Augmented Reality Gait Training to Improve Walking and Stress in Parkinsons Disease

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are investigating gait disorders in people with Parkinsons disease PD, especially how walking difficulties appear in complex or stressful environments. These challenges, such as freezing of gait, are hard to evaluate accurately in usual clinical or lab settings. This study aims to develop an augmented reality AR system that mimics real-world challenges and adapts to each patients condition to support personalized gait training and rehabilitation. The system builds on a movement classification framework, modified to include PD-specific factors like cognitive dual tasks, to better understand how stress impacts walking. The study compares two groups one receiving AR gait training and a control group. Participants in the AR group will walk on a pathway projected in augmented reality for 60 minutes, three times a week, over six weeks. The AR environment changes interactively based on the patients gait and stress levels to tailor the difficulty and support effective rehabilitation. This approach aims to test the AR systems ability to classify patients by their responses and to assess its effects on walking and stress management. Participants will be assessed at baseline, 6 weeks, and 8 weeks using measures such as walking speed, step length, step time, and heart rate variability indices to evaluate gait and stress responses. Additional tests include the Time Up and Go test and various cognitive and Parkinsons disease rating scales. The study involves randomized group assignment without masking and will monitor changes over the treatment period to understand how adaptive AR training can support gait and stress in PD patients.

AR Gait Training for Parkinson's Disease