Individuals with Parkinson’s disease may fall repeatedly and are at greater risk of injuries from falls. Being able to identify people with Parkinson’s disease who are at risk of becoming repeat fallers before they actually are, will help to reduce falls and related injuries.
Measuring brain waves is an important way to assess brain function. It is thought that individuals with Parkinson’s disease may have altered brain function that puts them at risk for falling repeatedly. Finding differences in brain wave patterns between Parkinson’s disease fallers and non-fallers is expected to help us identify individuals with Parkinson’s at risk of becoming repeat fallers.
Who is eligible
Participants will need to:
1) Have a confirmed diagnosis of Parkinson’s
2) Be able to at a minimum stand and step-in-place for a few minutes
3) Be willing to wear a leg band with a stepping-in-place sensor on their leg and a head cap with conductive gel that measures their brain waves.
Participants will not be eligible if:
1) They have a neurologic condition other than idiopathic PD
2) Are wheelchair bound
3) Have dementia
4) Have symptomatic postural hypotension
5) Have a significant cardiovascular or musculoskeletal disorder limiting standing/stepping or balance.
What’s required
We will first collect basic demographic, medical/fall history, and clinical information. You will also be required to complete a simple stepping-in-place task. This will include stepping-in-place combined with a mental task for dual-task assessment. You will also be asked to wear a leg band and sensor on your leg just above the knee to measure your steps, and a head cap connected to a light backpack that will measure your brain wave activity while performing the stepping-in-place tasks.
University of Calgary & Hotchkiss Brain Institute
REB19-0529
