Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation on Upper-limb Movements in PD Patients

The goal of this clinical trial is to examine effects of training involving rhythmic auditory stimulation (RAS) on upper-limb movements and functions in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD).Patients will be randomly divided into two groups: the RAS group and the no-RAS group. Patients will receive training with or without the aid of RAS based on their groups. The training task is to use the right hand to take beads from one bowl to another bowl. The box and block test and the Jebsen hand function test will be used before and after training (i.e., pretest and posttest respectively) to assess patients' upper-limb speed and function. Researchers will compare scores of the box and block test and the Jebsen hand function test between the two groups at pretest and posttest to determine effects of RAS.

Inclusion Criteria:idiopathic PD diagnosed by a neurologist based on the Movement Disorders Society clinical diagnostic criteria;the Hoehn and Yahr stage is 2 or 3, meaning that bilateral movement problems or combination with mild postural instability;a score of Montreal Cognitive Assessment is equal to or higher than 21 to ensure that they understand experimental instructions;a score of Edinburgh Handedness Inventory is above 60 to ensure that they are right-handed;types and doses of medications remain unchanged in the past month right before participation.Exclusion Criteria:the presence of medical conditions or diseases that may affect hand movements, vision, or hearing based on self-report.