Passive Versus Active Music Therapy Parkinson's Disease

Using a crossover counterbalanced approach, participants with idiopathic PD (n=28) will be recruited to complete 3 separate experimental visits each with a differing condition: 1) No music (control; CON), 2) PMT, 3) AMT. For each condition, participants will complete a battery of functional testing (sit-to-stand test; STS) and goal-based exercise (6-minute walk test; 6MWT) separated by 20-minutes of rest. Functional ability will be determined via biomechanical parameters (i.e. peak force, braking force, rate of force development) during the 5-time STS test. Exercise capacity (i.e. distance, average walking velocity) will be determined for goal-based exercise during the 6MWT. During each test, a medical grade smartwatch will record psychophysiological (i.e. heart rate, metabolic equivalents, electrodermal activity) responses. Furthermore, psychometric testing for motivation, enjoyment, psychological arousal, fatigue, and rating of perceived exertion will be conducted after each test attempt.

Inclusion criteria

• Formal diagnosis of idiopathic PD
• Hoen & Yahr Stage <III
• Middle or old age onset of PD (at least 50 years of age)
• The ability to ambulate without assistive devices
• Stable medication regimen for four weeks prior to participation
• No changes to treatment of PD in the last month.

Exclusion criteria

• Primary psychiatric disease (non-PD related)
• Reports of falling in the last six weeks
• Any reason a participant or their healthcare team believed their participation in the study could negatively impact their well-being.