Proprioception and Meditation

University of Miami20 enrolled

Overview

In past work is has been shown that yoga can be as effective as a standard balance or Tai Chi protocol; however, there is an inability to distinguish between the mind and body contributions of yoga training. This study will compare an accepted proprioceptive training program to a meditation program which concentrates on body awareness in individuals with Parkinson's disease.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

Conditions

Parkinson Disease Proprioceptive Disorders Movement Disorders

Interventions

Yoga MeditationOTHER

Yoga meditation using motor imagery to perceive movement patterns

Proprioceptive DrillsOTHER

Active balance and proprioception drills

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 40 YearsMax age: 90 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * An individual must be between 40 and 90 years of age with mild to moderate Parkinson's Disease (Hoehn \& Yahr stages I-III). Exclusion Criteria: * Participants that have been part of a formal training program that targeted lower body strength, balance or proprioception within the past six months * Participants that have any uncontrolled nerve (except Parkinson's patients taking appropriate medication), bone or joint, or heart disease; * Participants that have been advised by a doctor to not exercise; * Participants that have regularly practiced yoga at least twice per week within the past six months; * Participants that is unable to consent; * Participants that is a prisoner; * Participants that are pregnant.

Locations (1)

Laboratory of Neruomuscular Research and Active Aging

Coral Gables, Florida, United States

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Joint Position Sense

The joint position sense technique for the knee involves the reduction of visual cues while moving the knee to a specific target angle, holding that target angle, returning the knee to the starting position, and then reproducing that target angle.

Time frame: 20 minutes

Tinetti balance and gait.

A subjective evaluation of Balance and gait.

Time frame: 3 minutes.

Secondary Outcomes

8ft Up and Go

Individuals sits in a chair at the verbal cue of "go", individual rises from chair and walks as quickly as possible around a cone placed 8 ft from the front of the chair, individual returns to and sits.

Time frame: 60 seconds

Joint Kinesthesia

The Joint Kinesthesia measurement technique involves the participant sitting in the Biodex chair with visual, audio, and tactile cues reduced and the leg supported by an external movement device. The knee is placed at a predetermined angle and slowly flexed or extended at a random starting time while the participant is instructed to signal when movement is felt.

Time frame: 20 minutes

Dynamic Posturography

The participant stands on a randomly moving platform with a sonar emitter affixed to the lumbar spine. As the platform moves the linear and curvilinear displacement of the emitter is evaluated and a dynamic movement analysis core is generated.

Time frame: 5 minutes

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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