---
title: Detect walking and balance problems
nct_id: NCT07281794
status: RECRUITING
sponsor: Northumbria University
study_type: OBSERVATIONAL
canonical_url: "https://parkinsonspathways.com/trial/NCT07281794"
clinicaltrials_gov: "https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07281794"
last_fetched: "2026-05-10T14:07:31.816Z"
source: "Parkinson's Pathways (curated)"
---
# Detect walking and balance problems

**Goal (in five words):** Detect walking and balance problems

**Official Title:** Clinical Validity of the DANU Sports System for Gait and Balance Assessment in Parkinson's Disease

**Trial ID:** [NCT07281794](https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07281794)

## Key Facts

- **Status:** RECRUITING
- **Study Type:** OBSERVATIONAL
- **Sponsor:** Northumbria University
- **Target Enrollment:** 60 participants
- **Start Date:** 2025-08-08
- **Completion Date:** 2027-09
- **Conditions:** Parkinson Disease (PD), Healthy (Controls)

## Summary For Families

The goal is to see whether the DANU Sports System can accurately detect and quantify gait and balance problems in people with Parkinson's, so assessments become more objective and reliable. The approach uses wearable sensors during short walking and standing tests to record step timing, stride length, gait variability and postural sway, and compares those measurements to healthy controls to test clinical validity. The study enrolls adults aged 50 and over, people with Parkinson's at Hoehn and Yahr stages I to III diagnosed by a movement disorder specialist who can stand and walk unassisted for at least two minutes and have a MoCA score of 21 or higher, and similar-age healthy controls without neurologic or major musculoskeletal issues.

## Eligibility

- **Minimum age:** 50 Years
- **Sex:** ALL

### Full Criteria

```
Parkinson's Group Inclusion Criteria:- Clinical diagnosis of Parkinson's by a movement disorder specialist according to UK brain bank criteria.

* PD stages I-III (Hoehn and Yahr Rating Scale)
* Able to attend Northumbria University, Newcastle Upon Tyne for study visits.
* Able to walk and stand unassisted for a minimum of 2-minutes.
* Aged 50 years old or over

Parkinson's Group Exclusion Criteria:

* History of neurological disorders other than PD (e.g., Huntington's disease, stroke, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease etc.)
* Unable to walk or stand unaided.
* Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score \< 21
* Significant issues unrelated to PD that may affect gait (e.g., musculoskeletal issues, back pain, recent surgery etc.)

Healthy Control Inclusion Criteria:

* Ability to attend Northumbria University, Newcastle Upon Tyne for study visits.
* Aged 50 years old or over.
* Able to walk and stand unassisted for a minimum of 2-minutes.

Healthy Control Exclusion Criteria:

* History of neurological disorders (e.g. Huntington's disease, stroke, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease etc.)
* Significant issues that may affect walking (e.g., musculoskeletal issues, back pain, recent surgery etc.)
```

## Locations (2)

- Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, United Kingdom _(54.9733, -1.6140)_
  - Gabriella Gatti, BSc — (CONTACT) — 01912156078 — gabriella.gatti@northumbria.ac.uk
  - Rodrigo Vitorio, PhD — (CONTACT) — 01912156078
  - Gabriella Gatti, BSc — (SUB_INVESTIGATOR)
  - Rodrigo Vitorio, PhD — (PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR)
  - Rosie Morris, PhD — (SUB_INVESTIGATOR)
  - Samuel Stuart, PhD — (SUB_INVESTIGATOR)
  - Alan Godfrey, PhD — (SUB_INVESTIGATOR)
- Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom _(54.9733, -1.6140)_

## Central Contacts

- Gabriella R Gatti, BSc — (CONTACT) — 01912273343 — gabriella.gatti@northumbria.ac.uk
- Rodrigo Vitorio, PhD — (CONTACT) — 01912273343 — rodrigo.vitorio@northumbria.ac.uk

---

*Canonical: https://parkinsonspathways.com/trial/NCT07281794*  
*HTML version: https://parkinsonspathways.com/trial/NCT07281794*  
*Source data: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07281794*