Motor-cognitive Dual-task in Healthy Older Adults and Early Parkinson's Disease Patients

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Neuromuscular dysfunction is common in older adults and even more pronounced in neurodegenerative diseases. In Parkinson's disease (PD), a complex set of factors often prevents effective performance of activities of daily living that require intact and simultaneous performance of motor and cognitive tasks. In the current study we aim at employing the Mobile Brain/Body Imaging approach (MoBI) to gain further insides of neuromuscular biomarkers revealing the decrements of older adults with an early PD. The cross-sectional study will be evaluated through the multifactorial mixed-measure design.

Official Title
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TwinBrain Parkinson's Disease Clinical Trial

Conditions
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Parkinson Disease, Motor Disorders, Cognitive Impairment

Intervention / Treatment
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* Diagnostic Test: Extensive motor-cognitive testing protocol


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Inclusion criteria for the healthy older participants will be: no diagnosis of cognitive or movement disorder, score > 7 for the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), living independently in the community, age range between 55 and 70 years, no color blindness. Inclusion criteria for the early-stage PD patients: diagnosed according to the last MDS criteria (2015), duration of the disease less than 5 years, positive DATSCAN, diagnosed akinetic-rigid or mixed phenotype, score of 1 or maximally 2 on the Hoehn and Yahr scale (Hoehn & Yahr, 1967), MoCA score ≥ 24 points, score > 7 for the SPPB, age range between 50 and 75 years, no color blindness living independently in the community. Exclusion Criteria: advanced stages of PD (Hoehn and Yahr score > 2) any acute or chronic diseases, especially of the peripheral and central nervous system, heart failure, respiratory failure, severe osteoarthritis, and major psychiatric illness such as depression MoCA score < 24 points, severe disabling tremor, recurrent falls, impaired vision that is not corrected with e.g., glasses, low SPPB score

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 50 Years
Maximum Age: 75 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Parkinson's disease patients<br>Patients with an early diagnosis of Parkinson's disease | Diagnostic Test: Extensive motor-cognitive testing protocol<br>* Screening of their functional performance while monitoring brain and muscle activity<br>|
| Healthy controls<br>Healthy controls who are age-matched | Diagnostic Test: Extensive motor-cognitive testing protocol<br>* Screening of their functional performance while monitoring brain and muscle activity<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| dual-task costs while walking | Test for dual-task costs associated with the concurrent execution of overground walking and a secondary cognitive task | Day 1 | 
| dual-task costs while standing | Test for dual-task costs associated with the concurrent execution of semi-tandem stance and a secondary cognitive task | Day 1 | 
| dual-task costs while execution of isometric task | Test for dual-task costs associated with the concurrent execution of isometric contraction and a secondary cognitive task | Day 1 | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The Movement Disorder Society Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) | Assessment of various aspects of PD including motor and non-motor experience of daily living and the related complications | Day 1 |