Influence of Community-based Group Exercise on Fall Risk in Parkinson's Disease
Overview
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Intervention
- Not specified
- Conditions
- Parkinson Disease
- Sponsor
- Idaho State University
- Enrollment
- 20
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Number of Falls Experienced During the Study Period as Reported by Self-report
- Status
- Completed
- Last Updated
- 2 years ago
Overview
Brief Summary
Parkinson's disease (PD) affects approximately 1 million people in the United States and causes significant fall risks. This study aims to develop a community-based exercise program that reduces falls in persons with PD. By combining individualized balance activities with group boxing training, the study seeks to identify modifiable risk factors, improve balance dysfunction, and reduce falls. The findings will inform clinical practice, offering a community-based exercise model to address the urgent need for effective fall prevention interventions in PD.
Detailed Description
Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder and effects approximately 1 million people in the United States. Falls are a significant problem for persons with PD, with incidence rates ranging from 37-80% each year. The long-term goal of this research is to develop exercise training programs to reduce falls in persons with PD. Physical activity and exercise are commonly understood to provide significant benefits in functional mobility for persons with PD. Unfortunately, the translation of improved mobility to an actual reduction in falls has been recalcitrant to traditional exercise therapies. The following proposal is aimed at identifying the modifiable risk factors for falls in persons with PD and characterizing the effect of a novel exercise intervention on fall risk. The investigators will conduct a 12 week community-based exercise program in 20 individuals in which two validated forms of exercise training will be combined into one program. Specifically, individualized balance activities tailored to different domains of balance dysfunction for each individual will be combined with non-contact group boxing training to maximize the therapeutic benefit. The research aims of this investigation are 1) identify the individual characteristics of responders to exercise such as modifiable factors like lower-extremity kinematic joint range of motion and balance domain dysfunction at baseline, and 2) determine if a novel community-based exercise regimen that combines accepted balance and strength training protocols can synergistically improve balance dysfunction and reduce falls. The benefits of exercise in general on PD are undisputed, but there remains an urgent, unmet need for the identification of exercise interventions that can reduce falls. The proposed research is significant because it is expected to provide evidence that a novel community-based exercise program is capable of improving functional mobility in such a way that it can reduce fall incidence for persons with PD. The research aims in this proposal are expected to directly inform clinical practice for rehabilitation providers by identifying the modifiable risk factors that lead to falls in PD and delivering a community-based exercise model that can reduce the harmful effects of falls in this population.
Investigators
Evan Papa
Associate Professor
Idaho State University
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- •A diagnosis of idiopathic PD; Male or female 30 years or older at time of PD diagnosis; Hoehn \& Yahr (H\&Y) stages 1.0-3.0; Ability to provide informed consent in accordance with Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and local regulations.
Exclusion Criteria
- •Idiopathic PD H\&Y stage 4-5, in order to constrain motor dysfunctions to mild-to-moderate PD; Confirmed or suspected atypical parkinsonian syndromes due to drugs, metabolic disorders, encephalitis, or degenerative diseases; Presence of definite dementia by Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA \<21); Central or peripheral nervous system disorders (other than PD); Myopathic disease (e.g. focal myopathy) that affects skeletal muscle structure/function; Severe cardiovascular disease that limits exercise abilities.
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Number of Falls Experienced During the Study Period as Reported by Self-report
Time Frame: Baseline and Post-Intervention at approximately 12 weeks
Higher scores = worse outcome
Secondary Outcomes
- TUG(Baseline and Post-Intervention at approximately 12 weeks)
- BBS(Baseline and Post-Intervention at approximately 12 weeks)
- ABC(Baseline and Post-Intervention at approximately 12 weeks)
- 5-STS(Baseline and Post-Intervention at approximately 12 weeks)