Neuroplasticity in Parkinson´s Disease After Training (BETA-PD)
Parkinson Disease, Physical Activity, Gait Disorders, Neurologic
About this trial
This is an interventional treatment trial for Parkinson Disease focused on measuring Balance control, Exercise, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- Diagnosis of idiopathic Parkinson´s disease
- Hoehn & Yahr 2-3
- ≥ 60 years of age
- Be able to ambulate indoors without mobility aid
- Balance impairment
Exclusion Criteria:
- =< 21 points on MoCA
- Other medical conditions that could substantially influence balance performance, voice or speech performance or participation in the interventions
- Participating in an intensive exercise program for balance or speech during the last six months.
Additional exclusion criteria for the brain imaging will include the presence of; pacemakers, deep brain stimulators or other MRI incompatible implants, claustrophobia, inability to hear instructions without hearing aid, unilateral or bilateral blindness, severe diplopia, tremor, dyskinesia or dystonia.
Sites / Locations
- Karolinska institutet
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Experimental
Active Comparator
HiBalance
Speech therapy
The HiBalance program is based on scientifically well-established principles of exercise training and postural control as well as current research on training in PD. The training will be conducted as a progressive individually adjusted group program in order to challenge the specific balance disorder of every participant and endorse progression. The intervention will be performed for an hour, 2 times/week in groups of six to eight participants for a total of 10 weeks and one home training session on their own.
The control group will receive a group treatment (2 times/w for 10 w + 1 home training session) consisting of speech and communication therapy performed by a speech therapist. This intervention will be performed in a sitting position. The speech and communication treatment will aim at increasing vocal loudness and improving articulatory precision. Level of difficulty is gradually increased by progressing from using loud voice and clear speech in short and automatized utterances, to using the same technique in more complex sentences and situations. The group format is used to practice techniques in communicative situations and also to introduce increasing level of multitasking by combining speech training with cognitively more challenging tasks in the group training.