The feasibility of a visuo-cognitive training intervention using a mobile application and exercise with stroboscopic glasses in Parkinson's: Findings from a pilot randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND

There is currently no pharmacological treatment for visuo-cognitive impairments in Parkinson's disease. Alternative strategies are needed to address these non-motor symptoms given their impact on quality of life. Novel technologies have potential to deliver multimodal rehabilitation of visuo-cognitive dysfunction, but more research is required to determine their feasibility in Parkinson's.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a home-based, technological visuo-cognitive training (TVT) intervention using a mobile application and exercise with stroboscopic glasses compared to non-technological care in people with Parkinson's.

METHODS

This 18-month, parallel, two-arm pilot trial took place between July 2021-December 2022. Participants were community-dwelling individuals with a diagnosis of Parkinson's, aged over 50 years. Participants were randomly allocated to one of two active four-week interventions, TVT (n = 20) or standard care (SC) (n = 20). A physiotherapist delivered 8 home visits over 4 weeks, lasting 45-60 mins. Participants were evaluated at baseline and then on completion of the intervention. Primary outcomes were feasibility of the study design and intervention (recruitment/retention, adherence, assessment time scale, equipment and safety). Exploratory outcomes included assessments of cognitive, visual, clinical and motor function. (Blinding of participants was not possible due to the nature of the intervention).

RESULTS

The recruitment rate was 60% (40/67), and the retention rate was 98% (39/40). Adherence to both arms of the intervention was high, with participants attending 98% of visits in the TVT group and 96% of visits in the SC group. 35% (9/20) of participants in the TVT group experienced mild symptoms associated with use of the stroboscopic glasses which included dizziness, queasiness and unsteadiness. There were minimal between group differences, with both interventions having positive effects on a variety of clinical, cognitive, and physical performance outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that home-based TVT with a physiotherapist is feasible in people with Parkinson's and could provide an alternative approach to addressing cognitive and motor dysfunction in this population. We make recommendations for future trials and invite ensuing studies to improve upon the design and utilise stroboscopic visual training and digital tools to investigate this emerging area of multimodal rehabilitation. This trial was prospectively registered at ISRCTN (registration number: ISRCTN46164906; https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN46164906).