Sensorimotor training at home in elderly people with Parkinson's Disease during the period of confinement due to COVID-19: A pilot study

The pandemic caused those therapeutic activities associated with people with Parkinson's disease to be suspended (PD) with the aim of preventing COVID-19 infections by increasing motor and non-motor symptoms, due to social isolation and stress. Therefore, there was a rise of care based on telemedicine to continue the treatment in the context of a health emergency, promoting training at home. The objective of this experimental research was to document the effects of a sensorimotor training program (NM-FITT) in people with PD through weekly telematic follow-up during the COVID-19 pandemic. A quasi-experimental study was carried out with pre, inter and post test evaluations that characterized the physical, functional condition and quality of life, in an intervention group (n=5) and a control group (n=5) of elderly people (69.5 +/-4.5 years) with PD in Hoehn & Yahr stages 1 to 3, for 18 weeks, through an exercise manual, video calls and telephone follow-up. Favorable and significant effects were demonstrated on all the parameters studied after the application of the intervention in detriment of the health condition of the persons who did not participate in the home training program. Copyright © 2022 Fundacion para la difusion neurologica en Ecuador - FUNDINE. All rights reserved.

Effect of physical activity on COVID-19 symptoms: A narrative review

In 2019, a new condition caused by the COVID-19, became a global pandemic, presenting a disparate symptomatological picture. The immune response to the virus depends on multiple factors, making the practice of physical exercise an important enhancer of the immune system, but it is unknown what effects it could have on the very different symptoms. In order to achieve and summarize the most outstanding information on the influence of the different types and parameters of physical exercise on the immune system and symptoms presented by COVID-19, it was decided to carry out a review of the literature in the databases PubMed and Medline until August 2020. The results showed that while high intensity and prolonged volume exercise produces counterproductive alterations in the immune system, increasing the possibility of contracting infections;low and moderate intensity exercise reverses these effects, increasing the benefits, providing the body with better protection against viruses. For the symptoms of COVID-19 related to cough, dyspnea, pulmonary obstruction, hypoxia, muscle pain and neuromuscular conditions, exercise at low and moderate intensity is recommended, while those people who present gastrointestinal symptoms and fatigue are recommended to exercise at low intensity. Exercise is completely contraindicated in case of fever and myocarditis.