Remote exercises for chronic pain in Parkinson's disease
Official title: Telemedicine intervention in patients with chronic pain in PD
Funded at VA Boston Health Care System · NIH-11360814 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project offers remote physical and cognitive exercise programs to help reduce chronic pain in people with Parkinson's disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | VA Boston Health Care System NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | December 1, 2022 |
| Project end | November 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I01RX003769-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11360814 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Community-dwelling veterans aged 40 or older with mild-to-moderate Parkinson's disease who report chronic pain and can use telemedicine are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People with severe Parkinson's disease, uncontrolled acute medical issues, major cognitive impairment, or those unable to use telemedicine may not benefit or be eligible.
What this research studies
If you join, you'll be one of 166 veterans aged 40 or older with mild-to-moderate Parkinson's disease and chronic pain enrolled in a pilot randomized, controlled trial. Participants are randomly assigned in a 2x2 factorial design to one of four groups: combined cognitive and physical tele-exercises, physical only, cognitive only, or a health education control. Interventions are delivered via telemedicine and outcomes for pain severity and pain interference are measured at 3 months using the Brief Pain Inventory. The aim is to see whether remote physical and thinking exercises can reduce pain and its interference in daily life and offer accessible non-drug options.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lower pain and improve daily functioning using nonpharmacological therapies that are accessible by telemedicine.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research shows physical exercise can help pain in Parkinson's disease, but combining telemedicine-delivered cognitive training with exercise is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
VA Boston Health Care System
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sparrow, David W. — VA Boston Health Care System
- Study coordinator: Sparrow, David W.
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.