Parkinson's Disease (PD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative disease. Bradykinesia,
tremor, resting tremor and postural instability are the main motor characteristics of this
disease. As the disease progresses, mobility, walking, balance are reducing, the risk of
falls is increasing and patients become functionally dependent. Along with these symptoms,
cognitive functions are also disturbed. The most commonly distorted cognitive functions are
executive functions such as planning and reasoning, working memory, episodic memory,
attention and visual-spatial skills. Pharmacological and surgical treatments are used in
Parkinson's disease. Pharmacologic treatment has a proven effect on motor symptoms, but since
there is no approved pharmacologic treatment which has a direct effect on cognitive
functions, recent studies suggest non-pharmacological treatments to improve cognitive
function. Physiotherapy is also accepted among non-pharmacological treatments. Conventional
physiotherapy focuses on optimizing patient independence and safety, focusing on hinting
strategies, cognitive movement strategies and exercises utilizing transfers, posture, upper
extremity function, balance (and falls), gait, physical capacity and (in)activity. Virtual
Reality (VR) technology, a promising commonly used new rehabilitation tool, is a treatment
method that can be used as one of the non-pharmacological treatment methods in Parkinson's
Disease. In order to understand how neuronal network dysfunction in the Parkinson's Disease
leads to clinical symptoms, both the component elements and the interconnections within these
networks need to be examined in greater detail. Studies of resting state-fMRI (rs-fMRI) use
correlation of activation of brain regions and time series fluctuations between brain regions
to give information about connectivity in brain.
The purpose of this study is to investigate the therapeutic effects of virtual reality on
motor and cognitive symptoms of PD. Furthermore, the investigation of possible effects of
this effect on neuroplasticity through functional brain networks is our other objective. This
study will be the first study to evaluate the plasticity effect of virtual reality
application with rs-fMRI in Parkinson's disease.