Feasibility and Safety of a Portable Exoskeleton to Improve Mobility in Parkinson's Disease
VA Office of Research and Development
Summary
Physical therapy approaches for balance and walking deficits in Parkinson's disease (PD) have limited effectiveness, with mostly short-lasting benefits. An exoskeleton is a device that straps to the legs and provides a passive force to assist people to better ambulate. The goal of this study is to establish the feasibility and safety of a lightweight exoskeleton on mobility and fall reduction in people with PD. As most PD patients eventually require assistive mobility devices, the exoskeleton represents a new option for increased, mobility, quality of life, and independence. Qualified subjects will come to the clinic twice weekly for eight weeks (16 total visits) and wear the exoskeleton device while walking under the supervision of a trained kinesiotherapist. Study staff will also interview participants and assess their PD symptoms, quality of life, and overall mobility. This study hopes to establish exoskeletons as modern, standard of care devices, which allow people with PD to maintain more independent and productive lives.
Description
Currently, progressive resistance exercise training, high intensity treadmill training, balanced-based perturbation, and standard physical exercises are utilized to treat mobility deficits associated with PD; however, the effectiveness of these therapies is limited. This study proposes to investigate the utility of a portable exoskeleton for people with PD. The goal is to establish the safety of a lightweight portable exoskeleton, the Keeogo, for gait training and to preliminarily assess its potential efficacy for gait mobility and fall reduction. As the vast majority of PD patients eventually…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18–90 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: * PD confirmed by a PADRECC movement disorder specialist using UK Brain Bank Criteria * Modified H\&Y stage II-V * Veteran * Able to attend visits at the Richmond VA Medical Center Exclusion Criteria: * neurological, musculoskeletal, or other disorders unrelated to PD contributing to impairment of stance, gait, balance or coordination * severe CHF, COPD, or those requiring nasal canula O2 * history of implantable cardiac device or ablative surgery * moderately-severe to severe cognitive impairment / dementia (Montreal Cognitive Assessment \< 17/30) * symptomatic orthosta…
Interventions
- DeviceExoskeleton
lightweight ground exoskeleton
Location
- Richmond VA Medical Center, Richmond, VARichmond, Virginia