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Feasibility and Effects of a Pickleball Program for People With Parkinson Disease

A Community Pickleball Program for People With Parkinson Disease: A Feasibility and Preliminary Results Study

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT05994508
Enrollment
16
Registered
2023-08-16
Start date
2024-01-12
Completion date
2024-07-30
Last updated
2025-06-26

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Parkinson Disease

Brief summary

Pickleball is a fast-growing sport that has been shown to improve social integration, life satisfaction, function, and cognitive function in older adults. Parkinson disease is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by bradykinesia, rigidity, tremors, and postural instability. Exercise has been shown to improve physical and cognitive function in people with Parkinson disease (PD). The purpose of this study is to assess if a community pickleball program can be a feasible and effective for people living with PD.The primary aim of this study is to assess the feasibility of a group pickleball program for people with PD. Secondary aims is to assess the effects of a 6-week pickleball exercise program on balance, gait, cognition, upper extremity function, pain, and quality of life in people with PD. This will be a pre-test, post-test single-group, prospective, mixed-methods study with 1- month follow-up. Sixteen participants will be enrolled in a 6-week pickleball program, at a frequency of twice a week for one hour each session. Feasibility will be assessed by retention rates, adherence rates, resources, and number of adverse events. Quantitative data to be collected will include the Mini-BESTest, gait and body posture variables, Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire-8, the Shirt-Buttoning Task, 9 Hole Peg Test, grip strength, PD-Pain Classification System, and the National Institutes of Health Toolbox Cognition Battery. Additionally, participants will be scheduled for small semi-structured focus group interviews to gain qualitative data about their experiences of the program. It is hypothesized that a pickleball program for people living with PD will be a feasible activity and will result in improvements in balance, gait, cognition, upper extremity function, and quality of life. Additionally, it is hypothesized that participants will have a favorable opinion on the activity.

Interventions

OTHERPickleball program

The intervention will be a 6-week pickleball program, at a frequency of two times a week. Each session will be one hour which will consist of dynamic warm-up drills, pickleball-related skill practice and game play, and a cool-down period.

Sponsors

Creighton University
CollaboratorOTHER
Midwestern University
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Diagnosis of idiopathic Parkinson disease * Able to walk without an assistive device * Able to tolerate 45 minutes of activity with occasional seated rest

Exclusion criteria

* Diagnosis of any other neurologic disorder * Any current illness, injury, or cognitive function that would prevent ability to perform the study tasks * Not regularly participating in pickleball (less than 3 times a month)

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Mini-BEStestWithin 7 day before and after the intervention as well as one-month after intervention completionComprehensive balance assessment
10-Meter Walk TestWithin 7 day before and after the intervention as well as one-month after intervention completionMeasure of gait speed
Grip strength dynamometryWithin 7 day before and after the intervention as well as one-month after intervention completionAssessment of grip strength

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
The shirt-buttoning taskWithin 7 day before and after the intervention as well as one-month after intervention completionAn upper limb functional performance test
Montreal Cognitive AssessmentWithin 7 day before and after the intervention as well as one-month after intervention completionAssessment of cognitive abilities scored on a scale from 0-30. Higher scores represent higher cognitive abilities.
9-Hole Peg TestWithin 7 day before and after the intervention as well as one-month after intervention completionAssessment of finger dexterity
Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire-8Within 7 day before and after the intervention as well as one-month after intervention completionMeasure of perceived quality of life. Scores range from 0% to 100% with higher scores representing greater impact of the disease.

Countries

United States

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026