Whole-body Vibration as a Treatment for Parkinson's Disease

February 13, 2015 updated by: Adam Koebel, Sun Life Financial Movement Disorders Research and Rehabilitation Centre

The Efficacy of Long-term Whole-body Vibration in the Treatment of Parkinson's Disease

This study will evaluate whether whole-body vibration applied over a 12-week period is effective in treating motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

Study Overview

Status

Unknown

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease resulting in the loss of dopaminergic neurons projecting from the substantia nigra pars compacta to the striatum.

Whole-body vibration (WBV) is potentially beneficial in treating Parkinson's disease because it has been shown to elicit effects specific to both the brain and muscular system. Animal models of PD indicate that whole-body vibration can increase striatal dopamine levels, as well as the number of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. These findings were correlated with increased levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor.

In addition to the potentially neuroplastic effects, >20 Hz WBV has been shown to improve muscular performance. Improved muscular performance is believed to be attributed to WBV induced neuromuscular effects rather than muscle hypertrophy, with the specific mechanism defined as the tonic vibration reflex.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Anticipated)

60

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

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

Study Locations

  • Canada
    • Ontario
      • Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2L 3J5
        • Recruiting
        • Sun Life Financial Movement Disorders Research & Rehabilitation Centre
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Adam Koebel

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

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Diagnosed with idiopathic Parkinson's Disease by a Neurologist
  • Currently taking anti-Parkinsonian medication
  • Able to stand for 2 minutes without assistance
  • Able to walk 10 meters without assistance
  • Ability to understand English instructions
  • Normal or corrected vision

Exclusion Criteria:

  • A neurological disease other than PD
  • recent stroke
  • cardiovascular disease
  • previous major hemorrhage
  • artificial pacemaker
  • currently pregnant
  • Current participation in any physical therapy or experimental treatments
  • Peripheral neuropathy, severe osteoporosis
  • Visual impairments that cannot be corrected
  • Clinically diagnosed with dementia
  • Greater than mild dementia (screened using Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA) <24 being excluded)

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

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: whole-body vibration
40 Hz Whole-body vibration applied via physioaccoustic method for 12 weeks, 3 times a week
Device: vibrating chair
vibration provided via physioacoustic method
Sham Comparator: sham treatment
simulated whole-body vibration applied 3 times a week for 12 weeks
Device: sham treatment
simulated whole-body vibration
Other Names:
  • placebo

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) section III
Time Frame: change from baseline, 12 weeks, and 2 week washout
clinician monitored motor evaluation
change from baseline, 12 weeks, and 2 week washout

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Gait Assessment
Time Frame: change from baseline, 12 weeks, and 2 week washout
pressure sensitive carpet (GAITRite) measuring gait parameters (step length, step velocity, stride-to-stride variability, etc)
change from baseline, 12 weeks, and 2 week washout
Timed Up & Go (TUG) Test
Time Frame: change from baseline, 12 weeks, and 2 week washout
measuring time participants take to stand up from chair, walk towards an obstacle, turn around, walk back to chair, and sit back down again
change from baseline, 12 weeks, and 2 week washout
Timed Grooved Pegboard Task
Time Frame: change from baseline, 12 weeks, and 2 week washout
25 pegs with a key along one side must be rotated to properly be inserted into slot on board (measuring time-in and time-out)
change from baseline, 12 weeks, and 2 week washout

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Sun Life Financial Movement Disorders Research and Rehabilitation Centre

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Adam K Koebel, BSc, Wilfrid Laurier University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

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

January 1, 2015

Primary Completion (Anticipated)

July 1, 2015

Study Completion (Anticipated)

August 1, 2015

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

December 1, 2014

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

December 2, 2014

First Posted (Estimate)

December 3, 2014

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

February 16, 2015

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 13, 2015

Last Verified

February 1, 2015

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 4291

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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