Using Gait Robotics to Improve Symptoms of Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson Disease Clinical Trial

Official title: Using Gait Robotics to Improve Symptoms of Parkinson's Disease

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

This study evaluates the benefits of exoskeleton-based exercise for improving mood and cognition in people with Parkinson's disease (PD). Participants with PD will be assigned one of three treatments delivered over 8-weeks: exoskeleton exercise (experimental intervention), non-exoskeleton exercise (active comparator), and wait-list control (no treatment).

Clinical Trial Description

Parkinson's Disease (PD) is a movement disorder that significantly impairs mobility and increases risk of falls. Many people with PD also experience mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and some progress to Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD). Non-pharmacologic treatments such as physical activity and exercise are known to be neuroprotective and may improve cognition, mood and overall functioning in PD, but such interventions can be challenging for individuals with PD and cognitive impairment to fully participate in. Robotic over-ground exoskeletons have the potential to overcome this barrier; however there are no scientific data yet to support the use robotic exoskeletons in the PD population or those with mood disorder and/or declining cognitive function.

This therapeutic exploratory trial will fill this gap in knowledge and provide critical data for understanding how to integrate exoskeletons into clinical practice for age-related movement disorders when cognitive decline is present. Specifically we will test if an 8-week functional exercise program (gait, balance, aerobic exercise) using the KEEOGO Rehab(tm) exoskeleton can improve mood and cognition, as well as gait and balance, compared to the same functional exercise without using the exoskeleton, and a wait-list control (no treatment). ;

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Cognitive Dysfunction
• Dementia
• Mild Cognitive Impairment
• Parkinson Disease

• NCT number: NCT03583879
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: University of New Brunswick
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: September 28, 2018
• Completion date: October 4, 2019