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NCT Number: NCT07568951

Impact of Force Control of Hip Abductor Muscles in Healthy Adults and Individuals With Parkinson's Disease

Both aging and Parkinson's disease (PD) negatively affect postural control and increase the risk of falls, with frontal plane balance being particularly challenging for these populations. While previous studies have mainly focused on sagittal plane balance, the contribution of hip abductor muscles remains unclear, especially regarding their force production and control abilities. Therefore, this study aims to investigate hip abductor muscle force production and force control, and to examine whether these factors are associated with postural control, gait, and balance performance in individuals across different ages and those with PD.

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Key information

Conditions

Aging Basal Ganglia Diseases Brain Diseases Central Nervous System Diseases Movement Disorders Nervous System Diseases Neurodegenerative Diseases Parkinson Disease Parkinson's Disease (PD) Parkinsonian Disorders Synucleinopathies

Age range

20 year–85 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan

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About this study

Both aging and Parkinson's disease (PD) negatively affect postural control and increase the risk of falls, with frontal plane balance being particularly challenging for these populations. Previous studies have mainly focused on sagittal plane balance and have identified the important roles of ankle plantar flexors and knee extensors; however, the contribution of hip abductor muscles-key muscles for frontal plane stability-remains unclear, particularly in terms of their force production and control abilities. Therefore, this study aims to investigate hip abductor muscle force production and force control, and to examine whether these factors are associated with postural control, gait, and balance performance in individuals across different ages and those with PD. Healthy young, middle-aged, and older adults will be recruited from the community, and individuals with PD will be recruited from the Department of Neurology. Healthy participants must be in good health, able to walk independently, demonstrate normal cognitive function, and provide informed consent, while those with neurological, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, or other conditions affecting motor performance will be excluded. For individuals with PD, inclusion criteria will be a clinical diagnosis of idiopathic PD, Hoehn and Yahr stages 1 to 3, stable anti-PD medication use, and the ability to follow instructions and walk at least 10 m. Exclusion criteria will include psychiatric, immune, integumentary, or musculoskeletal disorders, neurological conditions other than PD, lower extremity pain, uncontrolled cardiovascular disease, or inability to provide informed consent. All participants will undergo a one-time assessment, including maximal voluntary isometric contraction, force steadiness, postural control, and gait performance.

Surface electromyography will be used to assess neuromuscular function, postural control will be evaluated using a force plate under multiple standing conditions, and gait parameters will be measured at both comfortable and fast walking speeds. Statistical analyses will be conducted using ANOVA to examine group differences.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Healthy people

Inclusion criteria

  • 20 to 39 years (young), 40 to 59 years (young), and 60-85 years (old)
  • generally in good health
  • able to walk 10 m independently
  • able to follow all instructions

Exclusion criteria

  • neurologic, psychiatric, immune, integumentary, and musculoskeletal diseases or disorders which might influence this study
  • any pain over the lower extremities
  • uncontrolled cardiovascular diseases
  • unable to provide informed consent.

PD

Inclusion criteria

  • clinical diagnosis of idiopathic PD
  • Hoehn and Yahr stages 1 to 3
  • stable anti-PD medications
  • able to walk 10 m independently
  • able to follow all instructions

Exclusion criteria

  • psychiatric, immune, integumentary, and musculoskeletal diseases or disorders which might influence this study
  • neurological conditions other than PD
  • any pain over the lower extremities
  • uncontrolled cardiovascular diseases
  • unable to provide informed consent.

Treatment and study plan

age

Other

We compare the young, middle-aged, and old groups

Parkinson's disease (PD)

Other

We compare the healthy group and PD group.

Primary outcomes

  1. Maximal force

    Time frame: Baseline

    The maximal force of lower extremity muscles

  2. Rate of torque development

    Time frame: Baseline

    The ability to rapidly generate muscle force

  3. Force steadiness

    Time frame: Baseline

    The ability to maintain a constant force output during a submaximal contraction

  4. Walking speed

    Time frame: Baseline

    The time taken by participants to walk a standardized distance

  5. Step Length

    Time frame: Baseline

    The linear distance between the two ankles, typically expressed in centimeter(cm).

  6. Cadence

    Time frame: Baseline

    The number of steps taken per minute (SPM)

  7. Single Support Time

    Time frame: Baseline

    The duration within the gait cycle when only one foot is in contact with the ground, typically measured in seconds or as a percentage of the total gait cycle.

  8. Double Support Time

    Time frame: Baseline

    The portion of the gait cycle where both feet are in contact with the ground, indicating the transition phase between steps, expressed as a percentage of the gait cycle or in seconds.

  9. Swing Time

    Time frame: Baseline

    The portion of the gait cycle where the foot is not in contact with the ground, moving forward to the next step. It is usually expressed as a percentage of the total gait cycle or in seconds.

  10. Center of Pressure (COP) Velocity in Balance Tasks

    Time frame: Baseline

    The speed at which the COP moves, calculated over the duration of the balance task. Higher velocities may reflect more dynamic balance adjustments or instability. Unit：millimeter per second(mm/s)

  11. Center of Pressure (COP) Area in Balance Tasks

    Time frame: Baseline

    The area covered by the COP trajectory during the balance task, providing an estimate of the sway envelope. A larger area might indicate poorer balance control. Unit：square millimeter(mm^2)

  12. Timed Up-and-Go Test

    Time frame: Baseline

    Tthe time an individual takes to stand up from a chair, walk 3 meters, turn around, walk back, and sit down.

  13. Four Square Step Test

    Time frame: Baseline

    Participants will be required to perform four square step test by changing directions while stepping forward, sideway, and backward over a low obstacle as fast as possible.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Chu-Ling Yen

CONTACT

[email protected]

886-3-2118800 ext. 3059

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Chang Gung Memorial Hospital

Other

Collaborators

  • Chang Gung University

Registry information

Official study title

Impact of Force Control of Hip Abductor Muscles on Postural Control in Middle-aged and Older Adults and Individuals With Parkinson's Disease

Important dates

Study start
2023
Primary completion
2029
Study completion
2029
First posted
May 6, 2026
Registry last updated
May 8, 2026

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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