CMU. J. Nat. Sci. (2014) Vol. 13(1) 43 ➔ Effect of Physical Therapy Training on Gait Initiation in Patients with Moderate Parkinson’s Disease* Fuengfa Khobkhun 1 , Sunee Bovonsunthonchai 1* , Roongtiwa Vachalathiti 1 and Apichart Pisarnpong 2 1 Faculty of Physical Therapy, Mahidol University, Nakhon Phatom 73170, Thailand 2 Movement Disorder Clinic, Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand *Corresponding author. E-mail: sunee.bov@mahidol.ac.th ABSTRACT The present study investigated the effects of physical therapy treatment on gait initiation in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Thirteen patients with PD were randomized into a treatment (n = 7) and control (n = 6) group. Participants were assessed for their severity level, using the Modifed Hoehn and Yahr scale, and motor evaluation, using the Unifed Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), items III and IV. At pre- and post-assessments, gait initiation was assessed using a gait mat, synchronized with a video camera. The treatment group received a physical therapy training program based on the TrainingBIG™ technique and task-specifc concepts, three times per week for four weeks. The control group received no physical therapy treatment. From analysis of the pre- and post-assessment variables, only the treatment group showed a signifcant decrease in preparatory phase time (p = 0.043) and increase in step length (p = 0.018). In addition, the treatment group had a signifcant increase in step length (p = .022) at post-assessment when compared to the control group. The present fndings demonstrated that physical therapy treatment would be benefcial for patients with PD experiencing gait initiation problems. Keywords: Parkinson’s disease, Physical therapy, Gait initiation INTRODUCTION Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a movement disorder disease, commonly found in the elderly (Guttman et al., 2003). Four clinical features of signs and symptoms are resting tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia and postural instability (Jankovic and Tolosa, 2007). In addition, patients with PD may have abnormalities in speaking, writing, facial expression, gait, posture and eyeball movement as well as in the DOI: 10.12982/CMUJNS.2014.0019 *Presented at the 1 st ASEAN PLUS THREE Graduate Research Congress (AGRC), March 1-2, 2012, Chiang Mai, Thailand.