Gait analysis in Parkinson's disease v1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
What gait characteristics differentiate people with Parkinson's disease from people without Parkinson's disease?
IRAS ID
169148
Contact name
Oliver Bandmann
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
4 years, 10 months, 1 days
Research summary
What gait characteristics differentiate Parkinson's disease patients from healthy controls?
Parkinson's disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease in the UK, affecting around 130 000 people. The symptoms of Parkinson's disease include slowness of movement and tremor (shaking) of the hands. Difficulty walking is a major contributor to disability in Parkinson's disease. A technique called gait analysis can detect differences in the way people with Parkinson's disease walk. In this project we will use gait analysis to identify changes in the way Parkinson's disease patients walk in early compared to late stages of the disease.
We will recruit Parkinson's disease patients over the age of 18 who are capable of performing a standardised walking task. The patients will be recruited from, and the study performed at, the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in collaboration with the University of Sheffield. Participants will be clinically examined to define how they are affected by Parkinson's disease (examination of movements of arms and legs and questionnaires to assess memory). Participants will then walk a set distance wearing sensors on the arms and legs. A computer will extract data on the participant's walking pattern from these sensors. Participation in the project will take around 1 hour at the initial visit. We will then ask participants to wear a physical activity monitor for 7 days at home. This is a small sensor worn on a strap on the back which is not restrictive to wear. This will provide data on participants gait in a natural home environment.
The study will provide pilot data on how walking is affected in late compared to early Parkinson's disease. This will form the basis of a larger study to examine the usefulness of gait analysis in monitoring the severity of Parkinson's disease.
REC name
North of Scotland Research Ethics Committee 1
REC reference
15/NS/0021
Date of REC Opinion
18 Mar 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion