Exoskeleton-Assisted Mobility in Aging and in Parkinson's Disease

Sponsor
Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de l'Outaouais
Study ID
NCT07567482
Status
Recruiting
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Conditions

  • Healthy Aging
  • Parkinson's Disease (PD)

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
50 Years - N/A
Healthy Volunteers
Accepted

Interventions

  • Exoskeleton — DEVICE
    The exoskeleton assistance in condition 2 will correspond to the preferred assistance level determined during the first session using an iterative approach. For conditions 3 and 4, four exoskeleton parameters will be adjusted: eccentric load assistance, concentric load assistance, assistance during lower-limb flexion in the swing phase, and assistance during lower-limb extension in the swing phase. The increased and decreased assistance conditions will correspond to an increase and a decrease of 3 Nm, respectively, for each of these parameters. A minimum assistance of 1 Nm per parameter will be maintained when the baseline preferred assistance level is low. During condition 5, the exoskeleton will be set to free mode, meaning that no assistance will be provided, but motor resistance will be eliminated.

Study Details

This study will evaluate whether a wearable robotic exoskeleton can improve mobility, balance, and walking in healthy older adults and in individuals living with Parkinson's disease, populations at high risk of falls and mobility limitations. Participants will attend two laboratory sessions. The first session includes clinical assessments, fitting and familiarization with the exoskeleton, and interviews to explore user perceptions. The second session involves performing functional mobility tasks (e.g., walking, standing, turning) with and without the exoskeleton and under different assistance levels, while movement is measured using wearable sensors. The study will assess the immediate effects of the exoskeleton on mobility, compare assistance levels, identify which participants benefit most, and explore user experience and acceptability. Findings will help inform the development and implementation of assistive technologies to support mobility in healthy aging and in individuals with Parkinson's disease.

Key Dates

First listed
May 5, 2026
Start date
Apr 30, 2026
Status verified
May 2026
Primary completion
Oct 31, 2026
Completion
Nov 30, 2026

Study Design

Enrollment
26 participants (estimated)
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Arms

  • Experimental: Conditions
    The effect of the exoskeleton on mobility will be evaluated under six different conditions: (1) without the exoskeleton (pre), (2) preferred assistance, (3) low assistance, (4) high assistance, (5) neutral assistance, and (6) without the exoskeleton (post). The order of conditions 2 to 5 will be randomized. All participants will undergo all six conditions.

Primary Outcome Measure

Changes in Timed Up and Go (TUG) duration [ Time Frame: Through intervention completion, on average one hour ]

Central Contacts

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