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Comparison of Different Rehabilitation Protocols in Parkinson's Disease With Postural Instability and Gait Disorders

Not Applicable
Not yet recruiting
Conditions
Parkinson Disease
Interventions
Behavioral: Gait and balance training with dual-task (six weeks)
Behavioral: Gait and balance training with dual-task + action observation and motor imagery (six weeks)
Registration Number
NCT05799690
Lead Sponsor
Prof. Massimo Filippi
Brief Summary

The aim of the study is to compare the effects of 2 different dosages and modalities of motor-cognitive rehabilitation in Parkinson's disease with postural instability and gait disorders (PD-PIGD) on clinical features, neuroimaging and blood-based biomarkers at short-term (2 months) and long-term (7 months) follow-up. Fifty subjects with PD-PIGD will be randomized in 2 training groups: DUAL-TASK+AOT-MI and the DUAL-TASK groups. The DUAL-TASK+AOT-MI group will perform a dual-task gait/balance training consisting of action observation training (AOT) and motor imagery (MI) combined with practicing the observed-imagined exercises; DUAL-TASK group will perform the same exercises combined with watching landscape videos. The training will last 6 weeks, 3 times/week, 1 hour per session.

Before and after training (W6), all the patients will undergo neurological, gait/balance, cognitive/behavioral, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and serum biomarkers evaluations. Neurological, gait/balance, cognitive/behavioral assessments and serum biomarkers will be also repeated at the 14-week follow-up (W14) to assess maintenance of results.

Patients of both DUAL-TASK+AOT-MI and DUAL-TASK groups will be further randomized to repeat the training (6 weeks, 3 times/week, 1 hour each session) starting at W14 (DUAL-TASK+AOT-MI_DOUBLE and DUAL-TASK_DOUBLE groups). After six weeks (W20) all the subjects repeating the training will be evaluated (neurological, gait/balance, cognitive/behavioral assessments). At 28-week follow-up (W28), the whole sample of patients will be assessed with neurological, gait/balance, cognitive/behavioral, MRI and serum biomarkers evaluations. All MRI scans will be acquired at least 12 hours after last dopaminergic therapy administration to mitigate the pharmacological effects on neural activity. Twenty age- and sex-matched healthy controls will be recruited to perform gait/balance and cognitive/behavioral assessments, blood sample and brain MRI acquisition at baseline. The secondary aims of the study are to define the neuroimaging and blood-based biomarkers of PD-PIGD patients presenting different clinical features (e.g. presence of mild cognitive impairment, freezing of gait, falls and mood disturbances) and to evaluate the role of blood-based and neuroimaging biomarkers, together with clinical characteristics, in predicting the response to different dosages of rehabilitation in PD-PIGD throughout the development of a machine-learning algorithm.

Detailed Description

Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
NOT_YET_RECRUITING
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
70
Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
DUAL-TASKGait and balance training with dual-task (six weeks)Dual-task gait and balance training with vision of landscape videos for six weeks.
DUAL-TASK+AOT-MIGait and balance training with dual-task + action observation and motor imagery (six weeks)Dual-task gait and balance training with cognitive facilitations (action observation and motor imagery) for six weeks.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Total execution time of Timed Up and Go test with cognitive dual-task (TUG-COG)Baseline, week 6, week 14 and week 28. At week 20 only for patients repeating the training.

Changes in time taken to complete the timed up and go test with cognitive dual-task: patients are asked to stand up from a chair, walk for three meters, turn and walk back to the chair while counting backwards by 3 starting from 100. Assessment during ON medication phase.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Serum concentration of Neurofilament light chain (NfL)Baseline, week 6, week 14 and week 28.

Serum biomarker of neuroprotection/neurodegeneration

Serum concentration of Phosphorylated Tau (P-Tau)Baseline, week 6, week 14 and week 28.

Serum biomarker of neuroprotection/neurodegeneration

Serum concentration of B40Baseline, week 6, week 14 and week 28.

Serum biomarker of neuroprotection/neurodegeneration

Total execution time of Timed Up and Go test with manual dual-task (TUG-MAN)Baseline, week 6, week 14 and week 28. At week 20 only for patients repeating the training.

Changes in time taken to complete the timed up and go test with manual dual-task: patients are asked to stand up from a chair, walk for three meters, turn, and walk back to the chair while holding a glass full of water. Assessment during ON medication phase

Brain functional changes during functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tasksBaseline, week 6 and week 28

Changes in functional MRI brain activity assessed during a motor task, a cognitive task and a dual-task. Assessment during OFF medication phase, at least 12 hours after last medication assumption.

Serum concentration of Glial Fibrillary Acid Protein (GFAP)Baseline, week 6, week 14 and week 28.

Serum biomarker of neuroprotection/neurodegeneration

Total execution time of Timed Up and Go test (TUG)Baseline, week 6, week 14 and week 28. At week 20 only for patients repeating the training.

Changes in time taken to complete the timed up and go test: patients are asked to stand up from a chair, walk for three meters, turn, and walk back to the chair. Assessment during ON medication phase

Movement Disorders Society-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) scoreBaseline, week 6, week 14 and week 28. At week 20 only for patients repeating the training.

MDS-UPDRS evaluates various aspects of Parkinson's disease including non-motor and motor experiences of daily living and motor complications. The MDS-UPDRS contains 65 items divided in four parts (Part I - "non-motor experiences of daily living", Part II - "motor experiences of daily living", Part III - "motor examination", Part IV - "motor complications. Each item is assessed with a 0 to 4 rating system. The total score ranges from 0 to 260 with higher score indicating more severe symptoms.

Assessment during ON medication. Only part III assessed also without medication (OFF).

Serum concentration of TauBaseline, week 6, week 14 and week 28.

Serum biomarker of neuroprotection/neurodegeneration

10-meter walk test (10MWT) timeBaseline, week 6, week 14 and week 28. At week 20 only for patients repeating the training.

Time taken to walk 10 straight meters. Test performed at comfortable and maximal speed. Assessment during ON medication phase.

Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB)Baseline, week 6, week 14 and week 28. At week 20 only for patients

This battery of cognitive tests assesses executive functions, memory and visuospatial abilities.

Each subtest of the CANTAB battery provides outcome measures in terms of accuracy (right answers, errors and/or missing answers) and reaction times (highest scores are worse) for every condition within the subtest (the different conditions present with different levels of cognitive load). Assessment during ON medication phase.

Serum concentration of B42Baseline, week 6, week 14 and week 28.

Serum biomarker of neuroprotection/neurodegeneration

Activity Balance Confidence questionnaire (ABC) scoreBaseline, week 6, week 14 and week 28. At week 20 only for patients repeating the training.

This questionnaire assesses patient-referred balance confidence during 16 daily tasks. Subjects rate their confidence while doing each activity from 0 (no confidence) to 100 (full confidence).

Assessment during ON medication phase.

Serum concentration of Alpha-synucleinBaseline, week 6, week 14 and week 28.

Serum biomarker of neuroprotection/neurodegeneration

Serum concentration of Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF)Baseline, week 6, week 14 and week 28.

Serum biomarker of neuroprotection/neurodegeneration

Mini Balance Evaluation System Test (MiniBESTest) scoreBaseline, week 6, week 14 and week 28. At week 20 only for patients repeating the training.

Assessment of different balance systems (anticipatory, reactive postural control, sensory orientation, dynamic gait). MiniBESTest includes 14 items with a score from 0 (severe/unable) to 2 (normal). The maximum score is 28 and a higher score indicates a better balance.

Assessment during ON medication phase.

Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39) scoreBaseline, week 6, week 14 and week 28. At week 20 only for patients repeating the training.

Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire investigates the quality of life of PD patients. It includes 39 questions with 5 possible answers (never, occasionally, sometimes, often, always) and 8 sub-items related to mobility, activities of daily living, emotional well-being, signs of discouragement, social support, cognitions, communication and bodily discomfort. The maximum score is 100 and a low score is an indicator of a good quality of life. Assessment during ON medication phase.

Stride lengthBaseline, week 6, week 14 and week 28. At week 20 only for patients repeating the training.

Gait parameter obtained using wearable motion sensors. Assessment during ON medication phase.

Gait velocityBaseline, week 6, week 14 and week 28. At week 20 only for patients repeating the training.

Gait parameter obtained using wearable motion sensors. Assessment during ON medication phase.

New Freezing of Gait Questionnaire (NFoG-Q)Baseline, week 6, week 14 and week 28. At week 20 only for patients

This is a self-reported questionnaire that measures freezing of gait. It consists of 9 items with a total score ranging from 0 (no freezing) to 28. Higher score indicates worse freezing. Assessment during ON medication phase.

Five-time sit-to-stand (5STS) timeBaseline, week 6, week 14 and week 28. At week 20 only for patients repeating the training.

This test measures the amount of time it takes for a patient to stand up and sit down five times in a row, as quickly as possible with arms folded across their chest. Assessment during ON medication phase.

Kinesthetic and Visual Imagery Questionnaire (KVIQ)Baseline, week 6 and week 28.

This questionnaire assesses motor imagery abilities. The Kinesthetic and Visual Imagery Questionnaire (KVIQ) includes 10 items assessing the clarity of the image and the intensity of the sensations that the subject is able to imagine from the first-person perspective (both right and left sides) on a five-point ordinal scale. Total score ranges from 0 to 50 with higher score indicating better motor imagery abilities. Assessment during ON medication phase.

Trial Locations

Locations (2)

Neurology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata di Verona

🇮🇹

Verona, Italy

IRCCS San Raffaele

🇮🇹

Milan, Italy

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