Impact of Force Control of Hip Abductor Muscles in Healthy Adults and Individuals With Parkinson's Disease

May 4, 2026 updated by: Chu-Ling Yen, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital

Impact of Force Control of Hip Abductor Muscles on Postural Control in Middle-aged and Older Adults and Individuals With Parkinson's Disease

Both aging and Parkinson's disease (PD) negatively affect postural control and increase the risk of falls, with frontal plane balance being particularly challenging for these populations. While previous studies have mainly focused on sagittal plane balance, the contribution of hip abductor muscles remains unclear, especially regarding their force production and control abilities. Therefore, this study aims to investigate hip abductor muscle force production and force control, and to examine whether these factors are associated with postural control, gait, and balance performance in individuals across different ages and those with PD.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Both aging and Parkinson's disease (PD) negatively affect postural control and increase the risk of falls, with frontal plane balance being particularly challenging for these populations. Previous studies have mainly focused on sagittal plane balance and have identified the important roles of ankle plantar flexors and knee extensors; however, the contribution of hip abductor muscles-key muscles for frontal plane stability-remains unclear, particularly in terms of their force production and control abilities. Therefore, this study aims to investigate hip abductor muscle force production and force control, and to examine whether these factors are associated with postural control, gait, and balance performance in individuals across different ages and those with PD. Healthy young, middle-aged, and older adults will be recruited from the community, and individuals with PD will be recruited from the Department of Neurology. Healthy participants must be in good health, able to walk independently, demonstrate normal cognitive function, and provide informed consent, while those with neurological, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, or other conditions affecting motor performance will be excluded. For individuals with PD, inclusion criteria will be a clinical diagnosis of idiopathic PD, Hoehn and Yahr stages 1 to 3, stable anti-PD medication use, and the ability to follow instructions and walk at least 10 m. Exclusion criteria will include psychiatric, immune, integumentary, or musculoskeletal disorders, neurological conditions other than PD, lower extremity pain, uncontrolled cardiovascular disease, or inability to provide informed consent. All participants will undergo a one-time assessment, including maximal voluntary isometric contraction, force steadiness, postural control, and gait performance.

Surface electromyography will be used to assess neuromuscular function, postural control will be evaluated using a force plate under multiple standing conditions, and gait parameters will be measured at both comfortable and fast walking speeds. Statistical analyses will be conducted using ANOVA to examine group differences.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
210

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • Taiwan
      • Taoyuan, Taiwan
        • Recruiting
        • Chang Gung Memorial Hospital
        • Contact:
      • Taoyuan, Taiwan
        • Recruiting
        • Chang Gung University
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sampling Method

Probability Sample

Study Population

This study recruits healthy elderly individuals, healthy middle-aged individuals, healthy young individuals, and individuals with PD.

Description

Healthy people

Inclusion Criteria:

  • 20 to 39 years (young), 40 to 59 years (young), and 60-85 years (old)
  • generally in good health
  • able to walk 10 m independently
  • able to follow all instructions

Exclusion Criteria:

  • neurologic, psychiatric, immune, integumentary, and musculoskeletal diseases or disorders which might influence this study
  • any pain over the lower extremities
  • uncontrolled cardiovascular diseases
  • unable to provide informed consent.

PD

Inclusion Criteria:

  • clinical diagnosis of idiopathic PD
  • Hoehn and Yahr stages 1 to 3
  • stable anti-PD medications
  • able to walk 10 m independently
  • able to follow all instructions

Exclusion Criteria:

  • psychiatric, immune, integumentary, and musculoskeletal diseases or disorders which might influence this study
  • neurological conditions other than PD
  • any pain over the lower extremities
  • uncontrolled cardiovascular diseases
  • unable to provide informed consent.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Healthy people
General healthy adults
Other: Age
We compare the young, middle-aged, and old groups
Other: Parkinson's disease (PD)
We compare the healthy group and PD group.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Maximal force
Time Frame: Baseline
The maximal force of lower extremity muscles
Baseline
Rate of torque development
Time Frame: Baseline
The ability to rapidly generate muscle force
Baseline
Force steadiness
Time Frame: Baseline
The ability to maintain a constant force output during a submaximal contraction
Baseline
Walking speed
Time Frame: Baseline
The time taken by participants to walk a standardized distance
Baseline
Step Length
Time Frame: Baseline
The linear distance between the two ankles, typically expressed in centimeter(cm).
Baseline
Cadence
Time Frame: Baseline
The number of steps taken per minute (SPM)
Baseline
Single Support Time
Time Frame: Baseline
The duration within the gait cycle when only one foot is in contact with the ground, typically measured in seconds or as a percentage of the total gait cycle.
Baseline
Double Support Time
Time Frame: Baseline
The portion of the gait cycle where both feet are in contact with the ground, indicating the transition phase between steps, expressed as a percentage of the gait cycle or in seconds.
Baseline
Swing Time
Time Frame: Baseline
The portion of the gait cycle where the foot is not in contact with the ground, moving forward to the next step. It is usually expressed as a percentage of the total gait cycle or in seconds.
Baseline
Timed Up-and-Go Test
Time Frame: Baseline
Tthe time an individual takes to stand up from a chair, walk 3 meters, turn around, walk back, and sit down.
Baseline
Four Square Step Test
Time Frame: Baseline
Participants will be required to perform four square step test by changing directions while stepping forward, sideway, and backward over a low obstacle as fast as possible.
Baseline
Center of Pressure (COP) Velocity in Balance Tasks
Time Frame: Baseline
The speed at which the COP moves, calculated over the duration of the balance task. Higher velocities may reflect more dynamic balance adjustments or instability. Unit：millimeter per second(mm/s)
Baseline
Center of Pressure (COP) Area in Balance Tasks
Time Frame: Baseline
The area covered by the COP trajectory during the balance task, providing an estimate of the sway envelope. A larger area might indicate poorer balance control. Unit：square millimeter(mm^2)
Baseline

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Chang Gung Memorial Hospital

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Chang Gung University

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Chu-Ling Yen, Chang Gung University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
August 1, 2023

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
July 31, 2029

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
July 31, 2029

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
April 25, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 1, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
May 6, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
May 8, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 4, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 202202289A3

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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