Mobile Application for Gait Training in Parkinson's Disease

July 2, 2026 updated by: Mehmet Ozkeskin, Ege University

Development and Investigation of the Effectiveness of an External Stimulus-Supported Gait Training Mobile Application for Patients With Parkinson's Disease

The developed mobile application provides patient-specific metronome-based auditory cues and simultaneous tactile vibrations to regulate walking rhythm. In this study, the effects of the mobile application on walking performance and balance in patients with Parkinson's disease will be examined in a single-center, controlled design. Participants will undergo gait training for 30 minutes per day, 3 days a week, for a total of 6 weeks. The experimental group will use the mobile application, while the control group will receive standard gait training without any external stimuli. Walking and functional performance will be assessed before and after the intervention using the Timed Up and Go Test (TUG) to assess functional mobility and dynamic balance, the 5-Times Sit to Stand Test (5xSST) to evaluate lower extremity functional strength, and the Freezing of Gait Questionnaire (FOGQ) to evaluate freezing episodes. Additionally, spatiotemporal walking parameters will be measured using a separate gait analysis mobile application. Appropriate statistical tests will be applied, and a significance level of p<0.05 will be considered.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

The developed mobile application is a digital tool that provides automated, patient-specific metronome sounds and corresponding tactile vibrations to support optimal walking speed and rhythm. This study aims to investigate the effects of this external stimulus-supported gait training on walking performance and functional mobility in patients with Parkinson's disease in a single-center, controlled design.

Participants will be randomized into two groups: an experimental group receiving both auditory and tactile stimuli (vibration) via the mobile application, and a control group receiving standard gait training without any external stimuli. Both groups will undergo gait training for 30 minutes per day, 3 days a week, over a period of 6 weeks. Assessments will be conducted before and after the intervention by trained clinicians under standardized conditions. Walking and balance performance will be evaluated using the Timed Up and Go Test (TUG) to assess functional mobility and dynamic balance, the Dual-Task TUG to assess cognitive-motor interaction, the 5-Times Sit to Stand Test (5xSST) to measure lower extremity functional strength, the Trunk Impairment Scale (TIS) to evaluate trunk control, and the Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I) to assess fall anxiety. Additionally, spatiotemporal walking parameters, including cadence, walking speed, and step count, will be analyzed using a separate gait analysis mobile application (Gait Analyzer).

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

52

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 Contact

Study Locations

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

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Diagnosed with idiopathic Parkinson's disease by a neurologist based on clinical and radiological findings.

Disease severity between stages 1 to 3 according to the Modified Hoehn and Yahr Scale.

Able to walk at least 10 meters independently or with an assistive device.

Being in the "ON" period of Parkinson's medication.

Ability to use technological devices such as smartphones (scoring 35 or higher on the Digital Competence Inventory for Older Adults).

Fluent in reading, understanding, and speaking Turkish.

Voluntarily participating in the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

Having neurological disorders other than Parkinson's disease that could affect mobility.

History of knee joint surgery or traumatic injury affecting the knee joint.

History of any surgery within the last 6 months.

Presence of a deep brain stimulator.

Hearing impairment.

Cognitive impairment or inability to understand and follow the study procedures.

Other physical or systemic conditions that could affect walking assessments (e.g., amputation, severe diabetes mellitus, alcohol addiction).

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: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Mobile Application Group
Participants will receive gait training with personalized metronome sounds (auditory stimulus) and simultaneous vibrations (tactile stimulus) using a smartphone. The training is applied for 30 minutes per session, 3 days a week, for 6 weeks.
Device: Mobile Application (Auditory and Tactile Stimuli)
A smartphone application providing automated, patient-specific metronome sounds and tactile vibrations to support optimal walking speed and rhythm.
No Intervention: Control Group
Participants will receive standard gait training for 30 minutes per session, 3 days a week, for 6 weeks, without any external auditory or tactile stimuli.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Gait Speed
Time Frame: Baseline and 6 weeks

Description: Assessed objectively using the Texas Instruments SensorTag wearable sensor. Participants walk over a level surface at their self-selected speed. The device captures the gait patterns, and the system records the mean gait speed. A higher value indicates better functional mobility and improvements following the dual-task training.

Unit of Measure: centimeters/second (cm/s)
Baseline and 6 weeks
Timed Up and Go Test (TUG)
Time Frame: Baseline and 6 weeks
Evaluates functional mobility and dynamic balance. The time taken to stand up from a chair, walk 3 meters, turn, walk back, and sit down is recorded in seconds. A shorter time indicates better functional mobility.
Baseline and 6 weeks
Dual-Task Timed Up and Go Test
Time Frame: Baseline and 6 weeks
Evaluates the effect of a cognitive dual-task on mobility. Participants perform the standard TUG test while completing a simultaneous cognitive task (e.g., counting backward). The time is recorded in seconds.
Baseline and 6 weeks
Freezing of Gait Questionnaire (FOGQ)
Time Frame: Baseline and 6 weeks
Evaluates freezing episodes and gait-related experiences. It consists of 6 items evaluated on a 5-point Likert scale. The total score ranges from 0 to 24. Higher scores indicate more severe freezing of gait.
Baseline and 6 weeks
Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I)
Time Frame: Baseline and 6 weeks
Assesses the fear of falling during physical and social activities. It consists of 16 items on a 4-point scale. The total score ranges from 16 to 64. Higher scores indicate a greater fear of falling.
Baseline and 6 weeks
Five Times Sit to Stand Test (5xSST)
Time Frame: Baseline and 6 weeks
Evaluates lower extremity functional strength. The time taken to stand up and sit down five times as quickly as possible is recorded in seconds. A shorter duration indicates better lower extremity strength.
Baseline and 6 weeks
Trunk Impairment Scale (TIS)
Time Frame: Baseline and 6 weeks
Evaluates trunk control, including static sitting balance, dynamic sitting balance, and trunk coordination. The total score ranges from 0 to 23. Higher scores indicate better trunk performance.
Baseline and 6 weeks
System Usability Scale (SUS)
Time Frame: 6 weeks
Evaluates the usability and user experience of the developed mobile application (assessed only in the experimental group). It consists of 10 items on a 5-point Likert scale. Higher scores indicate better usability.
6 weeks
Digital Competence Inventory for Older Adults
Time Frame: Baseline
Evaluates the digital competence of participants in using technological devices. It consists of 24 items across four subscales: information literacy, communication and collaboration, safety, and problem-solving.
Baseline

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Cadence
Time Frame: Baseline and 6 weeks

Description: Evaluated using the Texas Instruments SensorTag wearable sensor during walking at a self-selected speed. The system records the step rate. A higher value generally indicates a more efficient walking pattern.

Unit of Measure: steps/second
Baseline and 6 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Ege University

Collaborators

The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey

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)

April 7, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

August 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

September 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 22, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 2, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

July 7, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

July 7, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 2, 2026

Last Verified

April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 324S023

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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