The investigators will conduct an randomized controlled trial (RCT) among people with Parkinson disease (PD) and freezing of gait (FOG) to evaluate the feasibility of a mindfulness intervention compared to a educational program about FOG. FOG is a severe motor disturbance that prevents people from stepping normally and is associated with anxiety, frustration, sedentary behaviors, poorer quality of life, and falls. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is an evidence-based practice that creates a culture to reduce stress and anxiety by increasing conscious awareness and self-compassion. In this study, the investigators will develop a mindfulness-based walking intervention to address both mental health and mobility challenges that constitute FOG.
Conduct pilot randomized clinical trial to evaluate feasibility and acceptability of the standardized Mindfulness Based Walking Therapy (MBWT) program. Using the standardized MBWT protocol devised during earlier aims of this study, the investigators will randomize 24 people with PD+FOG to MBWT or FOG education (i.e., usual care and FOG education), examining feasibility elements.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
24
MBWT is a modified version of the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program that incorporates more walking mediations and is acceptable for people with Parkinson disease and freezing of gait.
Participants will receive materials to read weekly about FOG and track their usual care regimens.
Washington University School of Medicine
St Louis, Missouri, United States
Recruitment of Sample: Number of Participants Recruited
The investigators will count the number of participants recruited to determine if the feasibility objective of recruitment is met. The investigators benchmark for recruitment is defined as recruiting a target sample of 24 participants to randomize.
Time frame: 14 weeks
Attendance of Participants: Average Number of Participants at Each Session
The investigators will count the number of enrolled participants who were in attendance at each mindfulness session and report the average percentage of participants that attended each mindfulness session over the course of the study to determine if the feasibility objective of attendance is met. The investigators benchmark for attendance is defined as at least 80% of participants attending each session. The number of sessions was 14, we then counted the number of enrolled participants who attended at each session and then averaged that number across the sessions. The unit of measure represents the average number of participants.
Time frame: 14 weeks
Retention of Participants: Number of Participants Who Attended 80% of the Sessions or More
The investigators will count the number of participants who attended 11 or more of the 14 sessions (80% of the sessions). Benchmark: Retention is defined as at least 80% of participants attending 80% of the sessions.
Time frame: 14 weeks
Adherence: Average Percentage of Hours Participants Practiced Mindfulness at Home
The investigators will ask participants to track the number of hours spent practicing mindfulness at home to determine if the feasibility objective of adherence is met. The investigators benchmark for adherence is as completing 70% of daily home assignment hours. No homework assignments after class 12 (class 13 was the retreat).
Time frame: 12 weeks
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