Effects and Mechanisms of RAS Training on Upper-limb Movements in PD Patients

Launched by THE HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY · Mar 13, 2023

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is looking at how rhythmic auditory stimulation (RAS) can help improve upper-limb movements in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Parkinson's disease often causes slow movements, which can greatly affect a person's daily life. RAS is a treatment that uses rhythmic sounds to help improve movement, and while it has been shown to benefit walking, this study aims to explore its effects specifically on arm and hand movements. Researchers will compare two groups of PD patients: one group will receive training with RAS, while the other will train without it. Healthy volunteers will also participate for comparison.

To be eligible for this study, participants must have a diagnosis of idiopathic Parkinson's disease, meaning the cause is unknown, and be in stages 2 or 3 of the disease, which involves some movement difficulties. Participants should also have a certain level of cognitive ability to follow instructions and should be right-handed. The training will last for seven days, and researchers will measure both movement abilities and brain activity before and after the training. This study aims to provide valuable insights that could help doctors use RAS more effectively for treating upper-limb issues in PD patients.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • (a) idiopathic PD diagnosed by a neurologist based on the Movement Disorders Society clinical diagnostic criteria;
• • (b) the Hoehn and Yahr stage is 2 or 3, meaning that bilateral movement problems or combination with mild postural instability;
• • (c) a score of Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is equal to or higher than 21 to ensure that they understand experimental instructions;
• • (d) a score of Edinburgh Handedness Inventory is above 60 to ensure that they are right-handed;
• • (e) types and doses of medications remain unchanged in the past month right before participation.
• • Age- and sex-matched healthy controls who filled the criteria (c) and (d) will be recruited from communities.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • the presence of medical conditions or diseases that may affect hand movements, vision, or hearing based on self-report.