---
title: Improve balance using exercise priming
nct_id: NCT06133283
phase: NA
status: RECRUITING
sponsor: The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
study_type: INTERVENTIONAL
canonical_url: "https://parkinsonspathways.com/trial/NCT06133283"
clinicaltrials_gov: "https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06133283"
last_fetched: "2026-05-10T14:01:45.345Z"
source: "Parkinson's Pathways (curated)"
---
# Improve balance using exercise priming

**Goal (in five words):** Improve balance using exercise priming

**Official Title:** High Intensity Endurance Exercise as a Primer to Virtual Reality for Optimizing Cortical Excitability and Neuroplasticity in Parkinson's Disease (PD)

**Trial ID:** [NCT06133283](https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06133283)

## Key Facts

- **Phase:** NA
- **Status:** RECRUITING
- **Study Type:** INTERVENTIONAL
- **Sponsor:** The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
- **Target Enrollment:** 16 participants
- **Start Date:** 2024-02-09
- **Completion Date:** 2026-12-31
- **Conditions:** Parkinson Disease
- **Interventions:** High intensity endurance exercise, Stretching exercise, Virtual reality (VR)-based gaming
- **Intervention Types:** BEHAVIORAL

## Summary For Families

The goal is to test whether a short bout of high intensity endurance exercise done before virtual reality balance games can boost cortical excitability and neuroplasticity, so people with Parkinson's get more benefit for balance and motor learning. The approach compares high intensity aerobic exercise to a stretching control, then has participants do VR-based gaming that practices balance; the idea is that aerobic exercise can raise factors like BDNF and temporarily increase corticomotor excitability, making the brain more ready to learn from the VR practice. The VR sessions give focused, engaging motor practice for balance and gait. The study is looking for people aged 18 to 85 with idiopathic PD in Hoehn and Yahr stages 2 to 3, who have MMSE scores of 23 or higher and a miniBESTest of 21.5 or lower, and who do not have other major neurological, cardiopulmonary, seizure, pregnancy, DBS, or skull/head issues or take medications that alter brain excitability.

## Eligibility

- **Minimum age:** 18 Years
- **Maximum age:** 85 Years
- **Sex:** ALL

### Full Criteria

```
Inclusion Criteria:

1. Diagnosis of idiopathic PD (ages 18 -85) in Hoehn and Yahr stages 2 - 3.
2. Subjects need to demonstrate a score of equal to or greater than 23 on the Mini Mental State Examination.
3. Subjects who have a score of ≤21.5 on the Mini Balance Evaluations Systems Test (miniBESTest).

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Subjects with a history of other neurological diseases (i.e., stroke, multiple sclerosis).
2. Subjects with a history of severe cardiopulmonary disease, uncontrolled hypertension, orthostatic hypotension, uncontrolled diabetes, severe osteoporosis, severe arthritis affecting their lower extremity joints.
3. Subjects with a history of PD-specific surgical procedures such as deep brain stimulation etc.
4. Subjects with a history of head injury.
5. Subjects with a history of seizures or epilepsy.
6. Subjects who are currently pregnant.
7. Individuals who use of medications that could alter corticomotor excitability or increase risk of seizure.
8. Individuals with skull abnormalities, fractures or unexplained, recurring headaches.
```

## Locations (1)

- UT Health San Antonio- Dept. of Physical Therapy, San Antonio, Texas, United States _(29.4241, -98.4936)_
  - Anjali Sivaramakrishnan, PT, PhD — (CONTACT) — 210-567-8626 — sivaramakris@uthscsa.edu

## Central Contacts

- Anjali Sivaramakrishnan, PhD — (CONTACT) — 210-567-8626 — sivaramakris@uthscsa.edu

---

*Canonical: https://parkinsonspathways.com/trial/NCT06133283*  
*HTML version: https://parkinsonspathways.com/trial/NCT06133283*  
*Source data: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06133283*