Effectiveness of a Vibrating Therapy Ball to Reduce Hand Tremor and Improve Daily Activities in Patients with Parkinsons Disease and Other Tremor Syndromes

What this Trial Is About

Tremors, such as those experienced by patients with Parkinsons disease and essential tremor, can be resistant to medication, leading to early use of invasive treatments like deep brain stimulation. There are few effective non-drug treatment options available, and tremors often severely limit daily activities, requiring support from caregivers. This research evaluates the use of the VILIM ball device, a portable, non-invasive vibrating therapy ball designed to reduce hand tremors temporarily and improve everyday functioning in patients with various tremor syndromes. The study compares the effects of the VILIM vibrating therapy ball when active Ball-On versus inactive Ball-Off in patients with Parkinsons tremor, essential tremor, and other tremor types. The device is customized during a training phase to the patients tremor and is intended for use at home or in professional settings. The therapy aims to reduce tremor intensity up to 50%, with effects lasting up to four hours, potentially helping patients perform tasks like eating and writing more easily. Participants will undergo assessments before and after using the therapy ball, including physician and patient evaluations using Clinical Global Impression Severity and disease-specific tremor scales such as MDS-UPDRS III and TETRAS. Tremor analysis data from accelerometers and functional tests like mini darts, writing tasks, and daily activities will also be collected. Independent physicians will review video recordings of evaluations in a single-blinded manner. The study measures the impact on tremor and daily function over a two-year period, with involvement in various tests and observation of therapy effects.

Effect of a Vibrating Therapy Ball on Tremor and Daily Activities in Patients With Different Tremor Syndroms