Loading clinical trials...
Loading clinical trials...
Showing 1-9 of 9 trials
NCT07485218
With our study, the investigators aim to assess the impact of the fatigue experienced during daily life activities (tiredness) and whether there is a relationship with muscle fatigue during an exercise task. The results of this study may be used to improve the assessment of fatigue in older adults and enhance clinical management. 1. General information An increase in fatigue is considered one of the main causes of reduced quality of life in older adults and in people suffering from chronic diseases. However, the investigators still know little about the mechanisms underlying fatigue in older adults, mainly because most of the available tools were developed to assess this symptom in younger populations with specific diseases, without proper adjustments for physical activity or age. In 2015, the Pittsburgh Fatigability Scale (PFS) was developed as a self-administered questionnaire to assess both physical and mental fatigue in older adults. The PFS consists of 10 questions describing activities of varying duration and intensity. The other scale the investigators will ask participants to complete is called the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS): a 9-item questionnaire that evaluates fatigue intensity in various situations over the past week. Participants' fatigue will also be assessed during two motor tasks simulating daily activities: a handgrip test and a seated leg exercise mimicking walking. If participants decide to take part in our research project, participants will complete the PFS and FSS questionnaires once (5-10 minutes) and perform two brief motor exercises to determine the onset and progression of muscle fatigue. The exercises will last about 20 minutes, with an additional 10 minutes for preparation. Each contraction will last a maximum of 2 minutes. The project will last 12 months (Swiss section) and will be conducted at \[(1) the nursing homes of the Multistruttura di Bellinzona, the Fondazione Parco San Rocco facilities in Morbio Inferiore and Coldrerio, and the Opera Charitas nursing home in Sonvico\] (period: December 2024 - May 2025); and (2) at the \[San Raffaele University Research Institute\] in Milan, Italy, where 40 older adults with Parkinson's disease will participate (September 2026 - March 2027). This research project is conducted in accordance with Swiss legislation and current international ethical guidelines. It has been reviewed and approved by the Ethics Committee of the Canton of Ticino. 2. Study procedure The testing session will last a maximum of 30 minutes and will include the following steps: Discussion of the study procedures. Verification of appropriate leg clothing. The exercise can be performed either by wearing shorts or by rolling up long trousers to expose the upper half of the thigh. Review of the completed Pittsburgh Fatigability Scale (PFS) questionnaire and completion of the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), both available in Italian. Performance of two motor exercises (a surrogate walking test and a handgrip test). 1. First, participants will be instructed on how to perform the surrogate walking test, which evaluates leg muscle fatigue. During the exercise, participants will push with their legs and foot on a movable platform that slides along rails within the device. The sliding motion is resisted by elastic bands that stretch and shorten as participants push. The exercise will be repeated for several cycles until participants are told to stop. To measure muscle fatigue, surface electrodes (non-invasive) will be placed on the skin over two thigh muscles. 2. After a 5-minute rest, participants will be asked to perform the handgrip test with participants' right hand (see Figure 3). The maximal handgrip test will be performed while seated, with participants' forearm resting on a table. The test will be repeated several times until participants are instructed to stop.
NCT07422675
This is a randomized, placebo-controlled, single ascending dose (SAD) study of SER-252 in participants with Parkinson's Disease (PD) and motor fluctuations.
NCT07427498
The goal of this observational study is to better understand the mechanisms of hallucinations in patients with Parkinson's disease. The main question it aims to answer is: Do prior expectations increase the rate of false perceptions during a visual stimulus detection task more in Parkinson's disease patients with visual hallucinations compared to those without? Participants will undertake a computer task involving face detection and a battery of neuropsychological tests.
NCT07439926
The goal of this observational study is to investigate the causes of hospitalisation via emergency services in patients with degenerative parkinsonian syndromes. All causes of hospital admission through the emergency department among patients with Parkinson's-related disorders were analysed in order to understand their vulnerability and the factors that worsen their health status. Data from included patients were compared to those of age-matched individuals without Parkinson's disease.
NCT07351032
The purpose of this study is to understand how a specific brain area, the Posterior Parietal Cortex (PPC), plays a role in movement transfer from walking on a split-belt treadmill (SBT) to walking on the ground in people with Parkinson's disease (PwPD). Here, investigators will apply repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to upregulate the PPC. Then, the differences in the gait parameters between pre- and post-interventions will be compared between the TMS-active and the TMS-sham.
NCT07306104
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn to what extent daily stimulation of the brain with transcranial pulsed electromagnetic fields (T-PEMF) works to treat persons with Parkinson's Disease. The main questions it aims to answer are: * How does 6 months of daily treatment (30 minutes/day) with T-PEMF affects neuro-mechanical and molecular biological factors compared with placebo treatment in persons with Parkinson's disease? * How does 12 months of daily treatment (30 minutes/day) with T-PEMF affects neuro-mechanical and molecular biological factors in persons with Parkinson's disease an does 12 months of T-PEMF alters the need for medication intake? The neuro-mechanical outcomes are compared with the "natural" progression of the disease as well as with a healthy reference group. Furthermore, it will be examined whether 12 months of T-PEMF treatment alters the need for medication intake. Participants in the intervention group will: * receive one 30 min treatment session daily for 12 months * receive either T-PEMF or sham treatment for the first 6 months * receive active T-PEMF treatment the last 6 months * visit for tests before treatment initiation, after 6 months of treatment and after 12 months of treatment.
NCT07193303
Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease, characterized pathologically by the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and clinically by the presence of motor symptoms such as bradykinesia, resting tremor, and/or rigidity. Among the motor deficits frequently observed in PD, patients are known to frequently report difficulties with manual dexterity. Many upper extremity and manual dexterity deficits are present in PD. Motor imagery (MI) is the imaginal execution of motor activities or the activation of specific muscles in the absence of any explicit feedback. This area of rehabilitation has been shown to be effective in improving and developing motor skills in many neurological conditions where patients exhibit motor recognition and execution impairments. MI can be applied at all stages of recovery from PD, is highly effective in movement-related pathologies, and can be performed independently.There is sufficient evidence that MI improves motor performance and learning in individuals with neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis, stroke, and spinal cord injury. The study was designed to investigate the immediate effects of mental imagery, which is thought to be effective in controlling difficulties in planning and initiating movements in PD, on upper extremity skills. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the effect of mental imagery on upper extremity skills in PD.
NCT07189468
The study aims to provide initial PoC validation data of two AI models to predict disease progression and treatment side effects in PD patients using as input patients' demographic, clinical and genetic information, as well as digital biomarker measurements in daily living collected via a smartwatch and a mobile application.
NCT06885138
Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by dopaminergic cell degeneration leading to neurophysiological alterations and a heterogeneous clinical presentation. In addition to motor symptoms, PD patients often experience non-motor symptoms, particularly neuropsychiatric manifestations such as depression, anxiety, and apathy. Depression is one of the most prevalent behavioral symptoms, affecting at least 50% of PD patients, with a higher incidence compared to the general population and other disabling conditions. Two main hypotheses explain the emergence of depressive symptoms: one considers depression a reactive response to progressive disability, while the other links it to the underlying neurobiological mechanisms of PD. Additionally, depression and anxiety frequently co-occur in PD, suggesting shared neurobiological pathways. Conventional pharmacological treatments only partially address affective symptoms in PD, highlighting the need for innovative non-pharmacological therapies. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has gained attention as a potential treatment, showing promising results in improving both motor and affective symptoms in PD. While preliminary studies suggest that tDCS may significantly reduce depressive symptoms, current evidence is insufficient to establish clinical recommendations, necessitating further large-scale, randomized controlled trials. Objectives The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of repeated tDCS sessions on depressive symptoms in PD patients. Secondary objectives include: * Assessing the potential impact of repeated tDCS sessions on anxiety, apathy, sleep quality, and quality of life in PD patients. * Investigating the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying depression and the effects induced by tDCS. Methodology Eligible patients will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: 1. Experimental Group: Patients will receive repeated sessions of active tDCS (anodal stimulation). The active electrode (35 cm²) will be placed over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), with the reference electrode (35 cm²) on the contralateral area. Stimulation intensity will be set at 2mA, and each session will last 20 minutes. 2. Control Group: Patients will receive sham tDCS sessions. Electrodes will be positioned identically to the active condition, but the current will only be applied for the first 5 seconds to prevent perception of the sham condition while ensuring no neuromodulatory effects. Each session will last 20 minutes. Both groups will undergo tDCS sessions on days 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 12, 19, and 26 of the study. Assessment and Outcome Measures tDCS treatment will be administered in a hospital setting using the Newronika stimulator (CE-certified medical device). The effects on depressive symptoms and neurophysiological mechanisms will be evaluated using validated clinical scales and neurophysiological assessments at multiple time points: * T0 (Day 1): Baseline assessment before treatment initiation. * T1 (Day 5): After one week of treatment. * T5 (Day 33): One week after completing all treatment sessions. * T6 (Day 54): One month after treatment completion. This study aims to improve the understanding of tDCS's clinical efficacy and underlying mechanisms in managing affective symptoms in PD. The findings could support the development of evidence-based non-pharmacological interventions for PD patients.