The Ronnie Gardiner Rhythm and Music Method - a feasibility study in Parkinson's disease.

Purpose: To assess the feasibility of the novel intervention, Ronnie Gardiner Rhythm and Music (RGRM (TM)) Method compared to a control group for patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Method: Eighteen patients, mean age 68, participating in a disability study within a neurological rehabilitation centre, were randomly allocated to intervention group (n = 12) or control group (n = 6). Feasibility was assessed by comparing effects of the intervention on clinical outcome measures (primary outcome: mobility as assessed by two-dimensional motion analysis, secondary outcomes: mobility, cognition, quality of life, adherence, adverse events and eligibility). Results: Univariable analyses showed no significant differences between groups following intervention. However, analyses suggested that patients in the intervention group improved more on mobility (p = 0.006), cognition and quality of life than patients in the control group. There were no adverse events and a high level of adherence to therapy was observed. Conclusions: In this disability study, the use of the RGRM (TM) Method showed promising results in the intervention group and the adherence level was high. Our results suggest that most assessments chosen are eligible to use in a larger randomized controlled study for patients with PD.