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Completed

NCT Number: NCT05919771

Effects of Rock Climbing on Parkinson's Disease

This research study is being conducted to understand the outcomes of participation in the Up ENDing Parkinson's rock climbing program (24 sessions, or twice per week for about 12 weeks) on walking & mobility, hand strength & dexterity, and psychological well-being in individuals with Parkinson's Disease (PD). The rock climbing sessions are administered and supervised by Up ENDing Parkinson's, and are tailored to the skill level of the participant. Participants will answer questionnaires and complete physical performance tests twice, first prior to beginning the sessions and then again after the 24 sessions have been completed.

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Key information

Conditions

Parkinson Disease Basal Ganglia Diseases Brain Diseases Central Nervous System Diseases Movement Disorders Nervous System Diseases Neurodegenerative Diseases Parkinsonian Disorders Synucleinopathies

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Marymount University

Arlington, Virginia, 22201, United States

About this study

Parkinson's disease (PD) compromises multiple systems (neurological, musculoskeletal, cardiopulmonary, cognitive) over time, leading to functional decline. Additionally, individuals with PD may experience stressors commonly associated with chronic illness that can negatively impact psychological well-being. Exercise is commonly prescribed for individuals with PD and recently, interventions that are vigorous in nature and community- and performance-based are gaining traction (e.g., dancing, boxing, rock climbing). Despite increasing popularity, the evidence-base for these programs is still developing and far from conclusive. Recommendations are strong for: Community-based exercise, intensive aerobic and resistance training, and external cueing (Osborne et al., 2022). Rock climbing (RC) contains each of these elements and could potentially be a therapeutic intervention for people with PD. Yet little is known about the outcomes of this particular form of organized physical activity programs for this health condition. One such program is the rock climbing experiences offered by the UpENDing Parkinson's Rock Climbing (UEPRC).

The specific aims of this study are to characterize the effects of UEPRC on: 1) mobility and walking; 2) upper extremity (UE) functioning and 3) psychological and social well-being.

Participants will complete 24 rock climbing sessions tailored to their skill levels supervised by UEPRC over approximately 12 weeks.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • at least 18 years old
  • Diagnosis of Parkinson's disease
  • Hoehn & Yahr score 1-3
  • able to speak and read in English;
  • able to ambulate at least 10 meters with no assistive device or human assistance

Exclusion criteria

  • neurological disease diagnosis other than PD;
  • uncontrolled cardiovascular, pulmonary, neurological, or metabolic disease which may impact the ability to exercise or in which exercise is contraindicated;
  • cognitive or psychiatric impairment precluding informed consent or ability to following instructions;
  • pregnancy;
  • inability to ambulate 10 meters without assistive device or human assistance

Treatment and study plan

rock climbing

Other

Vertical ascent of a surface specifically designed to elicit the skills that might be required to scale a naturally occurring rock formation

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in Community Mobility and Ambulation

    Time frame: Baseline and at 12 weeks

    Test of specific tasks to be accomplished to walk forward on a level surface safely and efficiently as evidence by the Community Balance and Mobility Scale (CBMS). CBMS is scored from 0-96 with higher scores denoting better performance.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change in Agility

    Time frame: Baseline and at 12 weeks

    Test of the ability to move forward, laterally, and backward on a level surface safely and efficiently as evidence by the Agility T-Test.

  2. Change in Dexterity

    Time frame: Baseline and at 12 weeks

    This test assesses upper extremity dexterity by assessing the time it takes to remove 9 pegs from a tray and place in peg holes and then remove pegs and place them back in tray as measured by the 9-Hole Peg Test.

  3. Change in Reaction Time

    Time frame: Baseline and at 12 weeks

    This test assesses combined cognitive and physical reaction time to initiate a movement response utilizing colored light stimuli as evidenced by using Blaze Pods.

  4. Change in Apathy

    Time frame: Baseline and at 12 weeks

    This survey addresses lack of emotion, interest, concern, or recognition of goals by measuring levels of participant's interest, motivation, and engagement as evidenced by the Starkstein Apathy Scale. The Starkstein Apathy Scale scores range from 0-42 with higher scores representing greater levels of apathy.

  5. Change in Resilience

    Time frame: Baseline and at 12 weeks

    This survey measures one's ability to thrive in the face of adversity as evidenced by the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale 25 (CD-RISC-25). CD-RISC-25 scores range from 0-100 with higher scores indicating greater resilience.

  6. Change in Social Adaptation

    Time frame: Baseline and at 12 weeks

    This survey measures motivation and behavior as related to work and hobbies, family and relationships, and social situations as evidenced by the Social Adaptation Self-Evaluation Scale (SAS). SAS scores range from 0-63 with higher scores representing better social adaptation.

Other outcomes

  1. Change in Grip strength

    Time frame: Baseline and at 12 weeks

    Measure of force production in the dominant hand using a hand-held dynamometer. The score is force output in pounds, with higher force output representing greater strength.

  2. Change in Quality of Life across Multiple Dimensions: Perception of difficulty with daily life across 8 dimensions of daily living

    Time frame: Baseline and at 12 weeks

    This survey is a multidimensional survey covering mobility, activities of daily living, emotional well-being, stigma, social support, cognition, communication, and bodily discomfort as evidenced by the Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire-39 (PDQ-39). PDQ-39 provides scores from 0-100 in each of the 8 domains listed and an overall Summary Index score from 0-100. Lower scores reflect better quality of life.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Marymount University

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2023
Primary completion
2024
Study completion
2024
First posted
Jun 26, 2023
Registry last updated
Aug 22, 2024

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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