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Parkinson DiseaseNCT05799690

Comparison of Different Rehabilitation Protocols in Parkinson's Disease With Postural Instability and Gait Disorders

A study testing Gait and balance training with dual-task + action observation and motor imagery (six weeks), Gait and balance training with dual-task (six weeks) and Gait and balance training with dual-task + action observation and motor imagery (twelve weeks: 6 + 6) in people with Parkinson Disease, run by Prof. Massimo Filippi at 2 sites in Italy.

Active, not recruiting

Under way, not looking for participants. Everyone needed has enrolled. The study is still running.

Official record
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Trial summary

The aim of the study is to compare the effects of 2 different dosages and modalities of motor-cognitive rehabilitation in Parkinson's disease with postural instability and gait disorders (PD-PIGD) on clinical features, neuroimaging and blood-based biomarkers at short-term (2 months) and long-term (7 months) follow-up. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 45 to 85 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Parkinson Disease
What is being tested?
Gait and balance training with dual-task + action observation and motor imagery (six weeks), Gait and balance training with dual-task (six weeks) and Gait and balance training with dual-task + action observation and motor imagery (twelve weeks: 6 + 6)
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
80 participants
Where
2 sitesItaly
Study dates
30 Apr 2023to 28 Apr 2027
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 45 to 85 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • 45 years ≤ age ≤ 85 years;
  • Idiopathic PD according to the Movement Disorders Society (MDS) diagnostic criteria
  • Hoehn \& Yahr (H\&Y) score <= 4
  • PIGD phenotype
  • Stable dopaminergic medication for at least 4 weeks and without any changes during the observation period (28 weeks)
  • No dementia according to Litvan's criteria and Mini-Mental Status Examination score (MMSE) >= 24
Show all 10Show fewer
  • No significant tremor/involuntary movements that could determine artifacts during the MRI acquisition
  • Oral and written informed consent to study participation
  • sex-matched and age-matched (age range: mean age of PD years ± 15 years);
  • oral and written informed consent to study participation

Who cannot join

  • Medical conditions or substance abuse that could interfere with cognition;
  • Any major systemic, psychiatric, neurological, visual, and musculoskeletal disturbances or other causes of walking inability;
  • Contraindications to undergoing MRI examination;
  • Brain damage at routine MRI, including lacunae and extensive cerebrovascular disorders;
  • Denied oral and written informed consent to study participation.

Trial locations and contacts

2 sites in 1 country.

Italy2 sites
  • IRCCS San Raffaele

    Milan, 20132

  • Neurology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata di Verona

    Verona, 37126

Other trials in Italy

About this study

Official title: Multiparametric Biomarkers to Predict the Response to Different Protocols of Motor-cognitive Rehabilitation in Parkinson's Disease Subjects With Postural Instability and Gait Disorders

The aim of the study is to compare the effects of 2 different dosages and modalities of motor-cognitive rehabilitation in Parkinson's disease with postural instability and gait disorders (PD-PIGD) on clinical features, neuroimaging and blood-based biomarkers at short-term (2 months) and long-term (7 months) follow-up. Fifty subjects with PD-PIGD will be randomized in 2 training groups: DUAL-TASK+AOT-MI and the DUAL-TASK groups. The DUAL-TASK+AOT-MI group will perform a dual-task gait/balance training consisting of action observation training (AOT) and motor imagery (MI) combined with practicing the observed-imagined exercises; DUAL-TASK group will perform the same exercises combined with watching landscape videos. The training will last 6 weeks, 3 times/week, 1 hour per session.

Before and after training (W6), all the patients will undergo neurological, gait/balance, cognitive/behavioral, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and serum biomarkers evaluations. Neurological, gait/balance, cognitive/behavioral assessments and serum biomarkers will be also repeated at the 14-week follow-up (W14) to assess maintenance of results.

Patients of both DUAL-TASK+AOT-MI and DUAL-TASK groups will be further randomized to repeat the training (6 weeks, 3 times/week, 1 hour each session) starting at W14 (DUAL-TASK+AOT-MI_DOUBLE and DUAL-TASK_DOUBLE groups). After six weeks (W20) all the subjects repeating the training will be evaluated (neurological, gait/balance, cognitive/behavioral assessments). At 28-week follow-up (W28), the whole sample of patients will be assessed with neurological, gait/balance, cognitive/behavioral, MRI and serum biomarkers evaluations. All MRI scans will be acquired at least 12 hours after last dopaminergic therapy administration to mitigate the pharmacological effects on neural activity. Twenty age- and sex-matched healthy controls will be recruited to perform gait/balance and cognitive/behavioral assessments, blood sample and brain MRI acquisition at baseline. The secondary aims of the study are to define the neuroimaging and blood-based biomarkers of PD-PIGD patients presenting different clinical features (e.g. presence of mild cognitive impairment, freezing of gait, falls and mood disturbances) and to evaluate the role of blood-based and neuroimaging biomarkers, together with clinical characteristics, in predicting the response to different dosages of rehabilitation in PD-PIGD throughout the development of a machine-learning algorithm.

Being tested
Gait and balance training with dual-task + action observation and motor imagery (six weeks), Gait and balance training with dual-task (six weeks), Gait and balance training with dual-task + action observation and motor imagery (twelve weeks: 6 + 6), Gait and balance training with dual-task (twelve weeks: 6 +6)
Keywords
Parkinson Disease, Gait, Rehabilitation, Biomarkers, Magnetic resonance imaging
Medical subject headings
Parkinson Disease

What participants receive

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

  • Gait and balance training with dual-task + action observation and motor imagery (six weeks)Behavioural

    Increasingly difficult gait and balance exercises up to include dual-task. During each training session, four exercises (5 minutes of execution, two times each) will be proposed. Patients will observe a 2-minute video clip showing a balance or gait task (action observation - AOT) and will imagine the same exercise (motor-imagery - MI) before task execution. Each training session will be proposed with the following modality: 2 minutes of AOT - 5 minutes of task execution - 2 minutes of MI - 5 minutes of task execution. Patients will be explicitly asked to concentrate on how the actions are performed in the videos and to carefully use MI to improve their motor performance. Patients will not be allowed to perform any movement while watching videos or during MI.

    1 hour, 3 times a week for six weeks.

  • Gait and balance training with dual-task (six weeks)Behavioural

    Increasingly difficult gait and balance exercises up to include dual-task. During each training session, four exercises (5 minutes of execution, two times each) will be proposed. Patients will observe a 2-minute video clip showing static landscapes before task execution. Each training session will be proposed with the following modality: 2 minutes of videos - 5 minutes of task execution - 2 minutes of videos - 5 minutes of task execution.

    1 hour, 3 times a week for six weeks.

  • Gait and balance training with dual-task + action observation and motor imagery (twelve weeks: 6 + 6)Behavioural

    Increasingly difficult gait and balance exercises up to include dual-task. During each training session, four exercises (5 minutes of execution, two times each) will be proposed. Patients will observe a 2-minute video clip showing a balance or gait task (action observation - AOT) and will imagine the same exercise (motor-imagery - MI) before task execution. Each training session will be proposed with the following modality: 2 minutes of AOT - 5 minutes of task execution - 2 minutes of MI - 5 minutes of task execution. Patients will be explicitly asked to concentrate on how the actions are performed in the videos and to carefully use MI to improve their motor performance. Patients will not be allowed to perform any movement while watching videos or during MI.

    The training protocol will be repeated two times: once starting at baseline, once starting after the first follow-up at week 14 (W14)

    1 hour, 3 times a week for twelve weeks (6+6).

  • Gait and balance training with dual-task (twelve weeks: 6 +6)Behavioural

    Increasingly difficult gait and balance exercises up to include dual-task. During each training session, four exercises (5 minutes of execution, two times each) will be proposed. Patients will observe a 2-minute video clip showing static landscapes before task execution. Each training session will be proposed with the following modality: 2 minutes of videos - 5 minutes of task execution - 2 minutes of videos - 5 minutes of task execution.

    The training protocol will be repeated two times: once starting at baseline, once starting after the first follow-up at week 14 (W14)

    1 hour, 3 times a week for twelve weeks (6+6).

Study groups in NCT05799690
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
DUAL-TASK+AOT-MIExperimentalDual-task gait and balance training with cognitive facilitations (action observation and motor imagery) for six weeks.
Receives: Behavioral: Gait and balance training with dual-task + action observation and motor imagery (six weeks)
DUAL-TASKActive comparatorDual-task gait and balance training with vision of landscape videos for six weeks.
Receives: Behavioral: Gait and balance training with dual-task (six weeks)
DUAL-TASK+AOT-MI_DOUBLEExperimentalDual-task gait and balance training with cognitive facilitations (action observation and motor imagery) repeated two times (twelve weeks: 6 + 6).
Receives: Behavioral: Gait and balance training with dual-task + action observation and motor imagery (twelve weeks: 6 + 6)
DUAL-TASK_DOUBLEActive comparatorDual-task gait and balance training with vision of landscape videos repeated two times (twelve weeks: 6 + 6).
Receives: Behavioral: Gait and balance training with dual-task (twelve weeks: 6 +6)
Healthy subjectsNo interventionAge- and sex-matched healthy subjects recruited to compare gait, neuropsychological, serum and functional magnetic resonance imaging characteristics at baseline.

What is being measured

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

  1. Total execution time of Timed Up and Go test with cognitive dual-task (TUG-COG)

    Changes in time taken to complete the timed up and go test with cognitive dual-task: patients are asked to stand up from a chair, walk for three meters, turn and walk back to the chair while counting backwards by 3 starting from 100. Assessment during ON medication phase.

    Measured: Baseline, week 6, week 14 and week 28. At week 20 only for patients repeating the training.

Secondary outcomes (22)
  1. Total execution time of Timed Up and Go test (TUG)

    Changes in time taken to complete the timed up and go test: patients are asked to stand up from a chair, walk for three meters, turn, and walk back to the chair. Assessment during ON medication phase

    Measured: Baseline, week 6, week 14 and week 28. At week 20 only for patients repeating the training.

  2. Total execution time of Timed Up and Go test with manual dual-task (TUG-MAN)

    Changes in time taken to complete the timed up and go test with manual dual-task: patients are asked to stand up from a chair, walk for three meters, turn, and walk back to the chair while holding a glass full of water. Assessment during ON medication phase

    Measured: Baseline, week 6, week 14 and week 28. At week 20 only for patients repeating the training.

  3. Movement Disorders Society-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) score

    MDS-UPDRS evaluates various aspects of Parkinson's disease including non-motor and motor experiences of daily living and motor complications. The MDS-UPDRS contains 65 items divided in four parts (Part I - "non-motor experiences of daily living", Part II - "motor experiences of daily living", Part III - "motor examination", Part IV - "motor complications. Each item is assessed with a 0 to 4 rating system. The total score ranges from 0 to 260 with higher score indicating more severe symptoms.

    Assessment during ON medication. Only part III assessed also without medication (OFF).

    Measured: Baseline, week 6, week 14 and week 28. At week 20 only for patients repeating the training.

  4. Brain functional changes during functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tasks

    Changes in functional MRI brain activity assessed during a motor task, a cognitive task and a dual-task. Assessment during OFF medication phase, at least 12 hours after last medication assumption.

    Measured: Baseline, week 6 and week 28

  5. Serum concentration of Neurofilament light chain (NfL)

    Serum biomarker of neuroprotection/neurodegeneration

    Measured: Baseline, week 6, week 14 and week 28.

  6. Serum concentration of Glial Fibrillary Acid Protein (GFAP)

    Serum biomarker of neuroprotection/neurodegeneration

    Measured: Baseline, week 6, week 14 and week 28.

  7. Serum concentration of Phosphorylated Tau (P-Tau)

    Serum biomarker of neuroprotection/neurodegeneration

    Measured: Baseline, week 6, week 14 and week 28.

  8. Serum concentration of Tau

    Serum biomarker of neuroprotection/neurodegeneration

    Measured: Baseline, week 6, week 14 and week 28.

  9. Serum concentration of B42

    Serum biomarker of neuroprotection/neurodegeneration

    Measured: Baseline, week 6, week 14 and week 28.

  10. Serum concentration of B40

    Serum biomarker of neuroprotection/neurodegeneration

    Measured: Baseline, week 6, week 14 and week 28.

  11. Serum concentration of Alpha-synuclein

    Serum biomarker of neuroprotection/neurodegeneration

    Measured: Baseline, week 6, week 14 and week 28.

  12. Serum concentration of Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF)

    Serum biomarker of neuroprotection/neurodegeneration

    Measured: Baseline, week 6, week 14 and week 28.

  13. Activity Balance Confidence questionnaire (ABC) score

    This questionnaire assesses patient-referred balance confidence during 16 daily tasks. Subjects rate their confidence while doing each activity from 0 (no confidence) to 100 (full confidence).

    Assessment during ON medication phase.

    Measured: Baseline, week 6, week 14 and week 28. At week 20 only for patients repeating the training.

  14. 10-meter walk test (10MWT) time

    Time taken to walk 10 straight meters. Test performed at comfortable and maximal speed. Assessment during ON medication phase.

    Measured: Baseline, week 6, week 14 and week 28. At week 20 only for patients repeating the training.

  15. Mini Balance Evaluation System Test (MiniBESTest) score

    Assessment of different balance systems (anticipatory, reactive postural control, sensory orientation, dynamic gait). MiniBESTest includes 14 items with a score from 0 (severe/unable) to 2 (normal). The maximum score is 28 and a higher score indicates a better balance.

    Assessment during ON medication phase.

    Measured: Baseline, week 6, week 14 and week 28. At week 20 only for patients repeating the training.

  16. Five-time sit-to-stand (5STS) time

    This test measures the amount of time it takes for a patient to stand up and sit down five times in a row, as quickly as possible with arms folded across their chest. Assessment during ON medication phase.

    Measured: Baseline, week 6, week 14 and week 28. At week 20 only for patients repeating the training.

  17. Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39) score

    Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire investigates the quality of life of PD patients. It includes 39 questions with 5 possible answers (never, occasionally, sometimes, often, always) and 8 sub-items related to mobility, activities of daily living, emotional well-being, signs of discouragement, social support, cognitions, communication and bodily discomfort. The maximum score is 100 and a low score is an indicator of a good quality of life. Assessment during ON medication phase.

    Measured: Baseline, week 6, week 14 and week 28. At week 20 only for patients repeating the training.

  18. Stride length

    Gait parameter obtained using wearable motion sensors. Assessment during ON medication phase.

    Measured: Baseline, week 6, week 14 and week 28. At week 20 only for patients repeating the training.

  19. Gait velocity

    Gait parameter obtained using wearable motion sensors. Assessment during ON medication phase.

    Measured: Baseline, week 6, week 14 and week 28. At week 20 only for patients repeating the training.

  20. Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB)

    This battery of cognitive tests assesses executive functions, memory and visuospatial abilities.

    Each subtest of the CANTAB battery provides outcome measures in terms of accuracy (right answers, errors and/or missing answers) and reaction times (highest scores are worse) for every condition within the subtest (the different conditions present with different levels of cognitive load). Assessment during ON medication phase.

    Measured: Baseline, week 6, week 14 and week 28. At week 20 only for patients

  21. Kinesthetic and Visual Imagery Questionnaire (KVIQ)

    This questionnaire assesses motor imagery abilities. The Kinesthetic and Visual Imagery Questionnaire (KVIQ) includes 10 items assessing the clarity of the image and the intensity of the sensations that the subject is able to imagine from the first-person perspective (both right and left sides) on a five-point ordinal scale. Total score ranges from 0 to 50 with higher score indicating better motor imagery abilities. Assessment during ON medication phase.

    Measured: Baseline, week 6 and week 28.

  22. New Freezing of Gait Questionnaire (NFoG-Q)

    This is a self-reported questionnaire that measures freezing of gait. It consists of 9 items with a total score ranging from 0 (no freezing) to 28. Higher score indicates worse freezing. Assessment during ON medication phase.

    Measured: Baseline, week 6, week 14 and week 28. At week 20 only for patients

Timeline

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

  1. First posted5 Apr 2023
  2. Study start30 Apr 2023
  3. Primary completion30 Jul 2026 (estimated)
  4. Study completion28 Apr 2027 (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
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Model description
Single-blind randomized controlled trial. Fifty PD patients are randomly divided into two groups: 25 in DUAL-TASK+AOT-MI (experimental) and 25 in the DUAL-TASK (active comparator). Half of the patients are further randomized to repeat the treatment (DUAL-TASK+AOT-MI\_DOUBLE and DUAL-TASK\_DOUBLE). The assessors are blinded to the group allocation. In addition, a group of 20 healthy age- and sex-matched control is included at baseline
Masking
Single blind
Who is masked
Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
80 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT05799690
Sponsor's protocol ID
GR-2021-12374005
Status last verified
May 2025
First submitted
17 Mar 2023
Last updated
9 Mar 2026
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 Gait and balance training with dual-task + action observation and motor imagery (six weeks), Gait and balance training with dual-task (six weeks) and Gait and balance training with dual-task + action observation and motor imagery (twelve weeks: 6 + 6) in people with Parkinson Disease, run by Prof. Massimo Filippi at 2 sites 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 10 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: under way, not looking for participants, as of the sponsor's last update on 9 Mar 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 2 sites 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?

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?

Total execution time of Timed Up and Go test with cognitive dual-task (TUG-COG) (time frame: Baseline, week 6, week 14 and week 28. At week 20 only for patients repeating the training.). 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 9 Mar 2026.

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