Mental Imagery on Upper Extremity Skills

Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age40-75
SponsorKahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University

About this trial

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease, characterized pathologically by the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and clinically by the presence of motor symptoms such as bradykinesia, resting tremor, and/or rigidity. Among the motor deficits frequently observed in PD, patients are known to frequently report difficulties with manual dexterity. Many upper extremity and manual dexterity deficits are present in PD. Motor imagery (MI) is the imaginal execution of motor activities or the activation of specific muscles in the absence of any explicit feedback. This area of rehabilitation has been shown to be effective in improving and developing motor skills in many neurological conditions where patients exhibit motor recognition and execution impairments. MI can be applied at all stages of recovery from PD, is highly effective in movement-related pathologies, and can be performed independently.There is sufficient evidence that MI improves motor performance and learning in individuals with neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis, stroke, and spinal cord injury. The study was designed to investigate the immediate effects of mental imagery, which is thought to be effective in controlling difficulties in planning and initiating movements in PD, on upper extremity skills. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the effect of mental imagery on upper extremity skills in PD.

Eligibility criteria

This trial does not accept healthy volunteers

Qualifiers

Healthy individuals aged 40-75 years, diagnosed with idiopathic PD according to the UK Parkinson's Disease Association Brain Bank criteria by a specialist neurologist, with a Modified Hoehn & Yahr (m-HY) scale stage ≤4, and with a Mini Mental State Examination score of ≥24 for those with training and ≥18 for those without training, and with no known disease, volunteered to participate in the study.

PD individuals with no other known neurological and/or systemic disease

PD individuals without any upper extremity contractures

Disqualifiers

Individuals with diagnosed and/or treated psychiatric illnesses who are considered unable to complete the tests.

Individuals who is taking neuroleptic medications or antidepressants.

Individuals with orthopedic conditions that interfere with manual dexterity tests, such as severe dyskinesia, carpal tunnel syndrome, tendon injuries, or finger amputations; rheumatological conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis; and individuals with any neurological condition other than PD.

Trial design

Design model

Parallel

Treatments tested in this trial

  • mental imagination

    Other intervention

    The Nine-Hole Peg Test (9 DPT) will be performed with a mental chronometer.the duration between actually physically performing the movement and mentally imagining the same movement will be recorded.

Treatment groups

30 Participants
are divided into 2 treatment groups
Group A: 1/study groupExperimental treatment 1 intervention
Group B: 2/control groupNo intervention 0 interventions

Trial outcomes

Primary outcomes

1

The Nine-Hole Peg Test (9PPT) with Mental Chronometry

Mental Chronometry: Mental chronometry is a method that measures imagery time, considered more objective than questionnaires in the assessment of MI. It examines the time difference between the actual physical execution of a movement and the mental image of the same movement. The Nine-Hole Peg Test (9PPT) is frequently used in the literature, although its validity and reliability as a mental chronometry test are lacking. In this task, the participant is required to remove nine pegs from the board to which they are fixed as quickly as possible and place them in a container on the board. The pegs used in the test (8 mm in diameter, 3 cm long) can be made of wood or plastic. The board (23 cm long, 10 cm wide, and 2 cm high) has a section at one end where the pegs are fixed (arranged in a 3x3 matrix) and a container-shaped space on the side for the pegs to be placed. Participants perform the test on both upper extremities. Before the test, all participants are given the opportunity to ho

Time frame
first day of the assesment

Secondary outcomes

1

sosyodemographic form

Medical history (disease duration and symptoms), demographic information, will be recorded.

Time frame
first day of the assesment
2

Modified Hoehn & Yahr (m-HY) scale

PD disability will be assessed with the m-HY scale. All of the patients with PD will be staged according to the Hoehn Yahr scale as follows: stage 1.0 (unilateral involvement only); stage 1.5 (unilateral and axial involvement); stage 2.0 (bilateral involvement without balance impairment); stage 2.5 (mild bilateral disease with improvement in the pull test); stage 3.0 (mild to moderate bilateral disease; some postural impairment; physically independent); stage 4.0 (severe disability; still able to walk or stand unaided).

Time frame
first day of the assesment
3

Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS)

Symptom severity in PD is rated using the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). Several items on this scale assess upper extremity and hand function. The Activities of Daily Living section assesses handwriting, cutting food, and grasping utensils. The Motor section assesses finger tapping, hand movements, and rapid alternating hand movements. These test items are scored from 0 to 4, with 4 representing maximum impairment and 0 representing normal movement ability. The UPDRS sections are subdivided into: Section I (mental dysfunction and mood); Section II (activities of daily living); Section III (motor); and Section IV (treatment-related complications).

Time frame
first day of the asessment
4

Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE)

This test was developed by Folstein in 1975. Its Turkish validity and reliability study was conducted by Güngen et al. in 2002. The MMSE, which is quite suitable for screening cognitive function in the elderly and assesses cognitive functions in five separate areas (orientation, registration, attention and calculation, recall, and language), is frequently used. A score below 24 on the MMSE indicates dementia, 24-26 indicates mild cognitive impairment, and 26 or above indicates normal cognitive function.

Time frame
first day of the assessment

Other outcomes

Sponsors and contacts

Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.