Description

Participants & Protocol:

Recruitment: Advertising ads in movement disorders units in hospitals and medical centers in the south, as well as through the help of the Parkinson's Association.

The study will be conducted with 15 PD patients, aged 50-75, at the Adi Negev Clinic. Each patient will use the robotic system five times, with each session lasting 30 minutes. The intervention plan incorporates principles of effective rehabilitation practice, including repeated practice, goal-oriented practice, variable difficulty, rhythmic cueing, and social interaction. Before the research begins, participants will sign an informed consent form.

Baseline and Pre-Post Tests:

Assessments including the MoCA, demographic data, clinical data, Color Trails Test (CTT), motor UPDRS, Box & Blocks Test, and Cognitive Reserve Index Questionnaire (CRIq) will be collected before the first session by an occupational or physical therapist. After the fifth session, post-intervention assessments will include motor UPDRS, Box & Blocks Test, CTT, System Usability Scale (SUS), Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI), and a satisfaction questionnaire.

Hypothesis

It is hypothesized that motor and cognitive training using the robots will improve the patients' clinical symptoms, as evidenced by pre-post test results.

Novelty & Impact:

This is the first socially assistive robotic platform developed specifically for people with PD. If successful, this platform could be incorporated into the clinical toolbox at Adi Negev and other centres. Additionally, this study will be the first to use the Cognitive Reserve Index Questionnaire (CRIq) in Hebrew for people with PD. The potential impact of this project is twofold: testing a new rehabilitation tool and a screening tool for PD patients.