Improving Dynamic Balance and Gait Adaptability Using Treadmill Training

Don Carlo Gnocchi Onlus Foundation

Status: Unknown

Conditions: Stroke; Multiple Sclerosis; Parkinson Disease

Treatments: Device: Virtual Reality Treadmill Training; Device: Treadmill training

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03201692

NCT02960984UL_SM

Details and patient eligibility

About

Balance and gait problems in subjects with neurological disease lead to reduced mobility, loss of independence and frequent falls. Treadmill training is a widely used form of treatment and it has been used in subjects with neurological disease to ameliorate walking and balance deficits. The Virtual Reality Treadmill as a therapeutic tool has been recently introduced to practice gait adaptability elicited by aligning foot placement relative to the projected visual context.

Forty-eight subjects with neurological disease will receive treadmill training treatment randomly divided in Traditional Treadmill training and Virtual Reality Treadmill training.

The aim of this randomized controlled study is to assess whether Treadmill training with Virtual Reality is better than Traditional Treadmill training in improving dynamic balance and cognitive aspects in subjects with neurological diseases.

Enrollment: 48 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 20 to 85 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis (no relapse within the previous three months;), Parkinsons Disease (Hoenhn and Yahr Scale ≤4), Stroke (Time from onset >2 months)
• Able to walk 20 meters with or without assistive device
• Cognitive impairment (MMSE score ≥ 21)

Exclusion criteria

• Unable to understand the aim of the study and unable to sign the informed consent
• Steroidal drugs therapy for subjects with Multiple Sclerosis
• Subjects with Psychiatric disorders
• Subjects with Visual impairments
• Subjects with cardiovascular disease

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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48 participants in 2 patient groups

Treadmill Training

Active Comparator group

Description:

40' treadmill training walking holding the handrail

Treatment:

Device: Treadmill training

Virtual Reality Treadmill Training

Experimental group

Description:

40' treadmill training walking with virtual visual and auditory cues

Treatment:

Device: Virtual Reality Treadmill Training