Comparison of the Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Group Therapy and Pharmacotherapy on Reducing Non-Motor Symptoms in Parkinson's Disease Patients

Zahra Javidtash; Naser Amini; Hossein Baghooli; Majid Barzegar; Vahid Reza Ostovan

doi:10.61838/kman.jarac.7.1.18

Authors

Zahra Javidtash PhD Student, Department of Psychology, Bushehr Branch, Islamic Azad University, Bushehr, Iran. Author https://orcid.org/0009-0002-5361-499X
Naser Amini Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Bushehr Branch, Islamic Azad University, Bushehr, Iran. Corresponding Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8007-1727
Hossein Baghooli Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Marvdasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Marvdasht, Iran. Associate Researcher, Behavioral Sciences department, York University, Canada. Author https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3122-5088
Majid Barzegar Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Marvdasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Marvdasht, Iran. Author https://orcid.org/0009-0000-9413-6256
Vahid Reza Ostovan Assistant Professor, School of Medicine, Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences and Health Services, Shiraz, Iran. Author https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2407-5915

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61838/kman.jarac.7.1.18

Keywords:

Parkinson's disease, pharmacotherapy, non-motor symptoms , acceptance and commitment group therapy

Abstract

Objective: The present study aimed to determine the difference in effectiveness between Acceptance and Commitment Group Therapy (ACT) and pharmacotherapy on reducing non-motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease patients who visited the Imam Reza Clinic in Shiraz, Neurology Department.

Methods and Materials: In this quasi-experimental study, 36 participants were purposefully selected for two groups (each group = 18 participants). The tools used for the assessment and diagnosis of disorders by a clinical specialist included the Non-Motor Symptoms Scale (NMSS) for Parkinson's Disease.

Findings: The findings confirmed the effectiveness of ACT and pharmacotherapy on non-motor symptoms, covering components such as cardiovascular, sleep/fatigue, mood/cognition, perceptual problems/hallucinations, attention/memory, gastrointestinal, urinary, sexual function, and miscellaneous issues (P < 0.05). The results indicated that the effectiveness of ACT was greater than that of pharmacotherapy, and this difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05).

Conclusion: Therefore, it is recommended that centers associated with Parkinson's patients use ACT to improve the mentioned components and thereby enhance the well-being of this group of patients.