), MiniBESTest (p = 0.023) and PDQ-39 (p = 0.043) in the WQ group significantly improved, and both groups showed significant improvement in MDS-UPDRS after intervention. Wuqinxi Qigong is an effective method to improve single- and dual-task gait. While both exercises improve motor symptoms, Wuqinxi Qigong results in better mobility, balance and quality of life compared to stretching alone.

Whether mindfulness-guided therapy can be a new direction for the rehabilitation of patients with Parkinson’s disease: a network meta-analysis of non-pharmacological alternative motor-/sensory-based interventions

“…After selection, 58 studies ( Chaiwanichsiri et al, 2011 ; Duncan and Earhart, 2012 , 2014 ; Li et al, 2012 , 2018 , 2021 , 2022 ; Amano et al, 2013 ; Cheon et al, 2013 ; Corcos et al, 2013 ; Hye-Jung et al, 2013 ; Nocera et al, 2013 ; Volpe et al, 2013 ; Gao et al, 2014 ; Chen et al, 2015 ; Hashimoto et al, 2015 ; Rios Romenets et al, 2015 ; Sharma et al, 2015 ; Zhang et al, 2015 ; Choi, 2016 ; Kluger et al, 2016 ; Pantelyat et al, 2016 ; Ventura et al, 2016 ; Wong-Yu and Mak, 2016 ; Xiao and Zhuang, 2016 ; Kunkel et al, 2017 ; Lou et al, 2017 ; Cheung et al, 2018 ; Kong et al, 2018 ; Kurt et al, 2018 ; Lee et al, 2018 ; Michels et al, 2018 ; Van Puymbroeck et al, 2018 ; Vergara-Diaz et al, 2018 ; Kalyani et al, 2019 , 2020 ; Kwok et al, 2019 , 2022 ; Poier et al, 2019 ; Rawson et al, 2019 ; Solla et al, 2019 ; Wroblewska et al, 2019 ; Burt et al, 2020 ; Cancela et al, 2020 ; Dos Santos Delabary et al, 2020 ; Elangovan et al, 2020 ; Jang et al, 2020 ; Khuzema et al, 2020 ; Moon et al, 2020 ; Pohl et al, 2020 ; Cherup et al, 2021 ; Fodor et al, 2021 ; Frisaldi et al, 2021 ; Shen et al, 2021 ; Brandin-de la Cruz et al, 2022 ; ...…”

“…After selection, 58 studies (Chaiwanichsiri et al, 2011; Earhart, 2012, 2014;Li et al, 2012Li et al, , 2018Li et al, , 2021Li et al, , 2022Amano et al, 2013;Cheon et al, 2013;Corcos et al, 2013;Hye-Jung et al, 2013;Nocera et al, 2013;Volpe et al, 2013;Gao et al, 2014;Chen et al, 2015;Hashimoto et al, 2015;Rios Romenets et al, 2015;Sharma et al, 2015;Zhang et al, 2015;Choi, 2016; Kluger et al, 2016;Pantelyat et al, 2016;Ventura et al, 2016;Wong-Yu and Mak, 2016;Xiao and Zhuang, 2016;Kunkel et al,…”

A systematic review and meta-analysis on effects of aerobic exercise in people with Parkinson’s disease

“…Thirteen studies reported the data from UPDRS-III, including 16 outcomes 24 , 27 – 29 , 31 , 33 , 36 – 42 . We extracted nine data for eight studies on 6MWT 24 , 28 , 31 – 33 , 35 , 39 , 42 , but only six and four trials reported data on gait 24 , 25 , 31 , 34 , 36 , 43 and PDQ-39 33 , 37 , 39 , 42 , respectively.…”

“…Four studies 33 , 37 , 39 , 42 provided data for PDQ-39. It was found that aerobic exercise had no significant associations with PDQ-39 in people with PD [SMD, −0.13 (95% CI, −0.39 to 0.13), p = 0.32, I 2 = 0%, Fig.…”

A Proposed Method of Converting Gait Speed and TUG Test in Older Subjects

“…Data from the obtained model seem to be in accord with studies showing mean (median) values of both measures: (1) 0.88 m/s gait speed corresponded with 12.3 s in the study of Viccaro et [47]; (4) 0.8 m/s gait speed corresponded with 12.6 s in the TUG test with a gait speed of 1 m/s with TUG of 9.9 s. in 163 older subjects [48]; (5) 0.78 m/s gait speed corresponded with 14.1 s of TUG and 1.1 m/s gait speed corresponded with 9.7 s of TUG in older Chinese adults [34]; (6) 0.52 m/s gait speed corresponded with 28 s of TUG and 0.66 m/s gait speed corresponded with 20 s of TUG in patients with Alzheimer's disease [32]; (7) 0.8 m/s gait speed corresponded with 11.2 s in the TUG test while gait speed of 0.97 m/s with TUG of 10.1 s in patients with Parkinson's disease [49]; (8) 1.4 m/s gait speed corresponded with TUG of 5.3 s in Japanese community-dwelling older adults [50]. Therefore, the proposed model may be useful for calculations of gait speed or TUG in future studies, especially in meta-analyses.…”