Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37700241›Full record

ArticleBMC neurology2023

The STEPWISE study: study protocol for a smartphone-based exercise solution for people with Parkinson's Disease (randomized controlled trial).

Sabine Schootemeijer, Nienke M de Vries, Eric A Macklin, Kit C B Roes, Hilde Joosten, Larsson Omberg, Alberto Ascherio, Michael A Schwarzschild, Bastiaan R Bloem

Registry-linked trialOpen access · goldAbstract readClinical Trial Protocol
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC neurology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04848077 (STEPWISE Parkinson), which is not on this map. Cited by 10 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed
2.7field-weighted citation impact, top 9% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT04848077 narecruitingnot on this map

STEPWISE Parkinson: A Smartphone Based, Titrated Exercise Solution for Patients With Parkinson's Disease in Daily Life

TypeinterventionalSponsorRadboud University Medical CenterRan2021 to 2026Enrolled452ConditionsMovement Disorders, Parkinson DiseaseArmsStep count increase with the use of a motivational smartphone application
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

10 citing papers in PubMed, 13 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Lifestyle medicine for neuroprotection: evidence and implementation in Asian contexts.Journal of neural transmission (Vienna, Austria : 1996) · 2026
    Review
  2. Clinical utility of digital technologies in Parkinson's disease.Journal of neural transmission (Vienna, Austria : 1996) · 2026
    Review
  3. Article
  4. Neuroprotection in Parkinson Disease.Neurology and therapy · 2025
    Review
  5. Review
  6. Article
  7. Review
  8. Review
  9. Designing the First Trials for Parkinson's Prevention.Journal of Parkinson's disease · 2024
    Review
  10. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 6 institutions in 2 countries.

Sabine SchootemeijerDisordersDonders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Department of Neurology, Center of Expertise for Parkinson & Movement Disorders, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
Nienke M de VriesDisordersDonders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Department of Neurology, Center of Expertise for Parkinson & Movement Disorders, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
Eric A MacklinHarvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Kit C B RoesDepartment of Health Evidence, Section Biostatistics, Radboud University Medical Center, PO Box 9101, Nijmegen, 6500 HB, the Netherlands.
Hilde JoostenDepartment of Sports Medicine, Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital, Burgemeester Daleslaan 27, Nijmegen, 6532 CL, the Netherlands.
Larsson OmbergSage Bionetworks, Seattle, WA, USA.
Alberto AscherioHarvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Michael A SchwarzschildHarvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Bastiaan R BloemDisordersDonders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Department of Neurology, Center of Expertise for Parkinson & Movement Disorders, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands. bas.bloem@radboudumc.nl.
Harvard University · USRadboud University Medical Center · NLRadboud University Nijmegen · NLCanisius-Wilhelmina Ziekenhuis · NLMassachusetts General Hospital · USSage Bionetworks · US

Funding

Urate-LRRK2 interactions in Parkinson's diseaseR01NS110879 · NINDS · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · PI SCHWARZSCHILD, MICHAEL A · 2019 to 2023
$2.0M
NIH HHS 5R01NS110879NINDS NIH HHS R01 NS110879ZonMw 546003007
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundExercise has various health benefits for people with Parkinson's disease (PD). However, implementing exercise into daily life and long-term adherence remain challenging. To increase a sustainable engagement with physical activity of people with PD, interventions that are motivating, accessible, and scalable are needed. We primarily aim to investigate whether a smartphone app (STEPWISE app) can increase physical activity (i.e., step count) in people with PD over one year. Our second aim is to investigate the potential effects of the intervention on physical fitness, and motor- and non-motor function. Our third aim is to explore whether there is a dose-response relationship between volume of physical activity and our secondary endpoints.

methodsSTEPWISE is a double-blind, randomized controlled trial. We aim to include 452 Dutch people with PD who can walk independently (Hoehn & Yahr stages 1-3) and who do not take more than 7,000 steps per day prior to inclusion. Physical activity levels are measured as step counts on the participant's own smartphone and scaled as percentage of each participant's baseline. Participants are randomly assigned to an active control group with an increase of 5-20% (active controls) or any of the three intervention arms with increases of 25-100% (intermediate dose), 50-200% (large dose), or 100-400% (very large dose). The primary endpoint is change in step count as measured by the STEPWISE smartphone app from baseline to 52 weeks. For our primary aim, we will evaluate the between-group difference in average daily step count change from baseline to 52 weeks. For our second aim, measures of physical fitness, and motor- and non-motor function are included. For our third aim, we will associate 52-week changes in step count with 52-week changes in secondary outcomes. DISCUSSION: This trial evaluates the potential of a smartphone-based intervention to increase activity levels in people with PD. We envision that motivational apps will increase adherence to physical activity recommendations and could permit conduct of remote clinical trials of exercise for people with PD or those at risk of PD.

trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov; NCT04848077; 19/04/2021. CLINICALTRIALS: gov/ct2/show/NCT04848077.

Indexed as

Mobile ApplicationsParkinson DiseaseExerciseHumansPhysical FitnessRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicSmartphoneExerciseParkinson’s diseasePhysical activityRandomized controlled trialSmartphoneStep count

Identifiers

PMID37700241
PMCPMC10496249
OpenAlexW4386690919

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.