---
title: Improve walking with tactile cueing
nct_id: NCT05818189
phase: NA
status: RECRUITING
sponsor: Oregon Health and Science University
study_type: INTERVENTIONAL
canonical_url: "https://parkinsonspathways.com/trial/NCT05818189"
clinicaltrials_gov: "https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05818189"
last_fetched: "2026-05-10T14:07:06.916Z"
source: "Parkinson's Pathways (curated)"
---
# Improve walking with tactile cueing

**Goal (in five words):** Improve walking with tactile cueing

**Official Title:** Cortical Correlates of Gait in Parkinson's Disease: Impact of Medication and Cueing

**Trial ID:** [NCT05818189](https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05818189)

## Key Facts

- **Phase:** NA
- **Status:** RECRUITING
- **Study Type:** INTERVENTIONAL
- **Sponsor:** Oregon Health and Science University
- **Target Enrollment:** 60 participants
- **Start Date:** 2025-01-15
- **Completion Date:** 2027-10-01
- **Conditions:** Parkinson Disease
- **Interventions:** Personalized tactile cueing, Fixed tactile cueing
- **Intervention Types:** DEVICE

## Summary For Families

Goal: To understand how Parkinson's medications and rhythmic touch cues change brain activity and walking, so researchers can identify cueing patterns that make gait steadier and less mentally demanding. Approach: Participants wear a small device that gives rhythmic tactile taps to guide step timing, with one mode providing a fixed rhythm and the other adapting the taps to each person’s natural step pattern, while brain activity over the prefrontal cortex is recorded with fNIRS and walking is compared on versus off Parkinson's medication (for example levodopa). Eligibility: Adults 45,85 with mid-stage Parkinson's (Hoehn and Yahr II,III), able to stand and walk two minutes without an aid, MoCA 21 or higher, no deep brain stimulators, severe dyskinesia, or other major neurological or musculoskeletal problems.

## Eligibility

- **Minimum age:** 45 Years
- **Maximum age:** 85 Years
- **Sex:** ALL

### Full Criteria

```
Inclusion Criteria:

* Diagnosis of idiopathic Parkinson's Disease from movement disorders neurologist with the United Kingdom Brain Bank criteria of bradykinesia with 1 or more of the following - rest tremor, rigidity, and balance problems not from visual, vestibular, cerebellar or proprioceptive conditions
* Without musculoskeletal or peripheral or central nervous system disorders (other than PD) that could significantly affect their balance and gait
* All subjects will be capable of following directions for the protocols and to give informed consent.
* Hoehn \& Yahr Levels II-III.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Severe dyskinesia that may affect quality of fNIRS.
* Major musculoskeletal or neurological disorders, structural brain disease, epilepsy, acute illness or health history, other than Parkinson's Disease, significantly affecting gait and turning i.e., peripheral neuropathy with proprioceptive deficits (detected as lack of toe proprioception assessed during the neurological exam at Day 1), musculoskeletal disorders, vestibular problem, head injury, stroke.
* Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) score \< 21 or dementia that precludes consent to participate or ability to follow testing procedures
* Inability to stand or walk for 2 minutes without an assistive device.
* Idiopathic Parkinson's Disease exclusion criteria: Parkinson plus syndromes such as progressive supranuclear palsy, multiple system atrophy, or corticobasal syndrome or implanted electrodes for deep brain stimulation (DBS), possible vascular parkinsonism, current use of dopamine-blocking agents or cholinesterase inhibitor (as may affect Prefrontal cortical activity while walking).
```

## Locations (1)

- Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States _(45.5234, -122.6762)_
  - Francesca Alcalá, B.S. — (CONTACT) — 503-913-3691 — alcalaf@ohsu.edu
  - Graham Harker, MPH — (CONTACT) — 503-418-2601 — harkerg@ohsu.edu
  - Martina Mancini, PhD — (PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR)

## Central Contacts

- Francesa Alcalá, B.S. — (CONTACT) — 503-913-3691 — alcalaf@ohsu.edu
- Graham Harker, MPH — (CONTACT) — 503-418-2601 — harkerh@ohsu.edu

---

*Canonical: https://parkinsonspathways.com/trial/NCT05818189*  
*HTML version: https://parkinsonspathways.com/trial/NCT05818189*  
*Source data: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05818189*