New Guidelines Address Occupational Therapy for Parkinson Disease

Various types of exercise can be used to improve activities of daily living and social participation in people with Parkinson disease, advise new occupational therapy guidelines published in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy.

“This Practice Guideline provides a summary and applications of the current evidence supporting occupational therapy intervention for people with Parkinson disease,” wrote lead author Julia Wood, MOT, OTR/L, director of professional and community education at the Lewy Body Dementia Association, and coauthors from the University of Missouri and the Washington University School of Medicine. “It includes case examples and suggested decision-making algorithms to support practitioners in addressing client goals.”

The clinical practice recommendations stemmed from an analysis of 4 systematic reviews spanning 33 studies. All interventions included in the guidance are backed by strong or moderate evidence, the authors explained.

Overall, the research supports multidisciplinary, tailored, and goal-oriented intervention for patients with Parkinson’s disease, according to the guidance.

While the forms of exercise intervention can vary, they should all incorporate health behavior change techniques to support adequate activity for daily life. Mindfulness meditation and exercise can aid sleep, the article recommends. To improve performance of specific tasks, task-oriented training can help.

“Occupational therapy practitioners should incorporate self-management, coaching, compensatory, cognitive-behavioral, and other approaches into multicomponent treatment plans,” wrote authors, “depending on the client’s needs and goals.”

Reference:

Wood J, Henderson W, Foster ER. Occupational therapy practice guidelines for people with Parkinson’s disease. Am J Occup Ther. 2022;76(3):7603397010. doi:10.5014/ajot.2022.763001