PWR Neurological Rehabilitation Techniques 4

Question 1

A PWR-certified therapist is selecting exercise intensity for a patient at Hoehn and Yahr stage III. Which consideration is MOST important?

Accepted Answer

Balance impairment at stage III increases fall risk, requiring supervised moderate-to-high intensity with safety modifications

Answer

Stage III involves bilateral involvement with impaired postural reflexes, so therapists must supervise exercise closely while still pursuing therapeutic intensities to drive neuroplasticity.

Question 2

Which of the following best describes 'sensory weighting' and its relevance to balance rehabilitation in Parkinson's disease?

Accepted Answer

PD patients over-rely on visual input when somatosensory and vestibular signals are impaired, requiring training across sensory conditions

Answer

In PD, somatosensory processing is impaired, causing patients to over-rely on vision; balance rehabilitation should challenge patients under varied sensory conditions to reweight available inputs.

Question 3

During a PWR group class, a participant with PD begins experiencing an 'off' period mid-session. What is the MOST appropriate therapist response?

Accepted Answer

Reduce exercise intensity, shift to seated activities, ensure safety, and monitor for return of motor function

Answer

During 'off' periods, motor symptoms worsen significantly; therapists should reduce intensity and ensure safety while allowing the episode to pass, as medication re-engagement takes time.

Question 4

What neurological mechanism explains why backward walking can be therapeutically useful for some patients with Parkinson's freezing of gait?

Accepted Answer

Backward walking recruits different neural circuits and may bypass the corticostriatal pathway disrupted in forward FOG

Answer

Backward walking engages alternative premotor and cerebellar pathways that are less affected by PD-related basal ganglia dysfunction, sometimes enabling movement when forward gait is frozen.

Question 5

Which neurotrophic factor is most consistently upregulated by aerobic exercise and is believed to support neuroprotection in Parkinson's disease?

Accepted Answer

Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF)

Answer

BDNF is the most robustly exercise-upregulated neurotrophic factor and supports dopaminergic neuron survival and synaptic plasticity relevant to PD neuroprotection.

(PWR) Parkinson's Wellness Recovery Moves Certification Practice Test

(PWR) Parkinson's Wellness Recovery Moves Certification Practice Test

PWR Neurological Rehabilitation Techniques 4