Recruiting

Soft robotic clothing to prevent freezing episodes in Parkinson's

Plain-English translation of NCT06602544 on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗ · Source last updated July 2025 · Translation generated June 2026 · How we translate trials

This study doesn't follow the usual testing phases — it may be an observational study or a different type of research.

What is this trial?

Freezing of gait is a symptom of Parkinson's disease where people suddenly feel unable to move their feet forward, even though they want to walk. This study is testing a soft robotic apparel—a wearable device that gently assists your walking movements—to see if it can prevent or reduce these freezing episodes. Researchers will have you walk in different situations both with and without the robotic apparel to measure how well it works.

Freezing of gait can be dangerous and significantly limit a person's independence and quality of life in Parkinson's disease. Current treatments don't work well enough for everyone, so researchers are exploring whether mechanical assistance from wearable robots might help support natural walking patterns and prevent these episodes from happening in the first place.

Do you qualify?

You likely qualify if…

you are between 18 and 90 years old
you have been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and experience freezing of gait
you are able to walk independently for at least 20 meters, with or without a cane or walker
you score 21 or higher on a cognitive screening test (Montreal Cognitive Assessment)
you can commit to attending 8 research study visits

You likely don't qualify if…

you have had more than 2 falls in the past month due to gait problems
you have had major surgery in the last 6 months that affects your ability to walk
you have chronic pain that interferes with your walking ability
you have serious heart, neurological, skin, or blood vessel conditions that are not well-controlled
you do not currently experience observable freezing of gait episodes

What participation looks like

You will visit the research lab across multiple days for a total of 8 visits. During each visit, you will walk in different ways—straight lines, turns, while doing other tasks—both with and without wearing the soft robotic apparel. Researchers will track your movement patterns and measure how much freezing happens in each condition. Some testing may also occur in your home or community to see how the device works in real-life situations where you normally experience freezing.

Soft robotic clothing to prevent freezing episodes in Parkinson's

What is this trial?

Do you qualify?

What participation looks like

Trial locations(2 sites)