The Balance Disorders Laboratory's current studies are relating the brain’s postural/locomotor circuits to objective measures of balance and gait disorders in people with neurologic diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and mild Traumatic Brain Injury as well as older population. These projects will improve our understanding of the role of the cortical and subcortical areas in balance and gait and how cognitive impairments relate to postural disorders with the goal of improving mobility rehabilitation in the elderly.

One of the long-term goals of the laboratory is to develop effective rehabilitation approaches to improve balance and gait in people with neurologic diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and mild Traumatic Brain Injury. Clarifying the relationships between gait and balance deficits and frontal lobe deficits as well as central sensorimotor integration deficits is an important focus of our research.

The Balance Disorders Laboratory is at the forefront of developing and implementing objective measures to quantify balance deficits in people with neurological disorders. Our team was among the first to demonstrate the feasibility of using wearable sensors to quantify gait and turning characteristics during daily life and in people’s natural environments. The impact of this work continues to expand. During the COVID-19 period, our lab actively enrolled new participants to our studies and provided rehabilitation treatment opportunities despite most in-person research being either limited or prohibited. 

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Purpose: SPARX3 is a research study to learn more about the effects of aerobic exercise on people with Parkinson’s disease who have not yet started medication for their PD. It will compare the effects of moderate intensity treadmill exercise to high intensity treadmill exercise on the signs and symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. 

Participation Requirements:
- Between 40 and 80 years of age
- Diagnosed with primary PD with disease duration less than 3 years
- Have not yet started medication for PD
- Not likely to begin dopaminergic therapy with the next 6 months

Participation Details:
First, you will complete two screening visits to confirm that you meet the criteria to participate in the study. These visits consist of physical and memory/thinking assessments, a blood draw for exercise clearance, a questionnaire to screen for depression, and a brain scan (DaTscan) that helps confirm diagnosis of PD.

If you are eligible to participate in this study, you will then complete a series of visits, which consist of more physical and memory/thinking assessments, questionnaires, blood draws, exercise tests, and brain scans. You will also be randomized (like flipping a coin) to one of two exercise groups. You will be asked to exercise, at a specific rate/intensity, 4 days per week for approximately 30 minutes, while we closely monitor you. Your participation in this study, including study visits and the exercise sessions, will last approximately 2 years (24-26 months).

For more information, please contact: Ashlynn Lawston by phone (503) 781-7842 or email lawston@ohsu.edu
(eIRB# 21483)

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Purpose:
The purpose of the study is to learn more about daily life mobility and disease progression in individuals recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. We are hoping to find out which measures of daily life mobility are common among individuals recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, which measures are most sensitive to disease progression over time, and which measures of daily life mobility are associated with risk of falls over time.

Participation Requirements:
- Between 40 and 89 years of age
- Diagnosed with PD within the last 3 years
- Have not yet started medication for PD
- Able to walk for 2 minutes without the use of an assistive device
- No health conditions, other than PD, that impact gait or mobility
- Are not enrolled in a therapeutic clinical trial

Participation Details:
Study participation lasts roughly 36 months and consists of 4 study visits, fall-reporting, and 4 one-week periods of mobility-monitoring during daily life using wearable sensors. Study visits take place at months 0, 12, 24, and 36 and consist of gait and balance assessments with wearable sensors, clinical assessments of PD symptoms, and questionnaires about your PD symptoms and quality of life. Fall-reporting takes place via email surveys. Three sensors are worn during the daily life mobility-monitoring collections, which take place immediately following each study visit.

For more information, please contact:
Ashlynn Lawston by phone (503) 781-7842 or email lawston@ohsu.edu
(eIRB# 24814)

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Purpose:
This study involves wearing mobility sensors at home for one week to learn about mobility patterns in people with Parkinson's disease (PD).

Participation Requirements:
- Between 55 and 85 years of age
- Have been diagnosed with PD
- Able to walk for two minutes without the use of an assistive device
- Are taking a stable dose of Levodopa medication
- Willing to wear mobility sensors for two, one-week-long periods, and track your falls for 12 months
- No other neurological or musculoskeletal issues

Participation Details:
For those who have not fallen in the last 12 months
If you decide to take part in this study, you would be asked to wear a set of mobility monitoring sensors for one week and to track your falls for one year through email survey. The sensors collect information about your balance and mobility and are worn on the feet and around the waist (3 total sensors) for up to 10 hours per day for 7 days. Participants will also be asked to complete several surveys and questionnaires during two separate virtual visits or during an in-person visit with study staff members. Participants repeat the week with mobility monitoring sensors and the study visits after the 12-months of fall tracking are complete. Participants are compensated $200 for completing the study in its entirety. This study can be completed in person or entirely virtual/remote.

For those who have fallen in the last 12 months
If you decide to take part in this study, you would be randomly assigned to either an exercise intervention or a control group. Participants in the exercise intervention group attend 3 exercise sessions per week for 6 weeks, while the control group is asked to maintain their existing exercise routine for the same 6-week period. Participants in both groups are asked to wear a set of mobility monitoring sensors for three, 1-week periods and to track their falls for one year through automated email surveys. The sensors collect information about your balance and mobility and are worn on the feet and around the waist (3 total sensors) for up to 10 hours per day for 7 days. Several surveys, questionnaires, and assessments are completed during three in-person study visits. Participants are compensated $300 or $450 (depending on randomization) for completing the study.

For more information, please contact:
Jacquie Ellison by phone (503) 329-3828 or email ellisoja@ohsu.edu
(eIRB# 18978)

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The OHSU Balance Disorders Laboratory is investigating whether telerehabilitation focused on improving balance improves daily life mobility and balance in people with Parkinson’s disease. Participants will be compensated for their time with up to $220 per person as well as rehabilitation under the direction of a licensed physical therapist. If you are taking levodopa for Parkinson’s disease, are 55–85 years old and are willing to participate in an exercise program at home, email balance@ohsu.edu or call 503.418.2601.

IRB#24453

PI: King/Mancini

Purpose:
The purpose of this study is to help us better understand the relationship between cognition and brain activity while walking in people with Parkinson’s disease (PD). We are investigating how thinking ability is associated with differences in brain activity during walking and whether those differences are impacted by levodopa medication and vibrational cueing during walking. 

Participation Requirements: 
- Between 50-85 years of age
- Able to stand and walk unassisted for 2-minutes at a time
- No other medical condition or health history, other than PD, significantly affecting gait and mobility
- Confirmed diagnosis of idiopathic PD by a movement disorders specialist or no neurological conditions (healthy control participants)
- No implanted deep brain stimulation (DBS)

Participation Details:

Participants with PD
Participation lasts 1-month and consists of 3-4 study visits. Each visit will last up to three hours. The visit will consist of walking and balance tests with wearable sensors and clinical assessments and questionnaires about your thinking ability and quality of life. In addition to the study visits, participation will include three weeks of in-home mobility-monitoring and gait cueing. 

Healthy Control Participants
Participation consists of 1 study visit lasting up to three hours. The visit will consist of walking and balance tests with wearable sensors and clinical assessments and questionnaires about your thinking ability and quality of life. 

For more information, please contact:
Francesca Alcalá by phone (503) 913-3691 or email alcalaf@ohsu.edu
(eIRB# 24837) 

The OHSU Balance Disorders Laboratory is investigating balance and visual deficits in mild traumatic brain injury (concussion). Participants will be compensated for their time with over $200 for the study as well free vestibular rehabilitation under the direction of a licensed physical therapist. If you have been diagnosed with a concussion, are 3 weeks-6 months from your injury, are 18–50 years old and currently having concussion symptoms that impact your balance email concussionresearch@ohsu.edu or call 971.420.4351.

IRB#25890

PI: Laurie King, PhD, DPT, MCR