Parkinson DiseaseNCT04953637
Physiotherapy and Deep Brain Stimulation in Parkinson's Disease
A study testing Physiotherapy in people with Parkinson Disease, run by University of Toronto at 1 site in Canada.
Trial summary
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is the most commonly performed surgical treatment for individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD). DBS typically works best to lessen motor symptoms such as stiffness, slowness, and tremor. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Parkinson Disease
- What is being tested?
- Physiotherapy
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 60 participants
- Where
- 1 siteCanada
- Study dates
- 15 Apr 2021to 31 Dec 2025
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
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 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- PD patients who have been identified as candidates for DBS.
- Ability to give informed consent.
- Patients ages 18 years and older.
Who cannot join
- Participants will be excluded if they have ongoing orthopaedic conditions potentially impacting on global mobility.
- Participants with severe cognitive deficits ((Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score <17).
- Participants who are already receiving physiotherapy treatment (or that has been receiving it during the three months prior to enrollment) will be excluded from the study.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
Canada1 site
Movement Disorders Centre - Toronto Western Hospital
Toronto, Ontario, M5T 2S8
About this study
Official title: Combined Physiotherapy and Deep Brain Stimulation to Improve Independent Community Mobility in Parkinson's Disease
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is the most commonly performed surgical treatment for individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD). DBS typically works best to lessen motor symptoms such as stiffness, slowness, and tremor. Despite an overall improvement of these motor symptoms with DBS, past research failed to show an increase in community mobility and have often reported an increase in falling after surgery. The ability to move around on one's own is important for functional independence and improved quality of life. There is growing evidence supporting the positive effects of physiotherapy on individuals with PD. Gait and balance training, in particular, can improve mobility and also prevent falls. So far, no study has shown the effectiveness of rehabilitation in patients receiving DBS.
The purpose of this study is to determine if DBS combined with physiotherapy is effective for improving safe independent mobility in individuals with PD, more so than with patients receiving DBS alone.
Read the detailed description
This is a single-center, single-blind non-randomized controlled study, whereby individuals receiving DBS will be allocated to receive either physiotherapy or no intervention in keeping with current practice (control group).
Patients will be recruited from a pool of PD patients who have been identified as candidates for DBS in the Movement Disorders Clinics at the Toronto Western Hospital. Approximately 60 individuals will be recruited for the study. Study participation will span 8 months from the time of enrolment to the end of the study assessment.
Participants will be allocated to one of two groups: 1) physiotherapy, or 2) control. Participants living within 50 km of the physiotherapy clinic will be allocated to the physiotherapy group and those living beyond 50 km will be allocated to the control group. Participants assigned to the physiotherapy group will receive physiotherapy treatment at the One Step Ahead Mobility physiotherapy clinic for 1 hour per day, 3 times/week for 8 weeks. Participants assigned to the control group will not receive any additional intervention and will be precluded from starting formal physiotherapy for the duration of the study. However, they will be encouraged to keep an active lifestyle. In order to stay active, they will be recommended to do simple home exercises following a home exercise video that will be presented to them. Participants assigned to the control group will be assessed at the same points in time as participants in the physiotherapy group
All participants enrolled will undergo a similar timetable with assessments completed at five points throughout the study period. At month 0, participants are enrolled in the study, have their baseline assessment completed, and receive DBS surgery. At month 1, participants are started on optimization of DBS settings. At month 3, DBS settings are optimized and participants will have completed 7 days of activity monitoring using a wearable before the pre-intervention assessment. All participants are assessed before the physiotherapy group begins to receive gait and balance focused physiotherapy for 2 months (8 weeks) and the control group receives no intervention for 2 months. At month 5, physiotherapy is completed, and all participants undergo a third assessment immediately after the intervention period. At month 6, all participants are assessed with a Life Space Assessment questionnaire post-intervention and will have completed 7 days of activity monitoring using a wearable before the visit. At month 8, all participants undergo end of study assessment 3 months after completing physiotherapy.
- Conditions
- Parkinson Disease
- Being tested
- Physiotherapy
- Keywords
- Parkinson disease, deep brain stimulation, physiotherapy
- Medical subject headings
- Parkinson Disease
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
PhysiotherapyOther
Participants in the physiotherapy group will receive gait and balance focused physiotherapy at One Step Ahead Mobility physiotherapy clinic for 1-hour per day, 3 times/week for 8 weeks.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Physiotherapy group | Experimental | Participants assigned to the physiotherapy group will receive physiotherapy treatment at One Step Ahead Mobility physiotherapy clinic for 1-hour per day, 3 times/week for 8 weeks. They will begin to receive the physiotherapy treatment at 4 months following their surgery and once their DBS settings are optimized. Receives: Other: Physiotherapy |
| Control group | No intervention | Participants assigned to the control group will not receive any additional intervention and will be precluded from starting formal physiotherapy for the duration of the study. However, they will be encouraged to keep an active lifestyle. In order to stay active, they will be recommended to do simple home exercises following a home exercise video that will be presented to them. They will be asked to do it 3 times/week for 8 weeks and keep an exercise log to help them stay on track. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in mobility measures
The primary outcome is the overall amount of independent mobility in the community. This will be measured with the Life Space Assessment (LSA) questionnaire. The LSA is a five-item questionnaire where participants are asked to indicate how often within the previous four weeks they moved within their homes, outside their homes but within their property, within their neighborhoods, within their towns, and outside their towns. LSA is a cross-sectional scale that quantifies the size of one's life space in the past 4 weeks as a score of 0-120 (0 = confined to the bedroom, 120 = daily travel to places outside of one's city/town).
Measured: Visit 1: Baseline assessment at month 0, Visit 2: Pre-intervention assessment at month 3, Visit 4: Post-intervention assessment at month 6, and Visit 5: End of study assessment at month 8
Secondary outcomes (10)
Balance
The Mini Balance Evaluation Systems Test (Mini-BESTest) will be used to measure dynamic balance. The Mini-BESTest is a 14-item test that includes four sections: anticipatory postural adjustments, reactive postural control, sensory orientation, and dynamic gait. Each item is scored from 0-2 (0 indicates that a person is unable to perform the task while a score of 2 is normal).
Measured: Visit 1: Baseline assessment at month 0, Visit 2: Pre-intervention assessment at month 3, Visit 3: Post-intervention assessment at month 5, and Visit 5: End of study assessment at month 8
Gait
Dynamic stability during walking, spatio-temporal gait variability and walking speed will be evaluated using the gait mat Zeno Walkway (ProtoKinetics, Havertown, PA, USA).
Measured: Visit 1: Baseline assessment at month 0, Visit 2: Pre-intervention assessment at month 3, Visit 3: Post-intervention assessment at month 5, and Visit 5: End of study assessment at month 8
Balance confidence
Balance confidence will be assessed using the Activity-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) scale. The ABC asks participants to rate, on a scale from 0-100%, how confident they would be performing 16 everyday tasks.
Measured: Visit 1: Baseline assessment at month 0, Visit 2: Pre-intervention assessment at month 3, Visit 3: Post-intervention assessment at month 5, and Visit 5: End of study assessment at month 8
Number of falls and near falls
Participants will be provided with a diary on enrolment into the study and will be asked to record any falls and near falls that they experience over the 8 months' duration of the study. A fall is defined as an event that result in a person coming to rest inadvertently on the ground or other lower level not due to a major intrinsic or extrinsic event. If a participant sustains a fall, they will be asked to record the details about the circumstances surrounding the fall with an open-ended questionnaire (setting, activity at the time of fall, physical injury, emergency department visit, hospitalization) in the falls diary. A near fall is defined as stumbling or loss of balance that would result in falling if sufficient recovery mechanisms were not activated. If the participant had a near fall, they will be asked to record the details about the event using the same open-ended questionnaire (setting, activity at the time of near fall, how the fall was avoided) in the diary.
Measured: Collected over the 8 months' duration of the study and the diary will be reviewed at visits 2,3,4 and 5.
Falls risk and functional mobility
The Timed Up and Go test (TUG) will be used to assess the falls risk and functional mobility. The TUG test is a physical performance measure in which the ability to rise up from a seated chair position, walk 3m, turn, walk back, and sit down is timed. The TUG test is highly correlated with functional mobility, gait speed, and falls in older adults.
Measured: Visit 1: Baseline assessment at month 0, Visit 2: Pre-intervention assessment at month 3, Visit 3: Post-intervention assessment at month 5, and Visit 5: End of study assessment at month 8
Mood
Mood will be assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-I).The BDI-I is a 21-item questionnaire to assess depressive symptoms with a score of 0-3 for each item.
Measured: Visit 1: Baseline assessment at month 0, Visit 2: Pre-intervention assessment at month 3, Visit 3: Post-intervention assessment at month 5, and Visit 5: End of study assessment at month 8
Anxiety
The Hamilton Anxiety Rate Scale (HAM-A) will be used to measure the anxiety symptoms. The scale consists of 14 items with a score of 0-4 for each item.
Measured: Visit 1: Baseline assessment at month 0, Visit 2: Pre-intervention assessment at month 3, Visit 3: Post-intervention assessment at month 5, and Visit 5: End of study assessment at month 8
Exercise and activity levels
Exercise and activity levels will be monitored through a set of questions about how much exercise or physical activity they do on a regularly. For the intensity of the activity, they will be asked to separate how much time they spend doing vigorous, moderate, and light activity.
Measured: Visit 1: Baseline assessment at month 0, Visit 2: Pre-intervention assessment at month 3, Visit 3: Post-intervention assessment at month 5, and Visit 5: End of study assessment at month 8
Health-related quality of life
Health-related quality of life will be assessed using the 39-item Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39). The PDQ-39 asks participants to rate how often they encounter difficulty on items within eight subscales: mobility, activities of daily living, emotional well-being, stigma, social support, cognition, communication, and bodily discomfort.
Measured: Visit 1: Baseline assessment at month 0, Visit 2: Pre-intervention assessment at month 3, Visit 3: Post-intervention assessment at month 5, and Visit 5: End of study assessment at month 8
Parkinson's disease symptoms
Parkinson's disease symptoms will be evaluated with the Movement Disorders Society Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) part 3 scores. The maximum total MDS-UPDRS score for part 3 ranges from 0 to 132. Higher scores indicate a worse outcome of Parkinson's disease.
Measured: Visit 1: Baseline assessment at month 0, Visit 2: Pre-intervention assessment at month 3, Visit 3: Post-intervention assessment at month 5, and Visit 5: End of study assessment at month 8
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted8 Jul 2021
- Study start15 Apr 2021
- Primary completion30 Nov 2025 (estimated)
- Study completion31 Dec 2025 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (32)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Parkinson DiseaseStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of TorontoThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
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
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 60 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Toronto
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Alfonso Fasano, University of Toronto
- Investigators
- Alfonso Fasano, MD, PhD, Principal investigator, University of Toronto
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04953637
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 20-6338
- Status last verified
- Sep 2025
- First submitted
- 21 Jun 2021
- Last updated
- 22 Sep 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Lozano AM, Dostrovsky J, Chen R, Ashby P. Deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's disease: disrupting the disruption. Lancet Neurol. 2002 Aug;1(4):225-31. doi: 10.1016/s1474-4422(02)00101-1.
PubMed 12849455Kelly VE, Israel SM, Samii A, Slimp JC, Goodkin R, Shumway-Cook A. Assessing the effects of subthalamic nucleus stimulation on gait and mobility in people with Parkinson disease. Disabil Rehabil. 2010;32(11):929-36. doi: 10.3109/09638280903374139.
PubMed 19874214Yamada K, Goto S, Hamasaki T, Kuratsu JI. Effect of bilateral subthalamic nucleus stimulation on levodopa-unresponsive axial symptoms in Parkinson's disease. Acta Neurochir (Wien). 2008 Jan;150(1):15-22; discussion 22. doi: 10.1007/s00701-007-1451-3. Epub 2008 Jan 10.
PubMed 18180867Fasano A, Aquino CC, Krauss JK, Honey CR, Bloem BR. Axial disability and deep brain stimulation in patients with Parkinson disease. Nat Rev Neurol. 2015 Feb;11(2):98-110. doi: 10.1038/nrneurol.2014.252. Epub 2015 Jan 13.
PubMed 25582445Rochester L, Chastin SF, Lord S, Baker K, Burn DJ. Understanding the impact of deep brain stimulation on ambulatory activity in advanced Parkinson's disease. J Neurol. 2012 Jun;259(6):1081-6. doi: 10.1007/s00415-011-6301-9. Epub 2011 Nov 16.
PubMed 22086738Daneault JF, Duval C, Barbat-Artigas S, Aubertin-Leheudre M, Jodoin N, Panisset M, Sadikot AF. Subthalamic stimulation improves motor function but not home and neighborhood mobility. Mov Disord. 2014 Dec;29(14):1816-9. doi: 10.1002/mds.25911. Epub 2014 May 22.
PubMed 24849309Tudor-Locke C, Craig CL, Aoyagi Y, Bell RC, Croteau KA, De Bourdeaudhuij I, Ewald B, Gardner AW, Hatano Y, Lutes LD, Matsudo SM, Ramirez-Marrero FA, Rogers LQ, Rowe DA, Schmidt MD, Tully MA, Blair SN. How many steps/day are enough? For older adults and special populations. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2011 Jul 28;8:80. doi: 10.1186/1479-5868-8-80.
PubMed 21798044Allert N, Cheeran B, Deuschl G, Barbe MT, Csoti I, Ebke M, Glaser M, Kang JS, Kelm S, Krack P, Kroth J, Jobst U, Leisse M, Oliviero A, Nolte PN, Quick-Weller J, Strothjohann M, Tamas G, Werner M, Muthuraman M, Volkmann J, Fasano A, Groppa S. Postoperative rehabilitation after deep brain stimulation surgery for movement disorders. Clin Neurophysiol. 2018 Mar;129(3):592-601. doi: 10.1016/j.clinph.2017.12.035. Epub 2018 Jan 10.
PubMed 29414403Tomlinson CL, Patel S, Meek C, Herd CP, Clarke CE, Stowe R, Shah L, Sackley C, Deane KH, Wheatley K, Ives N. Physiotherapy intervention in Parkinson's disease: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ. 2012 Aug 6;345:e5004. doi: 10.1136/bmj.e5004.
PubMed 22867913Tomlinson CL, Patel S, Meek C, Herd CP, Clarke CE, Stowe R, Shah L, Sackley CM, Deane KH, Wheatley K, Ives N. Physiotherapy versus placebo or no intervention in Parkinson's disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013 Sep 10;2013(9):CD002817. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD002817.pub4.
PubMed 24018704Smania N, Corato E, Tinazzi M, Stanzani C, Fiaschi A, Girardi P, Gandolfi M. Effect of balance training on postural instability in patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease. Neurorehabil Neural Repair. 2010 Nov-Dec;24(9):826-34. doi: 10.1177/1545968310376057.
PubMed 21045119Shen X, Mak MK. Repetitive step training with preparatory signals improves stability limits in patients with Parkinson's disease. J Rehabil Med. 2012 Nov;44(11):944-9. doi: 10.2340/16501977-1056.
PubMed 23027184Shen X, Mak MK. Technology-assisted balance and gait training reduces falls in patients with Parkinson's disease: a randomized controlled trial with 12-month follow-up. Neurorehabil Neural Repair. 2015 Feb;29(2):103-11. doi: 10.1177/1545968314537559. Epub 2014 Jun 24.
PubMed 24961993Ferrazzoli D, Ortelli P, Madeo G, Giladi N, Petzinger GM, Frazzitta G. Basal ganglia and beyond: The interplay between motor and cognitive aspects in Parkinson's disease rehabilitation. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2018 Jul;90:294-308. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.05.007. Epub 2018 May 4.
PubMed 29733882Grobbelaar R, Venter R, Welman KE. Backward compared to forward over ground gait retraining have additional benefits for gait in individuals with mild to moderate Parkinson's disease: A randomized controlled trial. Gait Posture. 2017 Oct;58:294-299. doi: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2017.08.019. Epub 2017 Aug 18.
PubMed 28843186
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 22 Sep 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Combined Physiotherapy and Deep Brain Stimulation to Improve Independent Community Mobility in Parkinson's Disease
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04953637
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 20-6338
- Conditions
- Parkinson Disease
- Keywords
- Parkinson disease, deep brain stimulation, physiotherapy
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Active, not recruiting
- Enrolment
- 60 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University of TorontoUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 15 Apr 2021 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 30 Nov 2025 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 31 Dec 2025 (estimated)
- First posted
- 8 Jul 2021 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is the most commonly performed surgical treatment for individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD). DBS typically works best to lessen motor symptoms such as stiffness, slowness, and tremor. Despite an overall improvement of these motor symptoms with DBS, past research failed to show an increase in community mobility and have often reported an increase in falling after surgery. The ability to move around on one's own is important for functional independence and improved quality of life. There is growing evidence supporting the positive effects of physiotherapy on individuals with PD. Gait and balance training, in particular, can improve mobility and also prevent falls. So far, no study has shown the effectiveness of rehabilitation in patients receiving DBS.
The purpose of this study is to determine if DBS combined with physiotherapy is effective for improving safe independent mobility in individuals with PD, more so than with patients receiving DBS alone.
Detailed description
This is a single-center, single-blind non-randomized controlled study, whereby individuals receiving DBS will be allocated to receive either physiotherapy or no intervention in keeping with current practice (control group).
Patients will be recruited from a pool of PD patients who have been identified as candidates for DBS in the Movement Disorders Clinics at the Toronto Western Hospital. Approximately 60 individuals will be recruited for the study. Study participation will span 8 months from the time of enrolment to the end of the study assessment.
Participants will be allocated to one of two groups: 1) physiotherapy, or 2) control. Participants living within 50 km of the physiotherapy clinic will be allocated to the physiotherapy group and those living beyond 50 km will be allocated to the control group. Participants assigned to the physiotherapy group will receive physiotherapy treatment at the One Step Ahead Mobility physiotherapy clinic for 1 hour per day, 3 times/week for 8 weeks. Participants assigned to the control group will not receive any additional intervention and will be precluded from starting formal physiotherapy for the duration of the study. However, they will be encouraged to keep an active lifestyle. In order to stay active, they will be recommended to do simple home exercises following a home exercise video that will be presented to them. Participants assigned to the control group will be assessed at the same points in time as participants in the physiotherapy group
All participants enrolled will undergo a similar timetable with assessments completed at five points throughout the study period. At month 0, participants are enrolled in the study, have their baseline assessment completed, and receive DBS surgery. At month 1, participants are started on optimization of DBS settings. At month 3, DBS settings are optimized and participants will have completed 7 days of activity monitoring using a wearable before the pre-intervention assessment. All participants are assessed before the physiotherapy group begins to receive gait and balance focused physiotherapy for 2 months (8 weeks) and the control group receives no intervention for 2 months. At month 5, physiotherapy is completed, and all participants undergo a third assessment immediately after the intervention period. At month 6, all participants are assessed with a Life Space Assessment questionnaire post-intervention and will have completed 7 days of activity monitoring using a wearable before the visit. At month 8, all participants undergo end of study assessment 3 months after completing physiotherapy.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Physiotherapy group | Experimental | Other: PhysiotherapyParticipants assigned to the physiotherapy group will receive physiotherapy treatment at One Step Ahead Mobility physiotherapy clinic for 1-hour per day, 3 times/week for 8 weeks. They will begin to receive the physiotherapy treatment at 4 months following their surgery and once their DBS settings are optimized. |
| Control group | No intervention | –Participants assigned to the control group will not receive any additional intervention and will be precluded from starting formal physiotherapy for the duration of the study. However, they will be encouraged to keep an active lifestyle. In order to stay active, they will be recommended to do simple home exercises following a home exercise video that will be presented to them. They will be asked to do it 3 times/week for 8 weeks and keep an exercise log to help them stay on track. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- PD patients who have been identified as candidates for DBS.
- Ability to give informed consent.
- Patients ages 18 years and older.
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Participants will be excluded if they have ongoing orthopaedic conditions potentially impacting on global mobility.
- Participants with severe cognitive deficits ((Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score <17).
- Participants who are already receiving physiotherapy treatment (or that has been receiving it during the three months prior to enrollment) will be excluded from the study.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| PhysiotherapyParticipants in the physiotherapy group will receive gait and balance focused physiotherapy at One Step Ahead Mobility physiotherapy clinic for 1-hour per day, 3 times/week for 8 weeks. | Other | Physiotherapy group |
Primary outcome
Change in mobility measures
Time frame: Visit 1: Baseline assessment at month 0, Visit 2: Pre-intervention assessment at month 3, Visit 4: Post-intervention assessment at month 6, and Visit 5: End of study assessment at month 8
The primary outcome is the overall amount of independent mobility in the community. This will be measured with the Life Space Assessment (LSA) questionnaire. The LSA is a five-item questionnaire where participants are asked to indicate how often within the previous four weeks they moved within their homes, outside their homes but within their property, within their neighborhoods, within their towns, and outside their towns. LSA is a cross-sectional scale that quantifies the size of one's life space in the past 4 weeks as a score of 0-120 (0 = confined to the bedroom, 120 = daily travel to places outside of one's city/town).
10 secondary outcomes
Balance
Time frame: Visit 1: Baseline assessment at month 0, Visit 2: Pre-intervention assessment at month 3, Visit 3: Post-intervention assessment at month 5, and Visit 5: End of study assessment at month 8
Gait
Time frame: Visit 1: Baseline assessment at month 0, Visit 2: Pre-intervention assessment at month 3, Visit 3: Post-intervention assessment at month 5, and Visit 5: End of study assessment at month 8
Balance confidence
Time frame: Visit 1: Baseline assessment at month 0, Visit 2: Pre-intervention assessment at month 3, Visit 3: Post-intervention assessment at month 5, and Visit 5: End of study assessment at month 8
Number of falls and near falls
Time frame: Collected over the 8 months' duration of the study and the diary will be reviewed at visits 2,3,4 and 5.
Falls risk and functional mobility
Time frame: Visit 1: Baseline assessment at month 0, Visit 2: Pre-intervention assessment at month 3, Visit 3: Post-intervention assessment at month 5, and Visit 5: End of study assessment at month 8
Mood
Time frame: Visit 1: Baseline assessment at month 0, Visit 2: Pre-intervention assessment at month 3, Visit 3: Post-intervention assessment at month 5, and Visit 5: End of study assessment at month 8
Anxiety
Time frame: Visit 1: Baseline assessment at month 0, Visit 2: Pre-intervention assessment at month 3, Visit 3: Post-intervention assessment at month 5, and Visit 5: End of study assessment at month 8
Exercise and activity levels
Time frame: Visit 1: Baseline assessment at month 0, Visit 2: Pre-intervention assessment at month 3, Visit 3: Post-intervention assessment at month 5, and Visit 5: End of study assessment at month 8
Health-related quality of life
Time frame: Visit 1: Baseline assessment at month 0, Visit 2: Pre-intervention assessment at month 3, Visit 3: Post-intervention assessment at month 5, and Visit 5: End of study assessment at month 8
Parkinson's disease symptoms
Time frame: Visit 1: Baseline assessment at month 0, Visit 2: Pre-intervention assessment at month 3, Visit 3: Post-intervention assessment at month 5, and Visit 5: End of study assessment at month 8
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 22 Sep 2025.
- Background: PubMed 12849455Lozano AM, Dostrovsky J, Chen R, Ashby P. Deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's disease: disrupting the disruption. Lancet Neurol. 2002 Aug;1(4):225-31. doi: 10.1016/s1474-4422(02)00101-1.
- Background: PubMed 19874214Kelly VE, Israel SM, Samii A, Slimp JC, Goodkin R, Shumway-Cook A. Assessing the effects of subthalamic nucleus stimulation on gait and mobility in people with Parkinson disease. Disabil Rehabil. 2010;32(11):929-36. doi: 10.3109/09638280903374139.
- Background: PubMed 18180867Yamada K, Goto S, Hamasaki T, Kuratsu JI. Effect of bilateral subthalamic nucleus stimulation on levodopa-unresponsive axial symptoms in Parkinson's disease. Acta Neurochir (Wien). 2008 Jan;150(1):15-22; discussion 22. doi: 10.1007/s00701-007-1451-3. Epub 2008 Jan 10.
- Background: PubMed 25582445Fasano A, Aquino CC, Krauss JK, Honey CR, Bloem BR. Axial disability and deep brain stimulation in patients with Parkinson disease. Nat Rev Neurol. 2015 Feb;11(2):98-110. doi: 10.1038/nrneurol.2014.252. Epub 2015 Jan 13.
- Background: PubMed 22086738Rochester L, Chastin SF, Lord S, Baker K, Burn DJ. Understanding the impact of deep brain stimulation on ambulatory activity in advanced Parkinson's disease. J Neurol. 2012 Jun;259(6):1081-6. doi: 10.1007/s00415-011-6301-9. Epub 2011 Nov 16.
- Background: PubMed 24849309Daneault JF, Duval C, Barbat-Artigas S, Aubertin-Leheudre M, Jodoin N, Panisset M, Sadikot AF. Subthalamic stimulation improves motor function but not home and neighborhood mobility. Mov Disord. 2014 Dec;29(14):1816-9. doi: 10.1002/mds.25911. Epub 2014 May 22.
- Background: PubMed 21798044Tudor-Locke C, Craig CL, Aoyagi Y, Bell RC, Croteau KA, De Bourdeaudhuij I, Ewald B, Gardner AW, Hatano Y, Lutes LD, Matsudo SM, Ramirez-Marrero FA, Rogers LQ, Rowe DA, Schmidt MD, Tully MA, Blair SN. How many steps/day are enough? For older adults and special populations. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2011 Jul 28;8:80. doi: 10.1186/1479-5868-8-80.
- Background: PubMed 29414403Allert N, Cheeran B, Deuschl G, Barbe MT, Csoti I, Ebke M, Glaser M, Kang JS, Kelm S, Krack P, Kroth J, Jobst U, Leisse M, Oliviero A, Nolte PN, Quick-Weller J, Strothjohann M, Tamas G, Werner M, Muthuraman M, Volkmann J, Fasano A, Groppa S. Postoperative rehabilitation after deep brain stimulation surgery for movement disorders. Clin Neurophysiol. 2018 Mar;129(3):592-601. doi: 10.1016/j.clinph.2017.12.035. Epub 2018 Jan 10.
- Background: PubMed 22867913Tomlinson CL, Patel S, Meek C, Herd CP, Clarke CE, Stowe R, Shah L, Sackley C, Deane KH, Wheatley K, Ives N. Physiotherapy intervention in Parkinson's disease: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ. 2012 Aug 6;345:e5004. doi: 10.1136/bmj.e5004.
- Background: PubMed 24018704Tomlinson CL, Patel S, Meek C, Herd CP, Clarke CE, Stowe R, Shah L, Sackley CM, Deane KH, Wheatley K, Ives N. Physiotherapy versus placebo or no intervention in Parkinson's disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013 Sep 10;2013(9):CD002817. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD002817.pub4.
- Background: PubMed 21045119Smania N, Corato E, Tinazzi M, Stanzani C, Fiaschi A, Girardi P, Gandolfi M. Effect of balance training on postural instability in patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease. Neurorehabil Neural Repair. 2010 Nov-Dec;24(9):826-34. doi: 10.1177/1545968310376057.
- Background: PubMed 23027184Shen X, Mak MK. Repetitive step training with preparatory signals improves stability limits in patients with Parkinson's disease. J Rehabil Med. 2012 Nov;44(11):944-9. doi: 10.2340/16501977-1056.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Alfonso Fasano, MD, PhD principal investigator
University of Toronto
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Physiotherapy in people with Parkinson Disease, run by University of Toronto at 1 site in Canada.
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 3 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: under way, not looking for participants, as of the sponsor's last update on 22 Sep 2025. 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 Canada. 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?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
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 mobility measures (time frame: Visit 1: Baseline assessment at month 0, Visit 2: Pre-intervention assessment at month 3, Visit 4: Post-intervention assessment at month 6, and Visit 5: End of study assessment at month 8). 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 NCT04953637, which also lists 32 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 22 Sep 2025.