Landing wise program: feasibility study protocol for Parkinson's disease.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Gerontology
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• Parkinson's disease (PD) patients frequently experience falls despite existing prevention programs.
• Fear of falling significantly impacts quality of life and mobility in individuals with PD.
• Novel, well-accepted therapeutic interventions are needed to address fall risk and fear in PD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of the "Landing Wise" program as a therapeutic intervention for reducing fear of falling in people with PD.
• To evaluate key feasibility domains including recruitment, retention, acceptability, and adverse events.
• To lay the groundwork for a future randomized controlled trial to establish program effectiveness.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods approach was employed with 20 participants with PD and moderate fall concerns.
• The 8-week intervention involved 2 weekly 90-minute group sessions combining cognitive behavioral intervention with safe landing strategies.
• Feasibility was assessed through six domains, and quantitative/qualitative data were analyzed using descriptive, inferential, and thematic analyses.

Main Results:

• The study successfully recruited and retained participants, indicating good feasibility.
• Preliminary analysis suggests potential benefits in reducing fear of falling and improving mobility metrics.
• The program was generally well-accepted, with minimal adverse events reported.

Conclusions:

• The "Landing Wise" program demonstrates feasibility as a novel intervention for individuals with Parkinson's disease.
• This approach, integrating cognitive and physical strategies, offers a promising avenue for managing fall risk and fear.
• Further research via a randomized controlled trial is warranted to confirm the efficacy of the Landing Wise program.