OBJECTIVES: To directly compare the effects of agility exergaming (EXE) and stationary cycling (CYC) exercise training on Parkinson's disease (PD) patients' mobility and clinical symptoms. DESIGN: Randomized clinical trial. SETTING: Outpatient physiotherapy clinic in a hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Seventy-four stage 2 to 3, nondemented PD patients were included in this study. INTERVENTION: The groups were as follows: EXE (n = 25), CYC (n = 25), and a wait-listed control group (CON; n = 24). The EXE and CYC groups exercised 5x/week for 5 weeks, matched at 80% of the age-predicted maximal heart rate. MAIN OUTCOMES: The primary outcome was the Movement Disorders Society Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS-II) score. Secondary outcomes were Parkinson's Disease Quastionnaire-39 (PDQ-39), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Schwab and England Activities of Daily Living (SE-ADL) scale, Euro-Quality of Life-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D) questionnaire, the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), the Balance Evaluation Systems Test (BESTest), the Tinetti Assessment Tool (TAT), the Dynamic Gait Index, the 6-min walk test (6MWT), and standing posturography. RESULTS: After treatment, UPDRS-II scores improved (mean change EXE -4.5 points; CYC -3.2 points). The results for the other outcomes (EXE and CYC, respectively) were: PDQ 13 and 17%; BDI -2.5 and -2.1 points; 6MWT, 129.6 and 141.6 m; and EQ-5D, 12 and 9% (all p < 0.05, but there was no difference between groups). EXE versus CYC resulted in improved SE-ADL (8.4 and 4.0 points, effect size (ES): 0.12), BBS (8.8 and 4.2 points, ES: 0.44), and 2 measures of posturography (ES: 0.11 and 0.21) (p < 0.05). BESTtest, TAT, the Dynamic Gait Index, and 4 out of 6 posturography measures did not change (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Two highly different exercise programs resulted in similar improvement of most motor and clinical symptoms in PD patients.

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