Poised for Parkinson's - an Intervention to Increase Embodied Agency in People With Parkinson's Disease and Their Carers

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The purpose of the study is to develop, deliver, and test an online Alexander-based training program for people with Parkinson's disease and their care partners.

Detailed Description
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Six dyads, each consisting of a person with Parkinson's disease and their care partner, will participate in a real-time online course called Poised for Parkinson's. The course will meet twice per week via Zoom for eighteen 105-minute sessions. Outcome measures, including surveys, interviews, balance, and motor performance, will be assessed the week before classes begin and the week after classes end.

Official Title
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Alexander Technique Classes - Multisite

Conditions
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Parkinson's Disease

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Poised for Parkinson's


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: dyad including care partner and person with Parkinson's disease Hoehn & Yahr Stage 2 (estimated) vision and hearing (corrected to) normal able to use computer, Internet, and Zoom ambulatory without assistive devices reside in Idaho Exclusion Criteria: dementia (screen with MOCA) severe musculoskeletal pain (screen in interview)

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 50 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
Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Poised for Parkinson's<br>Alexander-technique-based online course to increase embodied agency in people with Parkinson's disease and their care partners. | Behavioral: Poised for Parkinson's<br>* Lecture, demonstration, activities, and supplemental materials designed to improve self-awareness, situational awareness, and ability to make good choices for physical and emotional self-care, moment-to-moment.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Motor Function - Objective | Physical Performance Test (7 items). Score can vary from 0-28. Higher score is better. | Assessed the week before the intervention (week 1) and the week after the intervention (week 11). Difference is reported. Positive number indicates improvement. | 
| Balance - Objective | Due to COVID, we only assessed the subset of brief Bestest that can be scored online: standing on each foot, gait stability, and forward reach. Possible scores: 0-12. Higher score is better. Positive number indicates improvement. | Assessed the week before the intervention (week 1) and the week after the intervention (week 11). Difference is reported. Positive number indicates improvement. | 
| Balance: Self-report | Activities Balance Confidence scale. Possible score from 0-100. Higher score is better. | Assessed the week before the intervention (week 1) and the week after the intervention (week 11). Difference is reported. Positive number indicates improvement. | 
| Posture - Objective | Assessed by photo in sagittal plane. Positive numbers indicate a more upright posture. | Assessed the week before the intervention (week 1) and the week after the intervention (week 11). Difference is reported. Positive number indicates improvement. | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Feasibility - Attendance | Course attendance (out of 16) | Attendance will be tracked at every class session, weeks 2-10. | 
| Feasibility - Retention | Study retention: number of participants who completed the study | assessed after the intervention (week 11) | 
| Symptom Management | Survey administered by phone, with 29 Likert scale questions on a scale of 0-5 asking how well the person with Parkinson's disease is able to manage typical Parkinson's symptoms, including bradykinesia, tremor, stooped posture, freezing of gait, anxiety, fatigue, and so on. Higher scores indicate better symptom management. The scores were summed, with a possible range of 0-145. | Assessed the week before the intervention (week 1) and the week after the intervention (week 11). Difference is reported. Positive number indicates improvement. | 
| Care-partner Self-management Skill | Anonymous course evaluation survey filled out and mailed in. Question reported: I feel I am better prepared for the present and future daily challenges of being my partner's care partner. Rate from 1-10 with 10 being high. | Assessed after the intervention (week 11) | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Alexander Technique, Posture, Mindfulness, Embodiment, Caregivers, Movement Interventions, Complementary Integrative Medicine, Non-pharmacological interventions, Quality of Life