Learning Potential of Patients With Parkinson's Disease After Two Weeks of Targeted Touchscreen Training

NCT05696197 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: S64842
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 36
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by severe motor and non-motor symptoms, including upper limb dysfunction. Due to the degradation of dopaminergic neurons in the striatum, PD patients experience difficulties with motor learning and more specifically with the consolidation of motor memory. Recent work showed that intensive writing training improved writing skills in PD. Although consolidation effects were present, difficulties with retention were also still apparent. Besides impacting writing, manual dexterity deficits in PD can also affect the use of touchscreens. Researchers from our lab demonstrated that impairments were most pronounced in multi-direction sliding motions, indicating the need for training of these motor skills. Our lab demonstrated the classic difficulties with retention in PD after one session of training of a swipe and slide pattern on a tablet (SSP-task) as single task (ST), although immediate gains were demonstrated. Therefore, in this study the investigators will examine whether a two-week home-based training program of a tablet-based SSP-training program will lead to immediate and consolidated improvements that are retained in time. This program will combine ST and dual task (DT) training to provide variation during the training period, but also to increase the cognitive challenge during learning, thereby stimulation consolidation of learning. The primary aim of this study consists of investigating the learning effects after two weeks of targeted touchscreen training. Secondary, the investigators will examine whether these effects will also be retained after four weeks without practice and whether targeted training results in consolidated improvements, in terms of automaticity and transfer towards an untrained task. Given the objective recording of compliance to the training protocol, the investigators will explore the association between compliance rates and learning effects.

Conditions

Parkinson Disease

Keywords

Neurological rehabilitation; Motor learning; Touchscreen skills; Home-based training

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Average slide duration (in ms) after two weeks of training

  The automatically recorded slide duration will be averaged and compared between the experimental group and the control group.

  Baseline and post-training (2 weeks)

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Performance accuracy (in %)

  Baseline, post (2 weeks) and retention (4 weeks)

• Retention effects on average slide duration (in ms) after four weeks follow-up

  Baseline, post (2 weeks) and retention (4 weeks)

• Consolidation effects of two weeks of training

  Baseline, post-training (2 weeks)

Study Arms (2)

Experimental group

EXPERIMENTAL

Practicing the Swipe Slide Pattern task in ST and DT conditions, offered in a random order over a period of 2 weeks, 5 days a week, approximately 10 minutes per training session. Training will be performed independently at home.

Behavioral: Targeted touchscreen training

Control group

NO INTERVENTION

Participants in the control group will receive no intervention during the study period. They are given the opportunity to perform the SSP-training after the study period to ensure motivation in this group.

Interventions

Targeted touchscreen training BEHAVIORAL

Participants will practice the Swipe Slide Pattern (SSP) task independently at home in both ST and DT condition, offered in a random order. During this task, participants form different pre-defined patterns by moving their finger over a touchscreen, resembling a touchscreen unlock trace. The DT condition includes the SSP-task while counting either red or green lights illuminated on the screen. They will receive 10 training sessions of the SSP-task over a period of two weeks. Each week will consist of 5 consecutive days of training for approximately 10 minutes per session. Participants will perform 9 trials of 12 patterns each, alternated with rest periods of 14 seconds. Instruction and answers are also included. Feedback will be provided by means of knowledge of performance. On each training day, participants will receive a reminder on the training tablet.

Experimental group

Eligibility Criteria

• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Diagnosis of Parkinson's disease based on the 'UK Brain Bank' criteria
• Hoehn and Yahr (H\&Y) stage I-III, participants in H\&Y stage I should have the right side as the most affected side
• Right handed, or right-handed use of touchscreen devices.

You may not qualify if:

• Cognitive decline (Mini Mental State Examination \< 24)
• Comorbidities of the upper limb that could interfere with the study and are not caused by Parkinson's disease
• Other neurological disorders besides Parkinson's disease
• Color blindness as determined by the Ishihara test for color deficiency

Sponsors & Collaborators

• KU Leuven: lead

Study Sites (1)

Department of Rehabilitation Sciences KU Leuven

Leuven, 3000, Belgium

Location

Related Publications (24)

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MeSH Terms

Conditions

Parkinson Disease

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Parkinsonian Disorders; Basal Ganglia Diseases; Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Movement Disorders; Synucleinopathies; Neurodegenerative Diseases

Study Officials

• Alice Nieuwboer, PhD

  KU Leuven

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Full Professor

Model Details: Parallel, randomization in two groups (intervention/control)

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 13, 2023
• First Posted: January 25, 2023
• Study Start: January 10, 2022
• Primary Completion: January 19, 2023
• Study Completion: January 31, 2023
• Last Updated: January 23, 2025

Record last verified: 2024-12

Locations

BE (1)