Brisk walking program for improving walking in Parkinson's disease

The Effects of 24 Weeks Community-based Brisk Walking on Physical Function, Comorbidities, Cognition, Disease Severity, and Health-related Quality of Life in People With Parkinson's Disease.

Not applicable Interventional University of Aarhus · NCT06707402

This study tests if a 24-week brisk walking program can help people with Parkinson's disease walk better and feel less difficulty while walking.

Quick facts

PhaseNot applicable
Study typeInterventional
Enrollment129 (estimated)
Ages40 Years and up
SexAll
SponsorUniversity of Aarhus Academic / other
Locations1 site (Aarhus C)
Trial IDNCT06707402 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This clinical trial investigates the effects of a 24-week community-based brisk walking program on walking function in individuals with Parkinson's disease. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: a personalized walking program, an activity tracker group, or a control group. The study aims to determine if brisk walking can reduce self-perceived walking difficulty and identify the most effective type of exercise intervention. Assessments will be conducted at baseline, after the intervention, and at a follow-up period to evaluate changes in walking ability.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates are individuals aged 40 and older, diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, who experience walking difficulties but do not have other neurological disorders.

Not a fit: Patients with severe comorbidities affecting gait, dementia, or those currently engaging in high-intensity walking may not benefit from this study.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this program could significantly improve walking function and quality of life for patients with Parkinson's disease.

How similar studies have performed: Previous studies have shown promising results with exercise interventions for walking in Parkinson's disease, but this specific approach is less commonly tested.

Eligibility criteria

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

1. clinically diagnosed with Parkinson's disease
2. aged ≥40 years
3. Hoehn and Yahr stage ≤3
4. able to independently undertake transportation back and forth from test days and training sessions
5. expectedly able to complete ≥85% of the training sessions
6. experience walking difficulties (the generic walking scale (Walk-12G) score ≥8.5).

Exclusion Criteria:

1. have another neurological disorder or other disorders that affect gait and balance (e.g., severe arthritis or arthrosis)
2. are pregnant
3. have dementia (Montreal Cognitive Assessment score \<18)
4. are suffering from alcohol abuse (i.e., exceeding ten units per week, according to the Danish Health Authority recommendation
5. have cardiovascular, respiratory, orthopedic, or metabolic disorders or other medical comorbidities hindering participation in maximal exercise testing.
6. have a depression
7. use an activity tracker during exercise
8. performing high-intensity brisk walking three or more times during a week.

Where this trial is running

Aarhus C

Study contacts

How to participate

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Conditions Parkinson DiseaseBrisk walkingWalking difficulty
Last reviewed 2026-06-09 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.