Walking Tall app for home-based gait training in Parkinson's disease
Feasibility and Preliminary Effects of the Walking Tall App for Home-Based Gait Training in Parkinson's Disease: A Pilot Study
This pilot will test whether the Walking Tall smartphone app can help people with Parkinson's disease walk more each day and improve gait over six weeks.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 30 (estimated) |
| Ages | 40 Years to 85 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center Government |
| Locations | 1 site (Tel Aviv) |
| Trial ID | NCT07380737 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This open-label, single-arm pilot will recruit 30 people with idiopathic Parkinson's disease who are enrolled in a rehab program at the Ezra LeMarpe Organization in Israel. Participants will use the Walking Tall smartphone app for 4–5 walking sessions per week over six weeks; the app provides rhythmic auditory cues and motivational verbal prompts to encourage faster, longer steps and greater walking confidence. Daily walking duration and step counts are the primary outcomes measured by a wearable tri-axial accelerometer worn for seven days at baseline and post-intervention, with secondary measures including gait speed, balance, self-reported confidence, and app usability. Findings will focus on feasibility, adherence, and preliminary changes in walking behavior to guide future randomized trials.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults with idiopathic Parkinson's disease at Hoehn & Yahr stage II–III who can walk independently for at least five minutes, have stable medication, are enrolled in the Ezra LeMarpe rehab program, and can use a smartphone and provide consent.
Not a fit: People with major cognitive, visual/hearing, musculoskeletal, or cardiovascular problems that affect walking, a history of stroke or severe brain injury, inability to use a smartphone, or those not enrolled in the specified rehab program are unlikely to benefit or be eligible.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the app could increase daily walking and improve gait speed and confidence while offering an accessible home-based rehabilitation option.
How similar studies have performed: Rhythmic auditory cueing has shown consistent benefits for gait in Parkinson's disease in prior research, but home-delivered smartphone app programs remain relatively novel and less well-studied.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Clinical diagnosis of idiopathic Parkinson's disease (MDS criteria); * Hoehn \& Yahr stage II-III (ON-medication state); * Able to walk independently for ≥5 minutes; * Stable medication for ≥1 month; * Currently enrolled in a rehab program at Ezra LeMarpe; * Able to provide written informed consent; Exclusion Criteria: * Musculoskeletal, neurological, or visual/hearing impairments affecting gait; * Cognitive impairments or severe behavioral symptoms; * History of stroke, severe TBI, or brain tumor; * Cardiovascular contraindications; * Inability to use a smartphone; * Participation in other concurrent intervention studies.
Where this trial is running
Tel Aviv
- Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov Hospital) — Tel Aviv, Israel (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Tatyana Gurevich, Prof — Head of the Movement Disorders Unit at Ichilov Hospital
- Study coordinator: Marina Brozgol, MS
- Email: marinab@tlvmc.gov.il
- Phone: +972-3-6947514
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.