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Power of Rhythm app

An app for anyone with Parkinson’s disease who has walking or gait problems. It is a tool for physiotherapists to use with their patients to help reduce freezing of gait (freezing during walking) by using a method called rhythmic auditory stimulation.

Power of Rhythm	By Multiple Sclerosis & Parkinsons Canterbury
	Features Wide selection of original songs Has a playback feature Songs can be time scaled to suit a range of beats per minute Has a metronome function Get the app from (external link)
Country of origin	New Zealand
Clinical review	Read a clinical review of this app.
Security and privacy	Does the app: collect medical information: No require a login: No have password protection: No have a privacy policy: No require internet access: No Read more: safety tips around health apps
Cost	$14.99 (NZ) Learn more about app charges

What does the app do?

This app is most useful for people with Parkinson’s who are freezing during walking. The app should be used under the guidance of a physiotherapist trained in the treatment of movement disorders. The app uses rhythmical auditory cueing therapy, which uses steady beats of music to help people with Parkinson's manage gait problems such as stride length, balance and walking speed.

It has a selection of original songs that have been chosen to fit a wide cross-section of musical tastes, and the playback of these songs can be adjusted to suit the individual patient. The type of music, the tempo and length of programme can easily be tailored to the individual's needs and their ability level. Use of the app is more suited to early to mid-disease stage, where cueing and physiotherapy intervention are more likely to be beneficial. It is less suited to people who have moderate or severe freezing.

For the complete app description, go to Google Play(external link) or for a more detailed review, see Reviews.

PROS	CONS
✔ Large button for play and pause. ✔ Good explanation of rhythmic auditory cueing and how to use the app. ✔ 5 songs/rhythms (each song is approximately 9 minutes in length at a tempo of 95 bpm) and a metronome. ✔ Guidance on which rhythm should be used for different gait problems. ✔ The tempo can be changed from 80–120 bpm. ✔ Can lock the device on playback (so the patient can put it in their pocket with less fiddling). ✔ Lead-in tone option (4 bar beat before playback) to give the patient a heads-up, and an adjustable start delay.	✘ Can’t be linked to wearable technology. ✘ No free version ✘ Only available on Google Play

PROS

CONS

✔ Large button for play and pause.

✔ Good explanation of rhythmic auditory cueing and how to use the app.

✔ 5 songs/rhythms (each song is approximately 9 minutes in length at a tempo of 95 bpm) and a metronome.

✔ Guidance on which rhythm should be used for different gait problems.

✔ The tempo can be changed from 80–120 bpm.

✔ Can lock the device on playback (so the patient can put it in their pocket with less fiddling).

✔ Lead-in tone option (4 bar beat before playback) to give the patient a heads-up, and an adjustable start delay.

✘ Can’t be linked to wearable technology.

✘ No free version

✘ Only available on Google Play