AzTrials
AzTrials

Parkinson's DiseaseEEforPDNCT02231073

Exercise, Brain Imaging, Cognition, and Gait in Parkinsonism

A study testing Exercise and Education for Parkinson's Disease in people with Parkinson's Disease, run by Oregon Health and Science University at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
Search all trials

Trial summary

There is emerging research detailing the relationship between balance/gait/falls and cognition. Imaging studies also suggest a link between structural and functional changes in the frontal lobe (a region commonly associated with cognitive function) and mobility. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 50 to 90 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Parkinson's Disease
What is being tested?
Exercise and Education for Parkinson's Disease
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
94 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
Aug 2014to Oct 2018
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 50 to 90 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Aged 50-90 years old. No musculoskeletal or peripheral or central nervous system disorders (other than idiopathic Parkinson disease (iPD) or parkinsonism) that could significantly affect balance or gait .
  • Capable of following directions. iPD subjects: UK Brain Bank criteria, i.e., bradykinesia and at least one of the following: rest tremor, muscular rigidity, and postural instability not cause by visual, vestibular, cerebellar or proprioceptive dysfunction. Unilateral onset, response to levodopa.
  • Parkinsonism subjects: Gait characterized by slow short steps, shuffling gait and may be wide-based, with FoG, postural instability.

Who cannot join

  • Inability to stand or walk for 2 min without an assistive device Recent changes in medication Excessive use of alcohol or recreational drugs, Contraindications to MRI scans (eg, claustrophobia, metal in body) Intervention subjects will be excluded if: 1) participating in a vigorous exercise program more than 2 x/week, 2) A medical condition that contraindicates exercise participation.
  • Parkinsonism subjects: iPD and Parkinson plus syndromes such as Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, Multiple System Atrophy, Corticobasal Syndrome, or Cerebellar Ataxia.
  • Idiopathic PD subjects: Same as above and deep brain stimulation electrodes. Significant tremor that would interfere withMRI scan.
  • Control subjects: Will be matched for age and gender to iPD and parkinsonism groups.
  • -

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • Oregon Health & Science University

    Portland, Oregon, 97239

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Peripheral and Central Postural Disorders in the Elderly

There is emerging research detailing the relationship between balance/gait/falls and cognition. Imaging studies also suggest a link between structural and functional changes in the frontal lobe (a region commonly associated with cognitive function) and mobility. People with Parkinson's disease have important changes in cognitive function that may impact rehabilitation efficacy. Our underlying hypothesis is that cognitive function and frontal lobe connections with the basal ganglia and brainstem posture/locomotor centers are responsible for postural deficits in people with Parkinson's disease and play a role in rehabilitation efficacy. The purpose of this study is to 1) determine if people with Parkinson's disease can improve mobility and/or cognition after partaking in a cognitively challenging mobility exercise program and 2) determine if cognition and brain circuitry deficits predict responsiveness to exercise rehabilitation.

Design: This study is a randomized cross-over controlled intervention to take place at a University Balance Disorders Laboratory. The study participants will be people with Parkinson's disease who meet inclusion criteria for the study. The intervention will be 6 weeks of group exercise (case) and 6 weeks of group education (control). The exercise is a cognitively challenging program based on the Agility Boot Camp for people with PD. The education program is a 6-week program to teach people how to better live with a chronic disease. The primary outcome measure is the MiniBESTest and the secondary outcomes are measures of mobility, cognition and neural imaging.

Discussion: The results from this study will further our understanding of the relationship between cognition and mobility with a focus on brain circuitry as it relates to rehabilitation potential.

Being tested
Exercise and Education for Parkinson's Disease
Keywords
Freezing of gait, Idiopathic Parkinson's disease, Exercise, parkinsonism
Medical subject headings
Parkinson Disease, Motor Activity, Parkinsonian Disorders

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Exercise and Education for Parkinson's DiseaseBehavioural

    Exercise and Education for Parkinson's Disease for 6 week cross-over intervention.

Study groups in NCT02231073
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Exercise: Agility Boot Camp-CognitiveExperimentalSubjects will participate in an 80-minute, group (6 per group) exercise session led by a certified exercise trainer knowledgeable in the Agility Boot Camp-Cognitive (ABC-C) program for 3x/week for 6 weeks. The exercise protocol is an adaptation of our Agility Boot Camp (ABC) exercise program for PD. The exercises are designed as a circuit to challenge movement-skills known to be impaired in PD. Stations will include: Gait training, PWR Moves ©, Agility course, Lunges, Boxing and Tai Chi. Each activity was chosen for its inherent focus on multi-directional movements, dynamic postural transitions, axial mobility, big movements and whole body motor sequencing. Each station (10-20 minutes) has 3 possible progression levels, based on: (1) divided attention with secondary cognitive tasks, (2) response inhibition, (3) limiting external sensory cues, and (4) increasing speed and resistance.
Receives: Behavioral: Exercise and Education for Parkinson's Disease
Education: Living with Parkinson's diseaseActive comparatorThe Education arm is a chronic disease education program to teach patients how to live better with their chronic condition. It was developed by our research team to be specific for people with Parkinson's disease. It will include content and discussion of topics such as sleep, nutrition, and medication management. Classes will consist of a group of subjects (up to 6) meeting with the trainer for 90-minute session, once a week for six weeks. In order to match dose of the education intervention with the exercise intervention, participants will be provided relaxation tapes to be used at home 5 times per week for 30 minutes for an overall education dose of 240 minutes; similar to the exercise dose.
Receives: Behavioral: Exercise and Education for Parkinson's Disease

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Change in Mini-BESTest score

    The Mini-BESTest assesses dynamic balance via a 14-item test that measures multiple domains of balance including anticipatory postural adjustments, reactive postural control, sensory orientation, dynamic gait.

    Measured: Three timepoints; baseline, 6 weeks (after Arm 1), 12 weeks (after Arm 2)

Secondary outcomes (7)
  1. Change in MDS-UPDRS score

    The Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale Motor Subscale III is a 10-minute assessment of motor signs related to severity of PD. If the investigators have trouble recruiting subjects of similar severity in the 2 groups, they will use the Postural Instability and Gait Disability(PIGD) Subscore (Items 27-30) as a covariate in data analysis.

    Measured: Three timepoints; baseline, 6 weeks (after Arm 1), 12 weeks (after Arm 2)

  2. Change in New Freezing of Gait questionnaire (NFOGQ) score

    The New FoG of Gait Questionnaire will be used to identify 'freezers' (score >3). NFOGQ is a self-report measure that begins with the presentation of a short (30-s) video to illustrate FoG during walking turning and starting gait and then follows with questions related to frequency and duration of each type of FoG episode.

    Measured: Three timepoints; baseline, 6 weeks (after Arm 1), 12 weeks (after Arm 2)

  3. Change in PDQ-39 score

    the Parkinson's Disease Quality of Life questionnaire with 39 questions reflecting 8 domains of quality of life (Mobility, ADL's, Emotional well-being, Stigma, Social support, Cognition, Communication, and Bodily discomfort). Each item scores from 0 (never) to 4 (always). Subscale scores and a summary index representing the global health-related quality of life will be calculated, with higher scores representing worse quality of life. Convergent validity is very good and discriminative validity for PD severity levels has been established. The PDQ will reflect limitations to participation in community mobility.

    Measured: Three timepoints; baseline, 6 weeks (after Arm 1), 12 weeks (after Arm 2)

  4. Change in Activities of Balance Confidence (ABC) questionnaire score

    Activities of Balance Confidence (ABC) questionnaire consists of 16 questions about how balance confidence limits participating in the community such as riding an escalator, walking in a parking lot and replacing a light. Subjects indicate their confidence from 0% to 100% they have in their balance when they imagine doing these tasks. A score of 80% indicates an average level of physical functioning for older adults.

    Measured: Three timepoints; baseline, 6 weeks (after Arm 1), 12 weeks (after Arm 2)

  5. Change in instrumented gait and balance measures

    Balance: Postural sway during quiet stance with and without a cognitive task. Gait: Spatial and temporal gait metrics will be collected during walking, while wearing the Opal inertial sensors, with and without a cognitive task.

    Turning: Smoothness of turning measure during 1 min turning in place (360 degree) and turns during 2 min walk, with and without a cognitive task.

    Measured: Three timepoints; baseline, 6 weeks (after Arm 1), 12 weeks (after Arm 2)

  6. Neural Imaging

    DTI: High angular resolution diffusion imaging to assess white matter microstructure. Structural connectivity of the locomotor network will be assessed using probabilistic tractography.

    rsfcMRI: An indirect assessment of communication between spatially disparate neural regions. Analysis is restricted to neural regions comprising the locomotor network including the supplementary motor area, subthalamic nuclei, mesencephalic locomotor regions (pedunculopontine and cuneiform nuclei), and the midline cerebellar locomotor region

    Measured: Baseline

  7. Change in Cognitive measures

    A battery of tests to measure different cognitive domains: inhibition (stroop, flankers, go/nogo, stop signal), shifting (set-shifting, trail making), updating (dot counting task), visual-spatial (judgement of line orientation), general cognition (SCOPA-COG), and other (social norms questionnaire, social behavior rating scale, simple reaction time test).

    Measured: Three timepoints; baseline, 6 weeks (after Arm 1), 12 weeks (after Arm 2)

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted4 Sep 2014 (estimated)
  2. Study startAug 2014
  3. Primary completionSep 2018
  4. Study completionOct 2018

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Other
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Crossover
Masking
Single blind
Who is masked
Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
94 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT02231073
Sponsor's protocol ID
4131
Other IDs
2R01AG006457
Acronym
EEforPD
Status last verified
Jul 2019
First submitted
18 Aug 2014
Last updated
25 Jul 2019
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Ernst M, Folkerts AK, Gollan R, Lieker E, Caro-Valenzuela J, Adams A, Cryns N, Monsef I, Dresen A, Roheger M, Eggers C, Skoetz N, Kalbe E. Physical exercise for people with Parkinson's disease: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2024 Apr 8;4(4):CD013856. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD013856.pub3.

    PubMed 38588457
  • Ernst M, Folkerts AK, Gollan R, Lieker E, Caro-Valenzuela J, Adams A, Cryns N, Monsef I, Dresen A, Roheger M, Eggers C, Skoetz N, Kalbe E. Physical exercise for people with Parkinson's disease: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2023 Jan 5;1(1):CD013856. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD013856.pub2.

    PubMed 36602886
  • King LA, Peterson DS, Mancini M, Carlson-Kuhta P, Fling BW, Smulders K, Nutt JG, Dale M, Carter J, Winters-Stone KM, Horak FB. Do cognitive measures and brain circuitry predict outcomes of exercise in Parkinson Disease: a randomized clinical trial. BMC Neurol. 2015 Oct 24;15:218. doi: 10.1186/s12883-015-0474-2.

    PubMed 26499867

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Exercise and Education for Parkinson's Disease in people with Parkinson's Disease, run by Oregon Health and Science University at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 5 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 25 Jul 2019. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Change in Mini-BESTest score (time frame: Three timepoints; baseline, 6 weeks (after Arm 1), 12 weeks (after Arm 2)). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT02231073, which also lists 3 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 25 Jul 2019.

Free account

Log in to keep searching

You’ve used your 3 free searches. AzTrials is free: log in or create a free account to keep searching clinical trials and save the ones you want to follow.

Create a free accountLog in