1. A physical therapy programme for functional motor symptoms: A telemedicine pilot study.
- Author
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Demartini B, Bombieri F, Goeta D, Gambini O, Ricciardi L, and Tinazzi M
- Subjects
- Adult, Feasibility Studies, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care, Pilot Projects, Program Development, Self-Management, Conversion Disorder therapy, Exercise Movement Techniques, Movement Disorders therapy, Patient Education as Topic, Telemedicine
- Abstract
Introduction: for a proportion of patients with functional motor symptoms (FMS), specific physiotherapy has recently emerged as a promising treatment. Aim of the present study was to assess in a sample of patients with FMS the efficacy of a physical therapy-based telemedicine programme on the motor symptoms themselves and on some psychological variables such as anxiety, depression, alexithymia and quality of life., Materials and Methods: eighteen patients were recruited. The programme consisted of 24 sessions: three face-to-face sessions (at week 0 (T0), 12 (T1) and 24 (T2)) and 21 tele-sessions. Each session included education, movement retraining exercises and development of a management plan. All patients underwent the following assessment at T0, T1 and T2: Psychogenic movement disorders rating scale (PMDRS), assessment of depression, anxiety, alexithymia and quality of life. Self-assessment of outcome (CGI) was recorded at T1 and T2., Results: On the CGI improvement was reported by 66,7% of patients at T1 and 77,8% at T2. A significant improvement over the three time points was shown for PMDRS and for the following domains of the SF-36: general health, vitality, social functioning and mental health., Conclusion: the use of two innovative approaches for FMS (physiotherapy and telemedicine), combined together, might have a valuable role in the treatment of this neuropsychiatric condition., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2020
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