A New 3D Virtual Reality-based Upper Limb Training to Improve Dexterity in Parkinson's Disease

Luzerner Kantonsspital

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Parkinson Disease

Treatments: Other: virtual reality control training; Other: virtual reality upper limb hand training

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05965661

2022-01545

Details and patient eligibility

About

We investigate the impact of a 4-week virtual reality-based upper limb training in Parkinson's disease. The benefits on dexterity of this training program will be evaluated.

For these purposes, a randomised, two arm, single assessor blind, parallel design with a monocentric, study setup will be performed.

Full description

Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) suffer from significantly decreased coordination and have difficulties with precise hand/finger movements during the performance of both basic activities of daily living (ADL), such as dressing, grooming as well as higher ADL, such as cooking, shopping and regular medication intake. These difficulties further add to the burden of the disease, leading to reduced quality of life (QoL). A relatively new, but rapidly growing aspect of training in PD neurorehabilitation offers virtual reality (VR). We explore the effects of a VR-based upper limb hand training compared to a VR control training, which is less specific for dexterity. Moreover, we examine the effetcs of the trainings on upper limb related ADL, and therefore the impact on QoL in patients with PD.

Enrollment: 20 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 40 to 99 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Patients with confirmed PD, according to UK Brain bank Criteria
• Hoehn & Yahr Stadium I to IV
• Age 40 to 99 years
• written and signed informed consent
• self-reported dexterous difficulties

Exclusion criteria

• MoCA <21/30
• psychiatric disease
• participation on other interventional trials
• Inability to follow the procedures of the study, e.g. due to language problems, psychological disorders, dementia, etc.
• severe visual impairment

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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20 participants in 2 patient groups

Virtual reality upper limb hand training

Other group

Description:

The PD patients randomized in the experimental group will receive virtual reality upper limb hand training.

Treatment:

Other: virtual reality upper limb hand training

Virtual reality control training

Other group

Description:

The PD patients randomized in the control group will receive virtual reality control training.

Treatment:

Other: virtual reality control training