BEHAVIOR THERAPY 27, 235-255, 1996 Behavioral Treatment of Parkinson's Disease Leads to Improvement of Motor Skills and to Tremor Reduction BETTINA MOHR VIKTOR MULLER REGINA MATTES University of 7"abingen REGINA ROSIN Neurologische Universitatsklinik Tabingen, Germany BARBARA FEDERMANN UTE STREHL FRIEDEMANN PULVERMOLLER University of l'abingen FRIEDEMANN MULLER Neurologische Universitdtsklinik Tabingen, Germany WERNER LUTZENBERGER NIELS BIRBAUMER University of 7"abingen The effects of psychological treatment of idiopathic Parkinson's Disease (PD) were investigated. Behavioral treatment focusing on control of motor activity was com- pared to a nonspecific psychological treatment. Patients were randomly assigned to 2 treatment groups with 20 patients in the behavioral group and 21 patients in the control group. The 2 groups were equivalent for age, demographic variables, and duration and severity of the illness. Twenty treatment sessions were held over a period of 10 weeks. Behavioral change was assessed by the Motor Performance Test Series (MPS), the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) and by a psychologist's ratings and the patients' self-reports. Unspecific treatment effects were controlled by 235 0005-7894/96/0235-025551.00/0 Copyright 1996 by Associationfor Advancement of BehaviorTherapy All rights of reproduction in any form reserved.