Feasibility of high intensity interval training in people with IPD
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Can people with Parkinson's disease exercise at high intensity and, if so, what are the benefits? A feasibility study
IRAS ID
174269
Contact name
Richard W Walker
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive medical condition in which symptoms gradually worsen over time. Often the most disabling symptoms involve movement, with deterioration in walking ability, balance problems and tremor. Medication can help, but the dose must steadily be increased as the condition progresses, and side effects are common. There is therefore great interest in non-drug treatments that may help control symptoms.
There is evidence that exercise interventions can improve walking and balance in people with PD. However, improvements are often not maintained. One of the main reasons for this may be the unsuitability of standard gym equipment for people with balance and walking problems or a lack of confidence in using such equipment unsupervised. In addition, there is little consensus on the most effective exercise programme. Related to these issues is the possibility that many people with PD may not be able to exercise at a sufficient level of intensity to derive maximum benefit.
Using a novel piece of exercise equipment (the Speedflex system), our study will investigate whether it is possible for people with PD to exercise at high-intensity and, if they can, what are the benefits in terms of fitness and quality of life. We will conduct a 12-week high-intensity exercise programme for PD patients using the Speedflex system. Participants will complete three exercise sessions per week.
We will assess the ability of participants to achieve at least 85% of their predicted maximum heart rate during exercise. In addition, we will examine the acceptability of the Speedflex system and the exercise programme via focus group discussions and collect data on safety, adherence to the programme and adverse events. Furthermore, we will compare any improvement seen to that obtained from a similar study using standard equipment recently completed by our team.REC name
North East - Newcastle & North Tyneside 2 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/NE/0257
Date of REC Opinion
5 Oct 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion