Proprioception and Meditation

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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In past work is has been shown that yoga can be as effective as a standard balance or Tai Chi protocol; however, there is an inability to distinguish between the mind and body contributions of yoga training. This study will compare an accepted proprioceptive training program to a meditation program which concentrates on body awareness in individuals with Parkinson's disease.

Official Title
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The Effects of Yoga Based Meditation on Proprioception in Individuals With Parkinson's Disease

Conditions
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Parkinson Disease, Proprioceptive Disorders, Movement Disorders

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: Yoga Meditation
* Other: Proprioceptive Drills


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: An individual must be between 40 and 90 years of age with mild to moderate Parkinson's Disease (Hoehn & Yahr stages I-III). Exclusion Criteria: Participants that have been part of a formal training program that targeted lower body strength, balance or proprioception within the past six months Participants that have any uncontrolled nerve (except Parkinson's patients taking appropriate medication), bone or joint, or heart disease; Participants that have been advised by a doctor to not exercise; Participants that have regularly practiced yoga at least twice per week within the past six months; Participants that is unable to consent; Participants that is a prisoner; Participants that are pregnant.

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 40 Years
Maximum Age: 90 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: Prevention
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Active Comparator: Proprioceptive Drills<br>Includes drills during which participants perform multiplestances on a pillow, a number of different cone and line drills, reaching drills, object retrieval drills and drills using balls to disturb balance. | Other: Proprioceptive Drills<br>* Active balance and proprioception drills<br>|
| Experimental: Yoga Meditation<br>The meditation program will use simple poses during which the participant will not move and will concentrate on each of the participant's body parts and where they are in space. | Other: Yoga Meditation<br>* Yoga meditation using motor imagery to perceive movement patterns<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Joint Position Sense | The joint position sense technique for the knee involves the reduction of visual cues while moving the knee to a specific target angle, holding that target angle, returning the knee to the starting position, and then reproducing that target angle. | 20 minutes | 
| Tinetti balance and gait. | A subjective evaluation of Balance and gait. | 3 minutes. | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 8ft Up and Go | Individuals sits in a chair at the verbal cue of go, individual rises from chair and walks as quickly as possible around a cone placed 8 ft from the front of the chair, individual returns to and sits. | 60 seconds | 
| Joint Kinesthesia | The Joint Kinesthesia measurement technique involves the participant sitting in the Biodex chair with visual, audio, and tactile cues reduced and the leg supported by an external movement device. The knee is placed at a predetermined angle and slowly flexed or extended at a random starting time while the participant is instructed to signal when movement is felt. | 20 minutes | 
| Dynamic Posturography | The participant stands on a randomly moving platform with a sonar emitter affixed to the lumbar spine. As the platform moves the linear and curvilinear displacement of the emitter is evaluated and a dynamic movement analysis core is generated. | 5 minutes |