Virtual cues and functional mobility of people with Parkinson's disease: a single-subject pilot study

In this study, adults with Parkinson's disease (PD) used virtual cueing spectacles (VCS) mimicking kinesia paradoxa in home and community settings to assess the impact on mobility and participation. We used an ABA single-subject design with repeated measures. Six adults with PD, akinesia, and stage III or IV Hoehn and Yahr rating scale status used VCS in their homes and communities for a week or more. Our main outcome measures included participant counts of losses of balance and freezes, pre-/postintervention completion of the Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire-39, observation of baseline and intervention gait, and an interview regarding user satisfaction with VCS. We also assessed participants' preuse baseline and return to baseline. Use of VCS decreased length of freezes as well as number of freezes for some participants. All participants expressed satisfaction with VCS. VCS shows promise in simulating kinesia paradoxa to improve the gait of some adults with PD in the home and community.