visual feedback effects on balance of idiopathic parkinson\'s patients

Objective: Idiopathic Parkinson is a chronic degenerative nervous system disease that body imbalance is its main characteristic. The aim of this study is evaluation of visual feedback effects on balance in Parkinson disease patients. Materials & Methods: In this cross sectional and comparative study that was applied as before and after comparison, 16 Parkinson’s patients were selected by random sampling from convenient cases. Balance examinations were done by Biodex balance system in both open and closed eyes conditions. Data were analyzed by use of Paired T test. Results: There was significant difference between open and closed eyes conditions of Parkinson patients in overall stability index (P=0/004), anterior-posterior balance index (P=0/009), medial-lateral balance index (P=0/002) and time of place on A zone (P<0/001), B zone (P=0/003) and C zone (P=0/001), but there was no significant difference in time of place on D zone (P=0/286) and Parts I (P=0/664), II (P=0/075), III (P=0/135) and IV (P=0/282). Conclusion: Visual feedback improves balance of Parkinson’s patients in open eyes condition than closed eye condition and this improvement in the indices of overall stability, anterior-posterior balance and medial-lateral balance is obvious absolutly.