NCT05019469

Overcoming Gait Freeze in Parkinson's Disease Using Responsive Cueing

Investigating Responsive Vibration Cueing Modalities From a Wearable Device to Overcome Gait Freezing in Parkinson's Disease

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 17 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of Oxford · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 90 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The aim of this pilot/feasibility study is to test if delivering rhythmic vibration cues to the lower legs, specifically in response to gait defects (rather than continuously), can improve walking quality and overcome gait freezing in Parkinson's disease. During the study, people with Parkinson's disease that suffer from regular (daily) gait freezing will undertake a series of walking/activity circuits, receiving continuous cueing, responsive cueing (delivered in response to gait freezing), no cueing and no device. Vibration cueing is provided by a non-invasive wearable device prototyped at the University of Oxford, worn on the lower legs during 3 circuits. A series of walking metrics will be analysed.

Detailed description

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive, neurodegenerative disorder that impairs the ability to control movement. Gait freezing is an inability to walk spontaneously and continuously, and affects nearly half of PD patients, reducing quality of life and contributing to increased fall risk. Cueing (with visual, auditory or somatosensory stimuli) is an effective way to improve walking quality in people with PD. In this pilot study we aim to test if delivering rhythmic vibration cues acutely, specifically in response to gait defects, can improve walking quality and overcome gait freezing in PD. During the study, people with PD that suffer from regular (daily) gait freezing, but who are able to stand and walk with minimal assistance, undertake 4 walking/activity circuits. During each of the circuits participants receive either continuous cueing, responsive cueing (delivered in response to gait freezing), no cueing and no device. Cueing is provided by a non-invasive wearable movement-tracking cueing device prototyped at the University of Oxford (approximately the size of a smart phone), worn on the lower legs during 3 circuits. The ordering of the interventions/circuits are systematically alternated for each participant. The impact of responsive cueing on walking ability can be determined by analysis of walking metrics across the circuits.

Conditions

• Parkinson's Disease

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	Rhythmic vibration cueing (lower leg)	A non-invasive wearable device worn against both gastrocnemius muscles provides rhythmic vibrations when triggered.

Timeline

• Start date: 2019-02-13
• Primary completion: 2019-07-22
• Completion: 2019-07-22
• First posted: 2021-08-24
• Last updated: 2021-08-24

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United Kingdom