---
title: Vibrating shoe improves walking stability
nct_id: NCT06975059
phase: NA
status: RECRUITING
sponsor: Weill Medical College of Cornell University
study_type: INTERVENTIONAL
canonical_url: "https://parkinsonspathways.com/trial/NCT06975059"
clinicaltrials_gov: "https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06975059"
last_fetched: "2026-05-10T14:02:47.016Z"
source: "Parkinson's Pathways (curated)"
---
# Vibrating shoe improves walking stability

**Goal (in five words):** Vibrating shoe improves walking stability

**Official Title:** Using the NUSHU Shoe to Analyze Gait Balance and Vibrotactile Feedback in Early, Moderate and Advanced PD Patients and Healthy Controls

**Trial ID:** [NCT06975059](https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06975059)

## Key Facts

- **Phase:** NA
- **Status:** RECRUITING
- **Study Type:** INTERVENTIONAL
- **Sponsor:** Weill Medical College of Cornell University
- **Target Enrollment:** 40 participants
- **Start Date:** 2025-05-30
- **Completion Date:** 2027-07
- **Conditions:** Parkinson's Disease (PD)
- **Interventions:** NUSHU shoe
- **Intervention Types:** DEVICE

## Summary For Families

The goal is to map how gait and balance change across early, moderate, and advanced Parkinson's, and to test whether vibrotactile foot cues from the NUSHU shoe can improve stability and step timing. The approach uses a sensor-packed, wearable shoe that records steps, sway, and asymmetry while delivering timed vibrations to the foot to provide rhythmic cues that may help with balance and gait, it is noninvasive and designed to be used alongside usual medications like levodopa rather than replace them. Eligible participants are adults 18 and older with a PD diagnosis who can walk independently and score 22 or higher on the MoCA, and the study also enrolls healthy adults 18 and older with no neurological disease; people who cannot wear the device or have other major brain or gait disorders are excluded.

## Eligibility

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

### Full Criteria

```
Parkinson's Disease:

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Male or female ≥ 18 years of age.
2. A diagnosis of Parkinson's disease
3. Able to give written informed consent (as determined by the investigator)
4. Can converse in English and read and perform all study activities
5. Has willingness and ability to comply with study requirements

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Diagnosis of an atypical parkinsonism syndrome, drug-induced parkinsonism, essential tremor, or other diagnoses that explain movement symptoms other than PD
2. A diagnosis of significant CNS disease other than PD such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy
3. Persons with disorders other than PD significantly affecting gait as determined by the investigator
4. History of MRI brain scan indicative of clinically significant abnormality as determined by the investigator
5. Inability to wear interventional device
6. Unable to ambulate independently at least with assistive walking device but without additional person assistance
7. Pregnant or planning pregnancy within study timeframe
8. Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score \< 22 at screening
9. Resides in a nursing home or assisted care facility

Healthy Controls:

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Male or female ≥ 18 years of age.
2. No neurological disease or other significant gait impairment as deemed by the study investigator
```

## Locations (1)

- Weill Cornell, New York, New York, United States _(40.7143, -74.0060)_
  - Principal Investigator, MD — (CONTACT) — 212-746-1685 — has9059@med.cornell.edu
  - Clinical Research Coordinator — (CONTACT) — 212-746-1685 — kyn4002@med.cornell.edu

## Central Contacts

- Harini Sarva, MD — (CONTACT) — 212-746-1685 — has9059@med.cornell.edu
- Clinical Research Coordinator — (CONTACT) — kyn4002@med.cornell.edu

---

*Canonical: https://parkinsonspathways.com/trial/NCT06975059*  
*HTML version: https://parkinsonspathways.com/trial/NCT06975059*  
*Source data: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06975059*