Sensory Stimulation Effect on Movement Speed in Patients With Parkinson Disease

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Parkinson Disease
• Interventions: Other: Aponeurotic stimulation (the diacutaneous fibrolysis method); Other: Placebo stimulation

• Registration Number: NCT01544738
• Lead Sponsor: Université Libre de Bruxelles

Brief Summary

Movement slowness (bradykinesia) is one of the main motor symptoms in Parkinson Disease (PD). Several studies have shown that patients with PD exhibit slowness because they are unable to modulate, in an optimal way, the velocity of voluntary motor acts not induced by external stimulation. Indeed, these patients have difficulties to integrate multi-sensorial information, mainly proprioception.

The investigators investigated changes in shoulder velocity during pointing movements by patients with PD after stimulation of soft tissues (aponeurosis) of upper limb muscles. The stimulation consisted of manipulating, with a hook (the diacutaneous fibrolysis method), the aponeurotic tissues enrobing the heads of the upper limb muscles. This technique has previously been shown to decrease passive tension and the tendon reflex response of the manipulated muscle group. The investigators hypothesis is that aponeurotic manipulation of shoulder muscles therefore creates a modification in the proprioceptive information, which in return temporarily decreases the bradykinesia of shoulder movements.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2008-11
• Primary Completion: 2009-05
• Status Verified: 2012-02
• Study First Submitted: 2012-02-23
• Study First Submitted QC: 2012-03-05
• Last Update Submitted: 2012-03-05
• Study First Posted: 2012-03-06
• Last Update Posted: 2012-03-06

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 11

Inclusion Criteria

• Clinical diagnosis of Parkinson Disease

Exclusion Criteria

• Patients with a limitation in the shoulder range of motion necessary to perform pointing movements

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Aponeurotic stimulation group	Aponeurotic stimulation (the diacutaneous fibrolysis method)	The stimulation consisted of manipulating, with a hook (the diacutaneous fibrolysis method), the aponeurotic tissues enrobing the heads of the trunk and upper limb muscles.
Placebo stimulation group	Placebo stimulation	Placebo stimulation (PS) consisted of manipulating the skin along the same paths over the trunk, shoulder and arm muscles that were the targets for treatment in the Aponeurotic stimulation group.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
3D kinematic movement parameters and upper limb muscles electromyographic activation	Participants will be followed for the duration of the clinical test (2 weeks)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS)	Participants will be followed for the duration of the clinical test (2 weeks)

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

ULB-FSM Laboratory of neurophysiology and movement biomechanics; 🇧🇪 Brussels, Belgium