A Novel Balance Program to Improve Balance in People With Parkinson's Disease

A Novel Balance Program to Improve Balance in People With Parkinson's Disease: A Feasibility Study

The purpose of this exploratory single-blinded feasibility study is to explore the effects of a lateral stepping program integrated into an existing community-based group exercise program for people with PD. The researchers hypothesize that participation in a lateral stepping program a minimum of 2 times/week for 8 weeks, in addition to RSB class participation is feasible in middle to late stage PD and will decrease fall risk factors. The researchers also hypothesize that the integration of this program into an existing community-based RSB program will be deemed feasible as shown by the number of sessions attended by each participant.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Physical Therapy; Rehabilitation Exercise
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Lateral Stepping Exercise 1; Other: Lateral Stepping Exercise 2; Other: Lateral Stepping Exercise 3; Other: Lateral Stepping Exercise 5; Other: Lateral Stepping Exercise 4

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 5
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • New York
    • Old Westbury, New York, United States, 11568
      • New York Institute of Technology

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. A diagnosis of idiopathic PD stages II, III, or IV of the Hoehn and Yahr scale
2. 50-85 years inclusive
3. Subjects must be enrolled in RSB at NY Tech and attend at least 1 day per week for a minimum of 4 weeks prior to the first baseline assessment
4. English speaking.
5. Stable PD medication regime.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Any cardiovascular or other medical condition that would affect participation
2. Any hip and/or knee surgery or other injury that would prevent full participation in the intervention
3. Neurological conditions other than PD
4. Montreal Cognitive Assessment of ≤21
5. Pain that interferes with testing 13
6. Current participation in other strengthening, stretching or balance programs other than Rock Steady Boxing at NY Tech
7. Inability to understand and fully participate in this study

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Intervention / Treatment

Other: prove feasible to integrate into an existing community group exercise program; Prove feasible to integrate into an existing community group exercise program and Decrease the number of fall risk factors

Other: Lateral Stepping Exercise 1; 1. Standing hip abduction: Performed without and with resistance bands and/or support. The participant will raise one leg out to the side and return. If using a resistance band, one end of the band will be secured to a stable surface and the other end placed around one of the participants' ankles. The banded leg will be raised to the side. Three sets of 8-12 repetitions will be performed per side.; Other: Lateral Stepping Exercise 2; 2. Lateral stepping: Performed without and with resistance bands. The participant will perform a series of steps to the side. If using a resistance band, the band will be placed around both ankles in a 'loop' and the participant will perform the lateral stepping. Three sets of 8-12 repetitions will be performed per side per subject.; Other: Lateral Stepping Exercise 3; 3. Single leg stance: The participant will stand on one leg with support as needed. The contralateral knee will be held at 45 degrees throughout the exercise. The instructor will observe to ensure the bent leg does not contact the ground. Three repetitions of static stance per side will be performed with a goal of 30 seconds, and a maximum time of 60 seconds, per repetition.; Other: Lateral Stepping Exercise 5; 5. Lateral Reactive Postural Control: The participant will lean into the researcher's hand to shift their center of mass outside of their base of support. Hand placement will be at the glenohumeral joint and the pelvis. The researcher will withdraw support and guard the participant as the participant regains their balance. This is item 6 on the Mini-BESTest assessment that will be incorporated as an intervention. To be performed 3x per side.; Other: Lateral Stepping Exercise 4; 4. Staggered stance mini-squat: Participants will stand with the feet hip-width apart and one leg placed a short step forward. The participant will squat straight down keeping the trunk upright and return to an upright position.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
The Mini-BESTest	Performance measure, validated in people with PD, aimed to target and identify 6 different balance control systems	10-15 minutes
The Functional Gait Assessment	Validated for people with PD is a performance measure validated in people with PD that is used to assess balance in the higher-functioning older adult and examines ambulation and the ability to perform motor tasks while ambulating	5-20 minutes
The Multidirectional Functional Reach Test	Used to assess stability when displacing a person's balance in a forward, lateral, and backward direction	Less than 5 minutes
The Four-Square Step Test	Validated for people with PD is used to measure a patient's fall risk. The test requires a stopwatch and 4 canes laid in a cross pattern. The canes crossed pattern makeup 4 quadrants; quadrant 1 (bottom left), quadrant 2 (top left), quadrant 3 (top right), and quadrant 4 (bottom right). The subject is timed while they step clockwise, and then counterclockwise throughout the quadrants. An assistive device may be used.	less than 5 minutes
The Activities Balance Confidence Scale	Validated for people with PD, is a self-report measure of balance confidence while performing various common activities. Scale is from 0% to 100% with 100% being the most confident in their balance in a criterion.	5-10 minutes
The Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire-39	39-item self-administered questionnaire designed to assess 8 different quality-of-life domains. Uses a 5-point ordinal scale with 0 being never and 5 being always. Lower scores indicate a lower quality of life.	approximately 10 minutes

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: New York Institute of Technology
• Collaborators: The Touro College and University System

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): September 20, 2023
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 18, 2023
• Study Completion (Actual): December 18, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 7, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 7, 2023
• First Posted (Actual): June 18, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): December 19, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 17, 2025
• Last Verified: December 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Parkinsonian Disorders; Basal Ganglia Diseases; Movement Disorders; Synucleinopathies; Neurodegenerative Diseases; Parkinson Disease
• Other Study ID Numbers: BHS- IRB

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No