New wearable device aims to restore natural walking in Parkinson's
NCT ID NCT05818189
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests a wearable device that provides gentle vibrations timed to each step, aiming to make walking more automatic for people with Parkinson's disease. Sixty participants will be randomly assigned to receive either personalized step-synchronized cues or fixed-interval cues. Researchers will measure brain activity and walking patterns to see if the device improves gait automaticity and stability.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- tactile cueing device
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could point toward a wearable device that helps people with Parkinson's walk more smoothly and automatically, reducing fall risk.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage study with only 60 participants, focused on brain activity and gait measures, not clinical outcomes. The device may not improve walking in daily life or may be too cumbersome for regular use.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
-
About 60 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
Jan 2025
- Expected to finish
-
Jan 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
45 to 85 years
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Diagnosis of idiopathic Parkinson's Disease from movement disorders neurologist with the United Kingdom Brain Bank criteria of bradykinesia with 1 or more of the following - rest tremor, rigidity, and balance problems not from visual, vestibular, cerebellar or proprioceptive conditions * Without musculoskeletal or peripheral or central nervous system disorders (other than PD) that could significantly affect their balance and gait * All subjects will be capable of following directions for the protocols and to give informed consent. * Hoehn \& Yahr Levels II-III. Exclusion Criteria: * Severe dyskinesia that may affect quality of fNIRS. * Major musculoskeletal or neurological disorders, structural brain disease, epilepsy, acute illness or health history, other than Parkinson's Disease, significantly affecting gait and turning i.e., peripheral neuropathy with proprioceptive deficits (detected as lack of toe proprioception assessed during the neurological exam at Day 1), musculoskeletal disorders, vestibular problem, head injury, stroke. * Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) score \< 21 or dementia that precludes consent to participate or ability to follow testing procedures * Inability to stand or walk for 2 minutes without an assistive device. * Idiopathic Parkinson's Disease exclusion criteria: Parkinson plus syndromes such as progressive supranuclear palsy, multiple system atrophy, or corticobasal syndrome or implanted electrodes for deep brain stimulation (DBS), possible vascular parkinsonism, current use of dopamine-blocking agents or cholinesterase inhibitor (as may affect Prefrontal cortical activity while walking).
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Parkinson disease are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
-
The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
-
The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
-
A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Oregon Health and Science University
RECRUITINGPortland, Oregon, 97239, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can a massive data registry crack the code of Parkinson's and related brain diseases?
- Reading the Brain's signals to predict who benefits from deep brain stimulation
- Giving Parkinson's patients a say may boost their Brain's ability to learn movement
- Brain scans probe why some Parkinson's patients freeze Mid-Step
- Can tango rewire the brain? dance program tested for Parkinson's and dementia
- Can a workout after walking practice help Parkinson's patients learn better?