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NCT Number: NCT06932679

Perception of Affordances and Obstacle Crossing in People With Parkinson's Disease and Healthy Adults

This study aims to explore how young adults, older adults and people with Parkinson's disease (PwP), perceive their abilty to cross obstacles while walking, and how this perception is related to their actual performance of obstacle crossing and disease-related motor and cognitive impairments. The study will explore this percepeption and the actual performance in different walking environments(floor, synthetic grass turf). Understanding how people perceive obstacles may help improve rehabilitation methods and reduce the risk of falls. The study will take place at the Motor Performance Laboratory, University of Haifa, and will include walking tasks, eye-tracking measurements, and motor and cognitive assessments.

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Key information

Conditions

Parkinson's Disease (PD)

Age range

20 year–80 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

About this study

This study investigates the role of affordance perception - the ability to perceive opportunities for action - during obstacle crossing in people with Parkinson's disease (PwP). Falls are highly prevalent in PwP, often resulting from tripping over obstacles. While previous research has mainly focused on gait impairments, this study uniquely examines the perceptual stage that precedes movement and the association between perception, cognition, and motor performance.

Participants will include 60 PwP and 120 healthy adults (60 older adults and 60 young adults). All participants will perform walking tasks involving obstacle crossing under different environmental conditions (e.g., different obstacle heights and surfaces). Prior to walking, participants will judge whether they can safely cross the obstacle. Eye-tracking glasses will measure visual exploration patterns to assess how participants scan the environment. Additionally, walking variables such as speed and step length, will be recorded using wearable sensors.

The study will explore:

  • Differences in affordance perception between PwP and healthy adults.
  • Associations between motor and cognitive impairments and affordance perception in PwP.
  • How affordance perception relates to gait performance during obstacle crossing.

Results from this study may help to develop new intervention strategies aimed at improving safe walking and obstacle negotiation in PwP.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Participants aged 20 to 80 years.
  • Ability to walk independently outdoors without assistive devices.
  • For Parkinson's Disease (PD) group: Diagnosis of PD confirmed by medical records.
  • For healthy control groups: No neurological or orthopedic conditions affecting gait.

Exclusion criteria

  • Feezing of gait (for PD group only), based on a score greater than 0 on the Freezing of Gait Questionnaire.
  • Severe visual impairment that cannot be corrected with glasses or lenses.
  • Cognitive impairment, defined as a score below 18 on the telephone-based Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE).
  • Any orthopedic condition, pain, or other medical condition that may affect walking, based on self-report.

Treatment and study plan

Assessment of Gait and Visual Exploration

Other

Participants will perform walking tasks involving obstacle crossing while their gait and visual exploration patterns are recorded using wearable sensors and eye-tracking glasses. This is a non-invasive observational study with no therapeutic intervention.

Primary outcomes

  1. Affordance Perception Accuracy

    Time frame: During single laboratory session (about 3 hours)

    Accuracy of participants' perception of their ability to cross obstacles of varying height and surface conditions. Participants will judge whether they can safely cross an obstacle prior to walking.

  2. Affordances measured by gaze behavior

    Time frame: During a single laboratory session (approximately 3 hours)

    Eye movement patterns during obstacle approach and crossing. Gaze behavior will be recorded using wearable eye-tracking glasses (Tobii Pro Glasses 3) to assess visual exploration of the walking environment and obstacle. Measures will include fixation(on obstacle) duration (milisecondes).

Secondary outcomes

  1. Movement Disorders Society Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS)

    Time frame: During a single laboratory session (approximately 3 hours)

    Disease severity will be assessed using the MDS-UPDRS (Motor Examination). This standardized clinical assessment measures motor symptoms in people with Parkinson's disease, including tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, and postural stability. Higher scores indicate greater motor impairment.

  2. Walking Speed

    Time frame: During a single laboratory session (approximately 3 hours)

    Walking speed during obstacle crossing tasks, measured using wearable sensors (APDM Mobility Lab). Walking speed will be calculated in meters per second based on time and distance walked during the trials.

  3. Step Length

    Time frame: During a single laboratory session (approximately 3 hours)

    Step length during obstacle crossing tasks, measured using wearable sensors (APDM Mobility Lab). Step length will be calculated in meters for each leg during walking trials, as an indicator of gait characteristics and stability.

  4. Levodopa Equivalent Daily Dose (LEDD)

    Time frame: During a single laboratory session (approximately 3 hours)

    The total daily dose of antiparkinsonian medications will be calculated for participants with Parkinson's disease using the standardized Levodopa Equivalent Daily Dose (LEDD) formula. Higher values indicate greater medication use.

  5. Cognitive Performance - Stroop Test (NeuroTrax Cognitive Battery)

    Time frame: During a single laboratory session (approximately 3 hours)

    Cognitive function will be assessed using the computerized NeuroTrax Cognitive Battery. Specifically, performance on the Stroop test will be used to evaluate executive function, focusing on response inhibition and attention control. The Stroop test provides accuracy and reaction time scores, with higher scores reflecting better performance.

Study contacts

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

Galit Yogev Seligmann, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

+972-53-5315761

Michal Kafri, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

+972-58-6862261

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Haifa

Other

Collaborators

  • University of Haifa, Israel

Registry information

Official study title

Affordances and Impairments: A Paradigm for Understanding Obstacle Crossing in Parkinson's Disease

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2028
Study completion
2028
First posted
Apr 17, 2025
Registry last updated
Jul 22, 2025

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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