Overcoming Gait Freeze in Parkinson's Disease Using Responsive Cueing

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive, neurodegenerative disorder that impairs the ability to control movement. Gait freezing is an inability to walk spontaneously and continuously, and affects nearly half of PD patients, reducing quality of life and contributing to increased fall risk. Cueing (with visual, auditory or somatosensory stimuli) is an effective way to improve walking quality in people with PD. In this pilot study we aim to test if delivering rhythmic vibration cues acutely, specifically in response to gait defects, can improve walking quality and overcome gait freezing in PD.

During the study, people with PD that suffer from regular (daily) gait freezing, but who are able to stand and walk with minimal assistance, undertake 4 walking/activity circuits. During each of the circuits participants receive either continuous cueing, responsive cueing (delivered in response to gait freezing), no cueing and no device. Cueing is provided by a non-invasive wearable movement-tracking cueing device prototyped at the University of Oxford (approximately the size of a smart phone), worn on the lower legs during 3 circuits. The ordering of the interventions/circuits are systematically alternated for each participant. The impact of responsive cueing on walking ability can be determined by analysis of walking metrics across the circuits.

Inclusion criteria

• Participant is willing and able to give informed consent for participation in the study.
• Participant is fluent in English.
• Participant is aged 18-90 years inclusive
• Patients in whom the clinical diagnosis is stated as idiopathic Parkinson's disease or Parkinson's disease (PD).
• Participant self-reports a history of daily gait freezing (several times a day), but should be able to stand and walk freely for short periods with minimal assistance.
• Participant has no evidence for significant cognitive impairment.
• In the investigator's opinion, is willing and able to comply with all trial requirements.

Exclusion criteria

• Participant has a medical or psychiatric illness that would interfere with completing initial and follow up assessments.
• Participant has severe mental impairment, dementia or psychosis determined either by a prior diagnosis by a medical professional with relevant expertise, or by subjective assessment by the research team during the pre-study questionnaire (e.g. an inability to comprehend questions).
• Active participation in a clinical drug trial.
• Female who is pregnant, lactating or planning pregnancy during the course of the investigation. This information will be provided to us by the patient during recruitment screening.
• Any other significant disease or disorder which, in the opinion of the Investigator, may either put the participants at risk because of participation in the trial, or may influence the result of the trial, or the participant's ability to participate in the trial.
• Patients with frequent (daily) falls at home or out of home, or who demonstrate a high fall risk during the study.
• Patients with atypical parkinsonism (eg MSA, PSP, CBD).
• Patients who have had Deep Brain Stimulation for their PD.