The Effect of Aquatic High-Intensity Interval Training on Balance, Physical Function, and Sarcopenia in Patients With Parkinson's Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial Protocol
试验速览
- 阶段
- 不适用
- 状态
- 已完成
- 发起方
- 入组人数
- 56
- 试验地点
- 1
- 主要终点
- Rate of changes in Balance Ability
研究概览
简要总结
This randomized, single-center, parallel-group superiority trial will evaluate the effect of an 8-week aquatic High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) program on balance, physical function, and sarcopenia-related outcomes in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD). The intervention aims to deliver Tabata-style aquatic HIIT (3 sessions/week) in a therapeutic pool to determine adherence and preliminary efficacy compared with standard care (no structured exercise program).
详细描述
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor and non-motor symptoms that impair quality of life. Pharmacological treatments alleviate motor symptoms but leave residual motor and non-motor complications and carry long-term adverse effects. Non-pharmacological therapies-particularly exercise-improve motor and non-motor outcomes via mechanisms such as enhanced dopamine release, corticostriatal plasticity, and increased BDNF after vigorous exercise. HIIT (including Tabata protocols) has emerging evidence for benefit in PD but land-based HIIT can be limited by balance deficits and fall risk. Aquatic HIIT may provide a safer environment (buoyancy, reduced joint load, natural resistance) and improve adherence.
This single-center trial will recruit 56 participants (aged 55-75) with PD (Hoehn & Yahr stages 2-3) and balance difficulty to be randomized 1:1 to aquatic HIIT (n=28) or control (standard care; n=28). The intervention comprises 8 weeks of supervised Tabata-format aquatic sessions (20s high intensity/10s rest ×8 cycles per set; warm-up and cool-down included) three times weekly. Primary endpoints include changes in Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), skeletal muscle mass by BIA, and handgrip strength from baseline to Week 8 (primary endpoint), with safety follow-up to Week 12. Secondary endpoints include PDQ-39, PSQI, adherence, and adverse events monitored with CTCAE criteria.
研究设计
- 研究类型
- Interventional
- 分配方式
- Randomized
- 干预模型
- Parallel
- 主要目的
- Supportive Care
- 盲法
- None
盲法说明
None (Open Label) for participants and care providers; Single (Outcomes Assessor) for functional tests; Blinded data analysis."
入排标准
- 年龄范围
- 55 Years 至 75 Years（Adult, Older Adult）
- 性别
- All
- 接受健康志愿者
- 否
入选标准
- •PD stages 2-3 based on Hoehn and Yahr classification system
- •Balance difficulty (BBS score <45)
- •Reduced motor function
- •Sarcopenia (per EWGSOP2 criteria)
- •Permission from their doctors to participate
- •Absence of a history of myocardial infarction within the past 3 months
- •Capacity to provide informed consent to participate in the study
排除标准
- •Cardiac instability (angina, decompensated congestive heart failure, severe arteriovenous stenosis, uncontrolled arrhythmias, etc.)
- •Active infection or acute medical illness
- •Hemodynamic instability
- •Labile glycemic control
- •Inability to exercise (e.g. lower extremity amputation with no prosthesis)
- •Severe musculoskeletal pain at rest or with minimal activity
- •Inability to sit, stand or walk unassisted (walking device such as cane or walker allowed)
- •Shortness of breath at rest or with activities of daily living
研究组 & 干预措施
Aquatic HIIT group
The participants in the experimental group will undertake supervised aquatic high-intensity interval exercise 3×/week for 8 weeks (Tabata method). Each session consists of a 10-min warm-up, Tabata sets (20s maximal-effort aquatic exercises-e.g., water running, jumping jacks, resistance with foam dumbbells/paddles-followed by 10s rest, 8 cycles/set; total set=4 min), and a 5-min cool-down.
Intensity monitored using Borg RPE scale (6-20), target 15-17 ("hard" to "very hard") during work phases to ensure HIIT delivery. RPE recorded at end of each set with real-time feedback (e.g., "push harder" if <15). Validated in PD trials; RPE 15-17 ≈80-90% max HR in water (HR optional).
Pool depth waist-to-chest (≈1.2-1.4 m), temp 32-34 °C. Delivered in indoor therapeutic pool of Pardis Institute by certified specialists. Standard medical care continues. Adherence via attendance logs; >20% missed = non-adherent.
干预措施: Aquatic HIIT with adherence/support package (Behavioral)
Control group
Patients allocated to the control group will receive their usual clinical management for Parkinson's disease, including pharmacological therapy as prescribed by their neurologist, and will not participate in any structured exercise program during the 8-week study period. Low-intensity daily activities and usual physical routines are permitted. Control participants will be advised to maintain their standard treatment regimen and customary activity patterns during the trial.
结局指标
主要结局
Rate of changes in Balance Ability
时间窗: Pre-intervention and Week 8
Evaluating the effect of aquatic HIIT on balance using the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), a 14-item performance-based tool assessing static and dynamic balance through functional tasks like sitting to standing, reaching forward, and turning 360 degrees. Items are scored on a 5-point ordinal scale (0-4) based on ability and time to complete, with a total score ranging from 0 (worst) to 56 (best); scores of 0-20 indicate wheelchair-bound, 21-40 indicate walking with assistance, and 41-56 indicate independent. In PD, scores \<45 suggest high fall risk, and the BBS has excellent intra-rater reliability (ICC=0.98), inter-rater reliability (ICC=0.97), and criterion validity, correlating with other PD-specific measures like UPDRS.
Rate of changes in Physical Function
时间窗: Pre-intervention and Week 8
Evaluating the effect of aquatic HIIT on physical function using the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), a composite test including three subcomponents: balance (holding side-by-side, semi-tandem, and tandem stands for up to 10 seconds each, scored 0-4), gait speed (timed 4-meter walk at usual pace, scored 0-4 based on time quartiles), and chair stand (time to complete five rises from a chair without arms, scored 0-4). Total score ranges from 0 (worst) to 12 (best), with scores \<10 indicating high risk for mobility limitations and falls in older adults, including PD patients. The SPPB demonstrates high test-retest reliability (ICC=0.92), intra-rater reliability, and validity in predicting functional decline and executive function associations in PD.
Rate of changes in Muscle Mass (Sarcopenia)
时间窗: Pre-intervention and Week 8
Evaluating the effect of aquatic HIIT on sarcopenia-related muscle mass using Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA), a non-invasive technique that estimates body composition by measuring resistance and reactance to a low-level electrical current, calculating skeletal muscle mass (ASM) and phase angle (PhA). ASM is indexed to height squared (ASM/height² in kg/m²), with sarcopenia diagnosed per EWGSOP2 criteria (\<7.0 kg/m² for men, \<5.5 kg/m² for women); PhA cut-offs for sarcopenia are ≤4.05° (92.9% sensitivity, 53.8% specificity) for men and ≤3.75° (78.9% sensitivity, 51.1% specificity) for women. In PD, BIA is reliable for detecting sarcopenia (prevalence 40-55%) with high correlation to dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) as gold standard (r=0.85-0.90 for ASM), predictive validity (adjOR=0.147 for PhA), and good test-retest reliability (ICC=0.88-0.95), though wide diagnostic variations exist across criteria.
Rate of changes in Muscle Strength
时间窗: Pre-intervention and Week 8
Evaluating the effect of aquatic HIIT on muscle strength using a Handgrip Dynamometer, a handheld device that quantifies isometric grip force in kilograms or pounds during maximal voluntary contraction (typically 3 trials per hand, with the highest or average value used). Measurements are taken in a standardized seated position with the elbow flexed at 90 degrees; normative values decline with age, and low grip strength (\<27 kg men, \<16 kg women) is a sarcopenia criterion in PD. The dynamometer shows fair to excellent test-retest reliability (ICC=0.95-0.98) and intra-rater reliability in PD, with good validity for overall strength assessment.
次要结局
- Change in Sleep Quality(Pre-intervention and Week 8)
- Change in Quality of Life(Pre-intervention and Week 8)
- Adherence Rate(Week 0 to Week 8 (intervention period))
- Adverse Events(Week 0 to Week 12 (including 4-week follow-up))