The Effect of High-Volume Walking With Visual Cues (VC) in Parkinson´s Disease (PD)

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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People with disease (PD) tend to walk with short steps, decreased velocity, and increased stride time variability. Short steps and increased variability are related to greater fall risk. In addition, concurrent performance of a cognitive task (dual-task (DT)) has marked effects on gait in people with PD which is considered to reflect an impaired automaticity of gait. Objective: To investigate short and long term effects of high-volume walking with visual spatial cues (VSC) on gait variables, automaticity, and functional mobility, in people with Parkinson´s Disease (PD), compared with walking without VSC.

Official Title
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The Effect of High-Volume Walking With Visual Cues on Gait in People With Parkinson´s Disease. A Randomized Controlled Trial

Conditions
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Parkinson´s Disease

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: Visual Cues
* Other: Walking without visual cues


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: a confirmed diagnosis of PD according to the UK Parkinson´s Disease Society Brain Bank Clinical Diagnostic Criteria (18) <80 years of age community residing Hoehn and Yahr (HY) stage 2-3 Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) score of >23 ability to walk without walking aids for a total of 20 minutes over a 30-minute period Exclusion Criteria: major modifications of Parkinson´s medication (Madopar >200 mg/d or >20% increase in Dopamine agonists) 3 weeks prior to baseline assessment comorbidities or disabilities, which might influence walking a history of brain surgery

Ages Eligible for Study
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Maximum Age: 79 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Walking with visual cues<br>Walking with visual cues for 30 minutes, 4 times a week for 4 weeks | Other: Visual Cues<br>* Walking with visual cues for 30 minutes, 4 times a week for 4 weeks<br>|
| Active Comparator: Walking without visual cues<br>Walking without visual cues, but verbal encouragement twice a week to take longer steps, for 30 minutes, 4 times a week for 4 weeks. | Other: Walking without visual cues<br>* Walking without visual cues, but verbal encouragement twice a week to take longer steps, for 30 minutes, 4<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Change in Step Length |  | Before, after and 3 months after a 4 week training period | 
| Change in Gait Velocity |  | Before, after and 3 months after a 4 week training period | 
| Change in Stride Time Variability |  | Before, after and 3 months after a 4 week training period | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Change in Timed Up & Go (seconds) |  | Before, after and 3 months after a 4 week training period | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Neuroplasticity, Parkinson´s Disease, Walking, Exercise, Automaticity, Dual Task, Visual Cues, Cueing, Gait analysis