International Chronic and Complex Conditions Research Group (IC3RG)

Managing Fatigue in Parkinson`s Disease

managing-fatigue-in-parkinson


PhD-student:

Neda Alizadeh, PhD Candidate in Health, Dalhousie University

Research Supervisors:

Dr. Tanya Packer, Professor, School of Occupational Therapy, Dalhousie University

Additional Research Members: 

Dr. Gail Eskes, Dr. Grace Warner, Dr. Ingrid Sturkenboom, Dr. Heather Rigby

Study Summary:

Fatigue in Parkinson`s Disease (PD) significantly deteriorates patients’ ability to fulfill their daily roles and activities, especially social participation and employment. Among the available treatments suggested in the literature to address fatigue in PD, the Managing Fatigue: A Six-Week Energy Conservation Course is an evidence-based occupational therapy (OT) program that aims to enable people with chronic conditions to manage the impact of fatigue on their everyday life. Despite the extensive proof of the program’s effectiveness in populations with multiple sclerosis and its potential to be expanded to other similar conditions, efficacy of this program has not been established in PD.

This randomized controlled pilot study will evaluate the feasibility, and the preliminary effectiveness of the individual format of the Managing Fatigue program, named “Managing Fatigue: The Individual Program (MFIP)”. A mixed-methods approach nested in a pilot RCT, randomizing 54 participants 1:1 to usual care or MFIP arms will be employed to evaluate the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of MFIP. Qualitative and quantitative data will be collected simultaneously.
 
This research will provide preliminary evidence on whether the Managing Fatigue Program is beneficial for PD patients. Determining the feasibility and potential efficacy of this program will provide evidence for identifying protocol requirements for a full-scale RCT in the future. If the known beneficial impact of the Managing Fatigue program extends to the PD population, this research will provide the evidence needed to support the integration of this novel solution into the care of people with PD.
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04267107