Research

InMotion conducts ongoing research that demonstrates the efficacy of exercise, movement and other therapies to manage and delay the onset of disease symptoms. InMotion shares its findings globally with medical and other professionals involved in the treatment and care of Parkinson’s disease.

The agency’s data appeared in a peer-reviewed article, titled Motor Performance and Quality of Life in a Community Exercise Program for Parkinson Disease, in Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation1, and staff presented a poster at the 4th World Parkinson Congress (WPC) in Portland, Oregon, in 2016; at the 5th WPC in Kyoto, Japan, in 2019, and will present at the 6th WPC in Barcelona, Spain, in June 2023.

1July/September 2020 – Volume 36 – Issue 3 (pp 166-169) Stiles, Elizabeth A.; Jaffe, Karen M.; Schwartz, Catherine E.; Rossi, Benjamin M.; Riley, David E.


InMotion receives a grant from the Parkinson’s Foundation

July 2021 – With a generous grant from the Parkinson’s Foundation, we will begin a study demonstrating how our Better Every Day™ (BED) classes (which focus on movement, balance, endurance and strength) help improve the mental health of class participants.

Our project, titled “Improving Mental Health Through Community-Based Exercise”, is receiving support from the Foundation’s community grants program.


InMotion Published in Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation

As a result of a connection that InMotion leaders made at the 2019 World Parkinson Congress in Kyoto, Japan, our assessment outcomes were published in the August 2020 issue of Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation, a peer-reviewed journal.

The article, entitled “Motor Performance and Quality of Life in a Community Exercise Program for Parkinson Disease” (Stiles, E., Jaffe, K., Schwartz, C., Rossi, B., Riley, D.), describes our investigation into the effects of a comprehensive community program composed of exercise, mindfulness practice, and education on motor function and quality of life in individuals with Parkinson disease (PD). Having our holistic, integrated approach validated through the peer-review process represents a significant milestone for InMotion.

In the study, thirty-six participants completed physical and quality-of-life assessments independently at baseline and 12 months. Physical assessments showed stability or improvement in functional mobility, integrated strength, and walking ability over the 1-year interval. PDQ-39 measures showed improvement in 6 of 8 indices: mobility, activities of daily living, emotional well-being, stigma reduction, social support, and bodily discomfort. Our results demonstrate the effectiveness of exercise, mindfulness, and education in community and group settings.