Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder. Its clinical symptoms are not only restricted to motor impairment (as a result of dopamine deficit), but they also include olfactory loss, constipation, mood disorder, cardiac sympathetic denervation, reduction in heart rate variability, orthostatic hypotension and rapid eye movement (REM) behaviour disorder. Cognitive impairment is also a frequent event in the late stage of PD. Whole-body cryostimulation (WBC) is a promising field both in therapeutic and rehabilitative settings in PD. In particular, it showed a rationale of application on autonomic dysfunction, motor symptoms, fat and muscle metabolism and neuroprotection. Furthermore, in healthy subjects and in patients with neurological disorders other than PD, WBC proved to have beneficial effects on sleep quality, restless leg syndrome and cognitive performance. In this view, it could become a precious ‘rehabilitation booster’ in Parkinson’s disease.