Rehabilitation in atypical neurological disease: a case report

Abstract

The rehabilitative management of neurological diseases such as Parkinson's disease (PD) and multiple sclerosis (MS) is complex; drug treatment alone is generally insufficient. Multidisciplinary rehabilitation programs can fundamentally contribute to the management of neurological patients and have important positive repercussions on their quality of life. We describe the unusual case of a 70-year-old man with a diagnosis of both MS and PD, who presented with motor and cognitive impairments. He was admitted to our institute for a rehabilitation program. Motor, cognitive, and linguistic abilities were evaluated at admission and 60 days after the multidisciplinary rehabilitation, which included motor exercises, speech therapy, and cognitive interventions. The multidisciplinary rehabilitation improved the patient’s functional status and exerted positive effects on his mood, autonomy in activities of daily life, perception of quality of life, cognitive performance, and speech skills. It is important to find new methods for treating neurological patients to better manage the social and economic implications of neurological disease, and to ensure a long course of treatment and rehabilitation.