Relationship Between Muscular Activity and Postural Control Changes After Proprioceptive Focal Stimulation (Equistasi) in Middle-Moderate Parkinson's Disease Patients: An Explorative Study

Overview

Journal Sensors (Basel)

Publisher MDPI

Specialty Biotechnology

Date 2021 Jan 20

PMID 33466838

Citations 7

Authors

Fabiola Spolaor

Marco Romanato

Guiotto Annamaria

Antonella Peppe

Leila Bakdounes

Duc-Khanh To

Daniele Volpe

Zimi Sawacha

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Equistasi, a wearable device, on the relationship between muscular activity and postural control changes in a sample of 25 Parkinson's disease (PD) subjects. Gait analysis was carried out through a six-cameras stereophotogrammetric system synchronized with two force plates, an eight-channel surface electromyographic system, recording the activity of four muscles bilaterally: Rectus femoris, tibialis anterior (TA), biceps femoris, and gastrocnemius lateralis (GL). The peak of the envelope (PoE) and its occurrence within the gait cycle (position of the peak of the envelope, PPoE) were calculated. Frequency-domain posturographic parameters were extracted while standing still on a force plate in eyes open and closed conditions for 60 s. After the treatment with Equistasi, the mid-low (0.5-0.75) Hz and mid-high (0.75-1 Hz) components associated with the vestibular and somatosensory systems, PoE and PPoE, displayed a shift toward the values registered on the controls. Furthermore, a correlation was found between changes in proprioception (power spectrum frequencies during the Romberg Test) and the activity of GL, BF (PoE), and TA (PPoE). Results of this study could provide a quantitative estimation of the effects of a neurorehabilitation device on the peripheral and central nervous system in PD.

Citing Articles

Instrumental balance assessment in Parkinson's disease and parkinsonism. A systematic review with critical appraisal of clinical applications and quality of reporting.

Merlo A, Cavazzuti L, Bo M, Cavallieri F, Bassi M, Damiano B Front Neurol. 2025; 16:1528191.

PMID: 39944549 PMC: 11814473. DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2025.1528191.

Amplitude of Lower Limb Muscle Activation in Different Phases of the Illinois Test in Parkinson's Disease Patients: A Pilot Study.

Villaron-Casales C, de Bernardo N, Alarcon-Jimenez J, Lopez-Malo D, Proano B, Martin-Ruiz J J Clin Med. 2024; 13(19).

PMID: 39407859 PMC: 11476849. DOI: 10.3390/jcm13195792.

Potential Role of Focal Microvibration (Equistasi) in the Management of Chronic Pain: A Pilot Study.

Buonanno P, Iacovazzo C, Marra A, de Siena A, Josu T, Zampi M Pain Ther. 2023; 13(1):185-198.

PMID: 38057548 PMC: 10796875. DOI: 10.1007/s40122-023-00562-6.

Editorial: Complementary therapies for neurological disorders: from bench to clinical practices.

Ye Y, Li S, Xiao L, Chang J Front Neurol. 2023; 14:1224144.

PMID: 37388551 PMC: 10306163. DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1224144.

Could Proprioceptive Stimuli Change Saddle Pressure on Male Cyclists during Different Hand Positions? An Exploratory Study of the Effect of the Equistasi Device.

Guiotto A, Spolaor F, Albani G, Sawacha Z Sports (Basel). 2022; 10(6).

PMID: 35736828 PMC: 9227057. DOI: 10.3390/sports10060088.

References

Sainburg R, Ghilardi M, Poizner H, Ghez C . Control of limb dynamics in normal subjects and patients without proprioception. J Neurophysiol. 1995; 73(2):820-35. PMC: 11102602. DOI: 10.1152/jn.1995.73.2.820. View

Garber C, Friedman J . Effects of fatigue on physical activity and function in patients with Parkinson's disease. Neurology. 2003; 60(7):1119-24. DOI: 10.1212/01.wnl.0000055868.06222.ab. View

Suhr J, Zhang W, Ajayan P, Koratkar N . Temperature-activated interfacial friction damping in carbon nanotube polymer composites. Nano Lett. 2006; 6(2):219-23. DOI: 10.1021/nl0521524. View

Hass C, Bishop M, Moscovich M, Stegemoller E, Skinner J, Malaty I . Defining the clinically meaningful difference in gait speed in persons with Parkinson disease. J Neurol Phys Ther. 2014; 38(4):233-8. DOI: 10.1097/NPT.0000000000000055. View

Volpe D, Giantin M, Fasano A . A wearable proprioceptive stabilizer (Equistasi®) for rehabilitation of postural instability in Parkinson's disease: a phase II randomized double-blind, double-dummy, controlled study. PLoS One. 2014; 9(11):e112065. PMC: 4234681. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0112065. View

Deng H, Wang P, Jankovic J . The genetics of Parkinson disease. Ageing Res Rev. 2017; 42:72-85. DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2017.12.007. View

Isella V, Melzi P, Grimaldi M, Iurlaro S, Piolti R, Ferrarese C . Clinical, neuropsychological, and morphometric correlates of apathy in Parkinson's disease. Mov Disord. 2002; 17(2):366-71. DOI: 10.1002/mds.10041. View

Serio F, Minosa C, De Luca M, Conte P, Albani G, Peppe A . Focal Vibration Training (Equistasi) to Improve Posture Stability. A Retrospective Study in Parkinson's Disease. Sensors (Basel). 2019; 19(9). PMC: 6539920. DOI: 10.3390/s19092101. View

Kohen-Raz R . Application of tetra-ataxiametric posturography in clinical and developmental diagnosis. Percept Mot Skills. 1991; 73(2):635-56. DOI: 10.2466/pms.1991.73.2.635. View

10.

Tramontano M, Bonni S, Martino Cinnera A, Marchetti F, Caltagirone C, Koch G . Blindfolded Balance Training in Patients with Parkinson's Disease: A Sensory-Motor Strategy to Improve the Gait. Parkinsons Dis. 2016; 2016:7536862. PMC: 4763005. DOI: 10.1155/2016/7536862. View

11.

Paul S, Canning C, Sherrington C, Fung V . Reproducibility of measures of leg muscle power, leg muscle strength, postural sway and mobility in people with Parkinson's disease. Gait Posture. 2012; 36(3):639-42. DOI: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2012.04.013. View

12.

Kahaly M, Waghmare U . Vibrational properties of single-wall carbon nanotubes: a first-principles study. J Nanosci Nanotechnol. 2007; 7(6):1787-92. DOI: 10.1166/jnn.2007.716. View

13.

Quattrone A, Barbagallo G, Cerasa A, Stoessl A . Neurobiology of placebo effect in Parkinson's disease: What we have learned and where we are going. Mov Disord. 2018; 33(8):1213-1227. DOI: 10.1002/mds.27438. View

14.

de Wit G . Optic versus vestibular and proprioceptive impulses, measured by posturometry. Agressologie. 1972; 13:Suppl B:75-9. View

15.

de Lau L, Breteler M . Epidemiology of Parkinson's disease. Lancet Neurol. 2006; 5(6):525-35. DOI: 10.1016/S1474-4422(06)70471-9. View

16.

Horak F, Mancini M, Carlson-Kuhta P, Nutt J, Salarian A . Balance and Gait Represent Independent Domains of Mobility in Parkinson Disease. Phys Ther. 2016; 96(9):1364-71. PMC: 5009185. DOI: 10.2522/ptj.20150580. View

17.

Sawacha Z, Carraro E, Del Din S, Guiotto A, Bonaldo L, Punzi L . Biomechanical assessment of balance and posture in subjects with ankylosing spondylitis. J Neuroeng Rehabil. 2012; 9:63. PMC: 3517897. DOI: 10.1186/1743-0003-9-63. View

18.

Poizner H, Feldman A, Levin M, Berkinblit M, Hening W, Patel A . The timing of arm-trunk coordination is deficient and vision-dependent in Parkinson's patients during reaching movements. Exp Brain Res. 2000; 133(3):279-92. DOI: 10.1007/s002210000379. View

19.

Sawacha Z, Gabriella G, Cristoferi G, Guiotto A, Avogaro A, Cobelli C . Diabetic gait and posture abnormalities: a biomechanical investigation through three dimensional gait analysis. Clin Biomech (Bristol). 2009; 24(9):722-8. DOI: 10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2009.07.007. View

20.

Canning C, Ada L, Johnson J, McWhirter S . Walking capacity in mild to moderate Parkinson's disease. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2006; 87(3):371-5. DOI: 10.1016/j.apmr.2005.11.021. View