Measures of physical Activity in Parkinson's Disease (MAPD) Version 1

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Evaluation of the validity of a clinical measure of physical activity in Parkinson’s and determination of the acceptability and feasibility of use in a clinical service for people newly diagnosed with Parkinson’s.

• IRAS ID

  265843

• Contact name

  Jonathan Marsden

• Contact email

  jonathan.marsden@plymouth.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  University of Plymouth

• Duration of Study in the UK

  1 years, 6 months, 0 days

• Research summary

  This research aims to see if a physical activity measure could be introduced into a neurology service for people recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. This would help to identify people who may benefit from support to increase their physical activity levels.

  Increased physical activity in adults is linked with lower rates of chronic disease, better strength and balance, better mental health and independence. A common feature of Parkinson’s disease is slow movement, which can affect activity levels. Previous research suggests that physical activity can help to manage the symptoms of Parkinson’s. Other research suggests that people with Parkinson’s are less active than other people of the same age.

  This research will recruit a sample of people who have been recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s. With their permission, we will ask them to use two different measures of physical activity for one week. We will use two common measures of physical activity:

  • A sensor that you wear that measures how many steps you take per day
  • A physical activity questionnaire that asks about what physical activities you have done in the last week and for how long

  We will ask participants to complete a questionnaire on how easy it was to use the different measures.

  We will compare the results, identifying patterns with specialist computer software. This will tell us:

  • the physical activity levels of people in the sample
  • who is achieving levels of physical activity recommended in public health guidelines
  • which method of physical activity measure people in the sample preferred to use

  The research report aims to recommend whether a physical activity measure could be introduced to the neurology service. If it is possible to identify people who would benefit from support to increase physical activity, it may also be possible to help people stay healthy and independent for longer.

• REC name

  South West - Cornwall & Plymouth Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  19/SW/0237

• Date of REC Opinion

  19 Dec 2019

• REC opinion

  Favourable Opinion