Facilitating Motor Skill Learning in Parkinson's Disease (FAST-PD)
Facilitating Motor Skill Learning by Aerobic Training in Parkinson's Disease
Study Overview
Status
Conditions
Intervention / Treatment
Detailed Description
Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized by motor control impairments, such as gait disturbances and postural instability. Beneficial effects of exercise are attributed to mechanisms of neuroplasticity, and task-specific motor training is consequently considered to be a motor learning process. While motor learning is preserved in persons with Parkinson's disease, slower acquisition rates and reduced retention have been reported compared to healthy individuals.
Thus, it is crucial to identify strategies to enhance motor learning in people with Parkinson's disease. Recent studies have accumulated evidence to show that aerobic exercise can facilitate motor skill learning. However, these observations are limited to healthy individuals and have not been addressed in individuals with neurologic conditions.
The present study is designed to assess the effects of a single bout of moderate intensity aerobic exercise on a motor skill learning task in patients with Parkinson's disease.
In a cross-over design, participants will be randomly allocated to one of two groups. Both groups will practice balancing on a specific stability platform (motor learning task). The experimental group will additionally perform a bout of aerobic exercise (cycle ergometer) immediately before the motor learning task, while the control group will rest before practice. Subsequently, the acquisition and one-day retention of the motor learning task will be examined.
Study Type
Enrollment (Actual)
Phase
- Not Applicable
Contacts and Locations
Study Locations
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Erlangen, Germany, 91058
- Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Institute of Sport Science and Sport, Gebbertstr. 123b
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Participation Criteria
Eligibility Criteria
Ages Eligible for Study
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Genders Eligible for Study
Description
Inclusion Criteria:
- Parkinson's disease stage 1-3 on Hoehn & Yahr scale
- Ability to stand unaided and walk without an assistive device
- Stable medication during the study period
Exclusion Criteria:
- On-off and wearing-off phenomena
- Unstable medical or psychiatric illness
- Clinically relevant cardiovascular or orthopaedic disease
- Severe polyneuropathy
- Cognitive impairment
- Smoking > 10 cigarettes/day
- Caffeine > 6 cups of coffee/day
- Alcohol > 50 g (two glasses)/day
Study Plan
How is the study designed?
Design Details
- Primary Purpose: TREATMENT
- Allocation: RANDOMIZED
- Interventional Model: CROSSOVER
- Masking: NONE
Arms and Interventions
Participant Group / Arm |
Intervention / Treatment |
|---|---|
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EXPERIMENTAL: aerobic exercise + motor skill practice
acute bout of aerobic exercise before motor learning
|
Single-bout of moderate intensity aerobic exercise on a cycle ergometer before motor learning
Motor learning task on a stability platform (Stabilometer).
Participants try to keep the tiltable platform in an horizontal position.
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ACTIVE_COMPARATOR: rest + motor skill practice
seated rest before motor learning
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Motor learning task on a stability platform (Stabilometer).
Participants try to keep the tiltable platform in an horizontal position.
Seated rest before motor learning
|
What is the study measuring?
Primary Outcome Measures
Outcome Measure |
Measure Description |
Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
|
Motor Learning (Precision)
Time Frame: Baseline (first trial of practice day 1), 1 day (last trial of practice day 1), and 7 days (first trial of 7-day retention session).
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Change from baseline in time in balance (±5° from horizontal) during balancing task.
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Baseline (first trial of practice day 1), 1 day (last trial of practice day 1), and 7 days (first trial of 7-day retention session).
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Secondary Outcome Measures
Outcome Measure |
Measure Description |
Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
|
Motor Learning (Variability)
Time Frame: Baseline (first trial of practice day 1), 1 day (last trial of practice day 1), and 7 days (first trial of 7-day retention session).
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Change from baseline in mean standard deviation (root mean square error) of platform deflection (in degree).
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Baseline (first trial of practice day 1), 1 day (last trial of practice day 1), and 7 days (first trial of 7-day retention session).
|
Collaborators and Investigators
Sponsor
Collaborators
Investigators
- Principal Investigator: Simon Steib, Dr., Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Institute of Sport Science and Sport
Publications and helpful links
Helpful Links
Study record dates
Study Major Dates
Study Start (ACTUAL)
Primary Completion (ACTUAL)
Study Completion (ACTUAL)
Study Registration Dates
First Submitted
First Submitted That Met QC Criteria
First Posted (ACTUAL)
Study Record Updates
Last Update Posted (ACTUAL)
Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria
Last Verified
More Information
Terms related to this study
Keywords
Additional Relevant MeSH Terms
Other Study ID Numbers
- DSN-032017
Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)
Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?
Drug and device information, study documents
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product
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