Brain Activity During Complex Walking in People With Atypical Parkinsonian Syndromes

Launched by KAROLINSKA INSTITUTET · Mar 25, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying how the brain works during complex walking tasks in people with atypical Parkinsonian syndromes, which are conditions that can affect movement and balance. The goal is to understand how aging and these neurological diseases impact the ability to walk while performing other tasks, like navigating or multitasking. Researchers will use a method called functional near-infrared spectrometry (fNIRS) to measure brain activity and analyze how it relates to walking performance in both healthy older adults and those with atypical Parkinson's disease.

To participate, individuals must have a clinical diagnosis of either Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) or Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) and should be able to walk for up to five minutes, even if they use a mobility device. Participants will undergo assessments that involve walking while doing tasks to help researchers gather important data. It's essential for potential participants to know that those with severe cognitive difficulties, severe freezing of gait, or other neurological conditions may not be eligible. This trial aims to improve understanding of how to better support people with these movement challenges in their daily lives.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • clinical diagnosis of PSP according to Movement Disorder Society (MDS) (2017) or
• • MSA according to MDS criteria (2022)
• • the ability to walk with or without a mobility device for ≤5 minutes continuously
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • cognitive difficulties affecting the ability to understand and/or follow verbal/written - instructions
• • severe freezing of gait
• • Severe hearing or visual impairments that affect participation in the assessments
• • Other neurological diseases
• • Other diseases that can affect gait or balance.