Conditions: Parkinson Disease Accidental Falls
Keywords: Vitamin D Parkinson disease accidental falls
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 101
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
A trial to measure the effects of vitamin D (versus a placebo) on balance, gait, falls, strength, and cognition in persons with Parkinson's disease.

Detailed description:
The proposed study is a randomized, double-blinded, placebo controlled intervention trial to measure the effects of vitamin D at (10,000IU/day) versus placebo on balance and falls in Parkinson's disease. The investigators will measure static, dynamic, and ambulatory balance, as well as strength, falls, and cognition before and after 16 weeks of therapy. Dynamic posturography will be used to measure static and ambulatory balance, a device called iMOBILITY will measure a timed up and go, and strength will be measured with the Biodex machine checking knee flexion and extension. Multiple quality of life and cognitive tests will also be performed.

Arms:
arm 1: Will be on high dose vitamin D3 (10,000 IU daily) and 1000 mg of calcium arm 2: Will be on placebo and 1000mg of calcium.

Interventions: intervention 1: Vitamin D3 intervention 2: calcium intervention 3: Placebo
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Vitamin D3 at 10,000 IU a day intervention 2: 1000mg calcium daily intervention 3: A placebo pill with similar appearance to the vitamin D3 will be given to those in the placebo arm

Protocol document: