Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40204991›Full record

Trial reportJournal of neurology2025

The effects of task-specific home-based touchscreen training in people with Parkinson's disease: a pilot randomized controlled trial.

Joni De Vleeschhauwer, Evelien Nackaerts, Nicholas D'Cruz, Yifeng Zhang, Luc Janssens, Wim Vandenberghe, Moran Gilat, Alice Nieuwboer

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Journal of neurology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. 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

8 authors.

Joni De VleeschhauwerDepartment of Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven, Research Group for Neurorehabilitation (eNRGy), Tervuursevest 101, B- 3001, Leuven, Belgium. joni.devleeschhauwer@kuleuven.be.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4497-0944
Evelien NackaertsDepartment of Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven, Research Group for Neurorehabilitation (eNRGy), Tervuursevest 101, B- 3001, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6580-4902
Nicholas D'CruzDepartment of Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven, Research Group for Neurorehabilitation (eNRGy), Tervuursevest 101, B- 3001, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5306-5903
Yifeng ZhangGroup T Campus, Electrical Engineering Technology (ESAT), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Luc JanssensGroup T Campus, Electrical Engineering Technology (ESAT), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Wim VandenbergheDepartment of Neurology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9758-5062
Moran GilatDepartment of Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven, Research Group for Neurorehabilitation (eNRGy), Tervuursevest 101, B- 3001, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0072-4637
Alice NieuwboerDepartment of Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven, Research Group for Neurorehabilitation (eNRGy), Tervuursevest 101, B- 3001, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1193-6229

Funding

Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek 11N5622NFonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek 12B1K24NFonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek G0A5619N
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundManual dexterity deficits impair the ability to effectively use touchscreen devices in people with Parkinson's disease (PD).

objectiveTo examine the effects and feasibility of a home-based, unsupervised tablet-task training on task-specific performance in a randomized controlled trial and to determine which individuals are likely to benefit.

methodsThirty-four PD patients were randomized and included into an experimental training (EXP, N = 16) and passive control group (CTL, N = 18). The EXP practiced a Swipe-Slide Pattern (SSP) task on a tablet (5x/week for 2 weeks) as fast and accurately as possible in single and dual task conditions. Performance on the SSP and an untrained mobile phone task (MPT) were tested before and after two weeks of training and after four weeks follow-up. SSP-Time (primary outcome), SSP-Accuracy (% correct) and MPT-Time were recorded. Linear mixed models were used to assess training effects.

resultsThe home-based task-specific training program significantly improved the SSP-Time immediately after training (p < 0.001, d = 0.917) and at follow-up (p = 0.006, d = 0.663), and showed excellent compliance rates (average 98%). No transfer occurred to the untrained MPT. Worse baseline SSP-performance and older age were significantly associated with short- and long-term gains (p < 0.010).

conclusionHome-based, unsupervised touchscreen training is feasible and effective to improve movement time of the trained task, albeit without transfer to an untrained task. The heterogeneity and variability of the effects underscore the importance of personalizing rehabilitation programs in PD, according to baseline performance. Future studies should investigate a wider range of transfer tasks and clinical determinants that could impact the training response. CLINICAL

trial registrationhttps://clinicaltrials.gov/ : NTC05696197, retrospectively registered on January 13, 2023.

Indexed as

Computers, HandheldParkinson DiseasePsychomotor PerformanceAgedFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPilot ProjectsMotor learningParkinson’s diseaseTouchscreen trainingUpper limb

Identifiers

PMID40204991

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.