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Parkinson DiseaseNCT05784025

Gait Training With antiGRAVIty TREadmill 'Alter-G', in Patients With ParkinSON Disease

A study testing AlterG in people with Parkinson Disease, run by IRCCS Centro Neurolesi Bonino Pulejo at 1 site in Italy.

Unknown status

Status not confirmed. The sponsor has not verified this record for over two years, so it may be out of date.

Official record
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Trial summary

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized mainly by motor symptoms, in particular rigidity, akinesia, tremor, which are associated with postural reflex deficits, impaired balance and gait deficit, with consequent significant limitation and impairment not only of functional independence but… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 50 to 85 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Parkinson Disease
What is being tested?
AlterG
Type of treatment
Medical device
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
40 participants
Where
1 siteItaly
Study dates
28 Sep 2021to 31 Dec 2023
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 85 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Clinical diagnosis of Parkinson's disease
  • Evidence of freezing of gait
  • Age between 50 and 85
  • Hoehn Yahr staging between II and III
  • Mini Mental State Examination ≥ 24 (corrected for age and education)

Who cannot join

  • Presence of musculoskeletal diseases
  • Presence of severe visual and/or hearing impairment
  • Presence of known heart or lung diseases contraindicating physical exercise
  • Diagnosis of Parkinsonisms
  • Presence of implanted cardiac pacemaker or programmable pump systems

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Roberta Cellini, DR contact

09060128100

roberta.cellini@irccsme.it

Italy1 site, 1 recruiting
  • Roberta Cellini

    Messina, 98123

    Roberta Cellini, Dr, 09060128100, roberta.cellini@irccsme.it

    Recruiting

Other trials in Italy

About this study

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized mainly by motor symptoms, in particular rigidity, akinesia, tremor, which are associated with postural reflex deficits, impaired balance and gait deficit, with consequent significant limitation and impairment not only of functional independence but also of social and community life.

Postural instability leads to the appearance of accidental falls due: to the sudden loss of balance which is associated with the impossibility of implementing the right compensatory parachute reflexes; This can lead to serious consequences in these patients, in particular musculoskeletal trauma. In addition, progressive alterations of the gait lead to the phenomenon of freezing or freezing (FOG), in itself the cause of frequent falls. Physiotherapy in PD, including cueing techniques, treadmill training, and cognitive movement strategies, has been shown to improve balance and gait in PD patients. When we talk about subjects affected by PD. Often the painful symptomatology is an obstacle to intensive rehabilitation treatment.

Read more

The study conducted by José Fidel Baizabal-Carvallo (10-2020) showed that a training program that includes relatively low workloads provided benefits in different aspects of the Freezing of Gait and greater mobility, with a lower incidence of falls and consequently of musculo-articular damaging events.

The Alter-G M320 anti-gravity treadmill allows a lifting force to be applied evenly and comfortably to the patient's body. Lightening the body up to 80% of the weight, thanks to the pressure variation inside the air envelope, Alter-G allows patients or athletes to walk and run respecting motor patterns without compromising the biomechanics of eccentric movement. Through precise air pressure control (DAP - Differential Air Pressure) allows to improve aerobic conditioning activities without increasing the risk of stress injury. In addition, compared to traditional rehabilitation in the pool, AlterG allows maximum precision in the alleviation of discharge, being able to vary the load by one percentage point at a time.

Read the detailed description

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized mainly by motor symptoms, in particular rigidity, akinesia, tremor, which are associated with postural reflex deficits, impaired balance and gait deficit, evident in particular in the onset phase and during the first years of the disease, which are associated in a more advanced stage cognitive and behavioral disorders, with consequent significant limitation and impairment not only of functional independence but also of social and community life. Although drug treatment has significantly modified the natural course of the disease, the gait and balance deficits worsen over time, leading progressively to higher levels of disability. In particular, postural instability leads to the appearance of accidental falls due: to the sudden loss of balance which is associated with the impossibility of implementing the right compensatory parachute reflexes; This can lead to serious consequences in these patients, in particular musculoskeletal trauma, including fractures of the femur, which can compromise not only the quoad valetudinem but also the quoad vitam. In addition, progressive alterations of the gait lead to the phenomenon of freezing or freezing (FOG), in itself the cause of frequent falls. Physiotherapy in PD, including cueing techniques, treadmill training, and cognitive movement strategies, has been shown to improve balance and gait in PD patients. When we talk about subjects affected by PD, with an average age generally over 65 years, we refer to a slice of the population defined as elderly. In the elderly patient all the physical and psychological problems inherent in the disease, starting with the pain phenomenon, acquire a particular significance in relation to the reduced performance status linked to age and other comorbidities, where chronic-degenerative diseases such as osteoarthritis and osteoporosis play a role of significant impact. Often the painful symptomatology is an obstacle to intensive rehabilitation treatment.

The study conducted by José Fidel Baizabal-Carvallo (10-2020) showed that a training program that includes relatively low workloads provided benefits in different aspects of the Freezing of Gait and greater mobility, with a lower incidence of falls and consequently of musculo-articular damaging events.

The Alter-G M320 anti-gravity treadmill, developed at NASA, allows a lifting force to be applied evenly and comfortably to the patient's body. Lightening the body up to 80% of the weight, thanks to the pressure variation inside the air envelope, Alter-G allows patients or athletes to walk and run respecting motor patterns without compromising the biomechanics of eccentric movement. This tool allows movement to elderly patients, the recovery of motor efficiency following surgery, learn to walk with joint or limb prostheses, carry out a real recovery in the neurological field, rehabilitate patients with injuries to the lower limbs, achieve effective aerobic conditioning, carry out specific conditioning programs. Through precise air pressure control (DAP - Differential Air Pressure) allows to improve aerobic conditioning activities without increasing the risk of stress injury. In addition, compared to traditional rehabilitation in the pool, AlterG allows maximum precision in the alleviation of discharge, being able to vary the load by one percentage point at a time.

More specifically, this technology allows:

  • Recover stress fractures on bone structures subject to functional overload.
  • Orthopedic rehabilitation before and after surgery
  • Neurological rehabilitation for the recovery of gait control in patients affected by STROKE or comatose states as a result of severe brain injuries, Parkinson's disease, Multiple Sclerosis.
  • Facilitate functional recovery of joints in patients undergoing reconstructive surgery in the lower limbs.
  • Strengthening training of elderly patients
  • Amateur and competitive sports preparation.
  • Lose weight without damaging joints.
Being tested
AlterG
Medical subject headings
Parkinson Disease

What participants receive

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

  • AlterGDevice

    Experimental device reducing weight perception by inducing a no-gravity environment which facilitates the execution of rehabilitation programs

Study groups in NCT05784025
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
AlterGExperimentalTraditional rehabilitation program plus robotic rehabilitation making use of the antigravity AlterG device
Receives: Device: AlterG
ControlNo interventionStandard rehabilitation program

What is being measured

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

  1. Gait performance

    change in meters at the 6 minute walking test

    Measured: 12 months

  2. Gait performance

    change in minutes needed to perform the 10 meter walking test

    Measured: 12 months

  3. risk of falls

    incidence of fall episodes

    Measured: 12 months

Secondary outcomes (2)
  1. quality of life

    changes in the EQ-5D (EuroQol five dimensions questionnaire) score

    Measured: 12 months

  2. mood

    changes in the Hamilton Anxiety Inventory score

    Measured: 12 months

Timeline

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

  1. First posted24 Mar 2023
  2. Study start28 Sep 2021
  3. Primary completion30 Sep 2023 (estimated)
  4. Study completion31 Dec 2023 (estimated)

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
Supportive care
Allocation
Non-randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
40 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT05784025
Sponsor's protocol ID
GRAVITESON
Status last verified
Apr 2023
First submitted
14 Mar 2023
Last updated
6 Apr 2023
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing AlterG in people with Parkinson Disease, run by IRCCS Centro Neurolesi Bonino Pulejo at 1 site in Italy.

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 5 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: status not confirmed, as of the sponsor's last update on 6 Apr 2023. 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 Italy. 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?

Results are not available in the source record.

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

Contact Roberta Cellini, DR (09060128100, roberta.cellini@irccsme.it), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Gait performance (time frame: 12 months). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
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 6 Apr 2023.

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