NCT05818189

Brief Summary

The purpose of the study is to determine the effects of a novel, personalized, tactile cueing system on gait automaticity. The researchers hypothesized that step-synchronized tactile cueing will reduce prefrontal cortex activity (improve automaticity) and improve gait variability (as well as gait speed). The researchers predict that improved automaticity with improved gait variability will be associated with increased activation of other than prefrontal cortical areas while walking (i.e., sensory-motor). To determine the effects of cueing, 60 participants with PD from will be randomized into one, of two, cueing interventions: 1) personalized, step-synchronized tactile cueing and 2) tactile cueing at fixed intervals as an active control group. In addition, the researchers will explore the feasibility and potential benefits of independent use of tactile cueing during a week in daily life for a future clinical trial. This project will characterize the cortical correlates of gait automaticity, the changes in gait automaticity with cueing in people with Parkinson's Disease, and how these changes translate to improvement in gait and turning. The long-term goal is to unravel the mechanisms of impaired gait automaticity in Parkinson's Disease.

Trial Health

77
On Track

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
60

participants targeted

Target at P50-P75 for not_applicable parkinson-disease

Timeline
21mo left

Started Jan 2025

Typical duration for not_applicable parkinson-disease

Geographic Reach
1 country

1 active site

Status
recruiting

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

Study Progress44%
Jan 2025Jan 2028

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

April 5, 2023

Completed
13 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

April 18, 2023

Completed
1.7 years until next milestone

Study Start

First participant enrolled

January 15, 2025

Completed
2.7 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

October 1, 2027

Expected
4 months until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

January 31, 2028

Last Updated

December 17, 2025

Status Verified

December 1, 2025

Enrollment Period

2.7 years

First QC Date

April 5, 2023

Last Update Submit

December 12, 2025

Conditions

Keywords

Tactile cueingGaitTurningCortical activity

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (6)

  • Prefrontal cortex activity

    Oxygenated hemoglobin over the prefrontal cortex measures by fNIRS

    day 1

  • Parietal cortex activity

    Oxygenated hemoglobin over the parietal cortex measures by fNIRS

    day 1

  • Stride time variability

    Variability of stride time during 2 minute walking

    day 1

  • Local Dynamic Stability

    Stability during gait is assessed by phase dependent local dynamic stability (LDS) measures of the trunk acceleration while walking

    day 1

  • Turn duration

    Average duration of 360 turning while performing a 1 minute turning in place task

    day 1

  • Turn jerk

    Average turning smoothness while performing a 1 minute turning in place task

    day 1

Secondary Outcomes (13)

  • Supplementary motor area cortical activity

    day 1

  • Occipital cortical activity

    day 1

  • Gait speed

    day 1

  • Gait speed variability

    day 1

  • Stride time

    day 1

  • +8 more secondary outcomes

Study Arms (2)

Personalized cueing

EXPERIMENTAL

Personalized, step-synchronized tactile cueing, enhancing proprioceptive inputs, in the form of real-time, closed-loop tactile feedback signaling left and right stance times while walking

Device: Personalized tactile cueing

Fixed cueing

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Tactile cueing at fixed intervals, enhancing proprioceptive inputs, in the form of open-loop tactile feedback (fixed rhythm) signaling left and right stance times while walking

Device: Fixed tactile cueing

Interventions

We will use as an external cue, a system of tactile cueing with the purpose of enhancing proprioceptive inputs, in the form of real-time(synchronized to the gait heel strike), closed-loop tactile feedback signaling left and right stance times while walking. Also, the participants use the same system cueing in closed-loop feedback during daily life for one week.

Also known as: personalized
Personalized cueing

We will use as an external cue, a system of tactile cueing with the purpose of enhancing proprioceptive inputs, in the form of real-time, open-loop(fixed rhythm) tactile feedback signaling left and right stance times while walking. Also, the participants use the same system cueing in open-loop feedback during daily life for one week.

Also known as: fixed
Fixed cueing

Eligibility Criteria

Age45 Years - 85 Years
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersNo
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • Diagnosis of idiopathic Parkinson's Disease from movement disorders neurologist with the United Kingdom Brain Bank criteria of bradykinesia with 1 or more of the following - rest tremor, rigidity, and balance problems not from visual, vestibular, cerebellar or proprioceptive conditions
  • Without musculoskeletal or peripheral or central nervous system disorders (other than PD) that could significantly affect their balance and gait
  • All subjects will be capable of following directions for the protocols and to give informed consent.
  • Hoehn \& Yahr Levels II-III.

You may not qualify if:

  • Severe dyskinesia that may affect quality of fNIRS.
  • Major musculoskeletal or neurological disorders, structural brain disease, epilepsy, acute illness or health history, other than Parkinson's Disease, significantly affecting gait and turning i.e., peripheral neuropathy with proprioceptive deficits (detected as lack of toe proprioception assessed during the neurological exam at Day 1), musculoskeletal disorders, vestibular problem, head injury, stroke.
  • Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) score \< 21 or dementia that precludes consent to participate or ability to follow testing procedures
  • Inability to stand or walk for 2 minutes without an assistive device.

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

Oregon Health and Science University

Portland, Oregon, 97239, United States

RECRUITING

Related Publications (1)

  • Burgos PI, Liu W, Silva-Batista C, Baker-Alcala F, Carlson-Kuhta P, King LA, Horak FB, Chung KA, Lapidus JA, Mancini M. Personalized versus fixed tactile cueing in Parkinson's disease: Protocol for a randomized controlled trial on gait automaticity. PLoS One. 2025 Nov 21;20(11):e0336859. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0336859. eCollection 2025.

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Parkinson Disease

Interventions

Precision Medicine

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Parkinsonian DisordersBasal Ganglia DiseasesBrain DiseasesCentral Nervous System DiseasesNervous System DiseasesMovement DisordersSynucleinopathiesNeurodegenerative Diseases

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Therapeutics

Study Officials

  • Martina Mancini, PhD

    Oregon Health and Science University

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Francesa Alcalá, B.S.

CONTACT

Graham Harker, MPH

CONTACT

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
TRIPLE
Who Masked
PARTICIPANT, INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
Masking Details
The subjects will not know which intervention is favored for improving gait automaticity and the researchers analyzing the data will not know which intervention group subjects were randomly assigned.
Purpose
TREATMENT
Intervention Model
PARALLEL
Model Details: 60 participants with PD from Aim I, will be randomized into one, of two, cueing interventions: 1) personalized, step-synchronized tactile cueing and 2) tactile cueing at fixed intervals as an active control group. We will analyze the immediate effects of the cueing intervention on gait automaticity. In addition, we will explore the feasibility and potential benefits of independent use of tactile cueing during a week in daily life for a future clinical trial.
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
PI Title
Associate Professor

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

April 5, 2023

First Posted

April 18, 2023

Study Start

January 15, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

October 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

January 31, 2028

Last Updated

December 17, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-12

Data Sharing

IPD Sharing
Will share

Upon reasonable request, we can share de-identified data related to study outcomes measures.

Shared Documents
STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP
Time Frame
Data would be available 6 months after the end of data collection. Data will be stored in our laboratory data repository and so will be available indefinitely.
Access Criteria
Data will not be stored on a public website, however researchers may contact us for access to the data. We will send data electronically via a secure server.

Locations