Improving walking for people with Parkinson's disease using metronome training
Official title: Targeted Motor Learning to Improve Gait for Individuals With Parkinson Disease
Run by University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill · NCT05864157 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is testing if metronome-guided walking training can help people with Parkinson's disease walk better by encouraging them to take larger and faster steps.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 50 Years to 80 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 45 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Chapel Hill, North Carolina) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | August 16, 2023 |
| Main results expected | January 1, 2027 |
| Study ends | January 1, 2027 |
| Registry record updated | June 25, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT05864157 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are individuals aged 50-80 with idiopathic Parkinson's disease who can walk independently for 10 minutes.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients with severe cognitive deficits or those requiring therapist assistance for walking may not benefit from this study.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This research focuses on how metronome-guided gait training can enhance walking abilities in individuals with Parkinson's disease. Participants will engage in 12 training sessions, utilizing both treadmill and overground walking with varying metronome frequencies to encourage larger and faster steps. The study will assess changes in walking patterns and brain activity through MRI scans before and after the training. The goal is to determine the effectiveness of this targeted motor learning approach in improving gait continuity.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could significantly enhance walking ability and overall mobility for patients with Parkinson's disease.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have shown promise in using rhythmic auditory cues for gait improvement in Parkinson's patients, suggesting potential success for this approach.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * idiopathic Parkinson's disease (Hoehn and Yahr Stage 2-3) * self-report the ability to walk uninterrupted for 10 minutes both overground and on a treadmill without therapist assistance * comfortable gait speed \> 0.4 m/s and \< 1.2 m/s * normal (or corrected to normal \[i.e., hearing aid\]) hearing * deficits in gait continuity (e.g., shuffling, shortened strides, freezing, festination, bradykinesia, etc) based on observational gait analysis * Movement Disorders Society - Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS-III) item 10 ≥1 and \<3 * be on stable doses of orally-administered levodopa * age 50-80 years old Exclusion Criteria: * contraindications to MRI (e.g., metal implants, claustrophobia, etc) * cognitive deficits (Montreal Cognitive Assessment \[MoCA\] \< 26) * concurrent Physical Therapy * have undergone deep brain stimulation surgery * cannot walk without therapist assistance * uncontrolled cardiorespiratory/metabolic disease, or other neurological disorders or orthopedic injury that may affect gait.
Where it's running
-
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Mike Lewek, PT, PhD — Associate Professor
- Study coordinator: Mike Lewek, PT, PhD
- Email: mlewek@med.unc.edu
- Phone: 919-966-4041
Similar studies
Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.
-
One-day exercise test to see how brain and body react in epilepsy, cognitive disorders, Parkinson's, dementia, and related conditions
A one-day study tests how an acute bout of exercise changes brain function and bodily signals in people with certain neurological conditions compared with healthy individuals.
-
Tributyrin for PSP: a virtual, early-phase study
This study tests whether tributyrin is safe and tolerable in people with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy who are 45 or older, using virtual visits.
-
A look at why Lewy body conditions cause visual hallucinations
This study tests brain‑imaging in people with Lewy body diseases who do or don’t experience visual hallucinations, and in healthy volunteers, to see how brain networks might create these images.
-
How physical activity might help people with Parkinson’s disease who have DBS-STN implants
This study tests whether adding regular physical activity can help people with Parkinson’s who have DBS-STN stimulation by trying a structured physiotherapy approach alongside standard care.
-
Can hippotherapy improve mobility, gait, balance, and quality of life in people with Parkinson's disease?
This pilot trial tests whether adding horse-assisted therapy to standard rehab helps mobility, gait, balance, and perceived health in adults with Parkinson's disease.
-
Gut methane and Parkinson's: measuring if a probiotic helps people with Parkinson's, REM sleep behavior disorder, or cognitive concerns
This study tests whether a probiotic containing Limosilactobacillus reuteri can help people with Parkinson's disease, those at high risk for PD, and related cognitive issues by potentially improving gut methane levels and overall symptoms.
How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.