An interventional study of Hippotherapy and Physiotherapy in Parkinson Disease, sponsored by Klinik Valens. Recruiting at 1 site in Switzerland. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-09-17.
Sponsored by Klinik Valens · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
Among 85 studies in Parkinson Disease with a site in Switzerland — 31 open to participants now, 34 under way, none of them phase 3. Parkinson Disease · Switzerland.
Among the 85 studies in Parkinson Disease with a site in Switzerland, this one is the 32nd largest by planned enrollment of the 67 interventional ones that give a count, is one of 8 that started in 2025, is one of 49 with no phase, reaches primary completion later than 15 of the 33 other live ones, and was the 85th registered.
4,576 studies on the registry are indexed under Parkinson Disease; 1,087 are open to participants now.
Browse Parkinson Disease studies →31 of the 85 studies in Parkinson Disease with a site in Switzerland are open now. Recruiting first, the newest first:
Insel Gruppe AG, University Hospital Bern · Sites in Switzerland
Ages 18–75
Siegward -M. Elsas · Sites in Switzerland
Ages 50–79
University of Zurich · Sites in Switzerland
Ages 18+
University of Zurich · Sites in Switzerland
Alain Kaelin · Sites in Switzerland
Ages 50–80
A study can be open while its sites in Switzerland have not opened yet or have stopped. Only those recruiting at a site in Switzerland →
Of the 749 Parkinson Disease studies recruiting now, 311 (42%) set no upper age limit and 127 (17%) stop at 75 or younger; 64 take children under 18; 189 take healthy volunteers.
This study: 18 Years and older · all sexes · no healthy volunteers.
The full table on the hub →This tab as a report to print or save as PDF → With an account.
85 studies; the count open now beside each. This study's row is marked.
A study in two phases is counted once above. Listed by phase, each with its combined phases: Phase 1 5 · Phase 2 7 · Phase 3 4 · Phase 4 3
First in 2002; this study’s year is marked. 8 started in 2025.
By drug class, each counting the studies that test any of its medicines:
This study's planned enrollment of 30 is below the median of 40 across 3,355 interventional studies indexed under Parkinson Disease.
Median enrollment 30 across the 67 interventional studies, 64 across the 18 observational. Of the 45 that completed or were terminated, 6 (13%) have results posted.
This tab as a report to print or save as PDF → With an account.
21 of 85 have an industry lead sponsor. The 10 most frequent:
Klinik Valens is the lead sponsor of 21 studies on the registry; 3 are open to participants now.
Klinik Valens has 2 studies filed under Parkinson Disease — fewer than ten, so there is no comparison to draw.
12 of the studies in Parkinson Disease with a site in Switzerland that are under way reach primary completion within a year, 0 of them phase 3. Phase 3 first, then by date:
| Study | Primary completion |
|---|---|
| NCT06831500Julien BallyFeasibility Study Assessing the Effect of Carbidopa/Levodopa Ratio on Orthostatic Hypotension in Multiple System Atrophy - Parkinsonian Type and Parkinson Disease. | 2026-11 |
| NCT07485218University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern SwitzerlandMultidimensional Assessment of Fatigability in Older Adults Living in Southern Switzerland and Elderly With Parkinson's Disease | 2026-12 |
| NCT06608875University of ZurichPrecision Sensorimotor Neurorehabilitation Through Personalized Stimulation Loops | 2026-12 |
| NCT05765110Insel Gruppe AG, University Hospital BernSPEECH as Biomarker for Emotion, Movement and cOgnition in Parkinson's Disease | 2026-12-31 |
| NCT07802509Klinik ValensDoes Hippotherapy Have an Effect on Mobility, Gait, Balance and Perceived Health-related Quality of Life in Persons With Parkinson's Disease? | 2027-01-01 |
Add all 12 to your calendar (.ics) → With an account.
Among the 85 studies in Parkinson Disease with a site in Switzerland, from their registry updates:
This tab as a report to print or save as PDF → With an account.
The goal of this pilot randomized controlled trial is to investigate the effects of hippotherapy (horse assisted therapy) (intervention group) compared to usual care (control group) on mobility, gait, balance and perceived health-related quality of life in persons with Parkinson's disease. The main objectives of this study are:
In addition to the three-week, multidisciplinary rehabilitation program the intervention group will receive hippotherapy (20 minutes) three times a week (7 sessions in total) and the control group will receive additional physiotherapy sessions (30 minutes) two times a week.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Short tests of memory and thinking, each scored out of 30. Lower scores suggest more difficulty; criteria give a range, either to include people with memory problems or to leave them out.
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
MMSE and MoCA
Short tests of memory and thinking, each scored out of 30. Lower scores suggest more difficulty; criteria give a range, either to include people with memory problems or to leave them out.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Contraindication
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
In addition to the three-week, multidisciplinary rehabilitation program the intervention group will receive hippotherapy three times a week (7 sessions in total). The hippotherapy sessions last 20 minutes each and aim at trunk rotation (in the transverse and frontal plane), rhythm and trunk stability. They will receive this in addition to the usual three-week rehabilitation program. This program includes 30 minutes of physical therapy daily plus two additional physiotherapy sessions of 30 minutes, 30 minutes of occupational therapy 3x/week, strength training 3x/week, 45 minutes of balance training 2x/week and, as required, other therapies such as nutritional advice, speech therapy and/or creative therapy to meet the individual needs of people with Parkinson's.
Other: Hippotherapy
The comparison group will perform the three-week rehabilitation program, without hippotherapy. This program includes 30 minutes of physical therapy daily plus two additional physiotherapy sessions of 30 minutes, 30 minutes of occupational therapy 3x/week, strength training 3x/week, 45 minutes of balance training 2x/week and, as required, other therapies such as nutritional advice, speech therapy and/or creative therapy to meet the individual needs of people with Parkinson's.
Other: Physiotherapy
Hippotherapy is a form of physical therapy that utilizes the natural gait and movement of a horse to provide motor and sensory input. The hippotherapy sessions last 20 minutes each and aim at trunk rotation (in the transverse and frontal plane), rhythm and trunk stability.
Also known as: Equine assisted therapy
Physiotherapy sessions take 30 minutes and focus on core stability and exercises with large motor tasks
Also known as: Exercise therapy, Physical therapy
Functional mobility.
Functional mobility will be measured with the expanded Timed Up and Go test. The eTUG is a modification of the traditional Timed Up and Go test, whereby the distance is increased from 6 to 10m. This has enabled a more accurate gait assessment in pwPD. Multiple time points are assessed: * The time the person takes to get from a sitting to standing position. * The time the person takes to walk the first two meters (gait initiation) * The time the person takes to walk the remaining (gait 1) * The time the person takes to turn (turning) * The time the person takes to (gait 2) * The time the person takes to slow down, turn and sit down again The more time someone takes to perform the test, the more the mobility is impaired.
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 3 weeks
Balance
Balance will be assessed with the Mini Balance Evaluation Systems Test (Mini-BESTest). The Mini-BESTest is shorter, more clinically applicable version of the original Balance Evaluation Systems Test (BESTest). This test focuses on subcomponents of balance control, such as anticipatory postural adjustments, postural responses, sensory orientation, and dynamic gait. It has proven to be effective in detecting balance impairments in persons with Parkinsons disease. The scale ranges from 0-28 points, with higher scores indicating better balance capacity.
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 3 weeks
Health related quality of life
Health related quality of life will be assessed with the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Global Health Short Form v1.2 (PROMIS-GH-10). The PROMIS-GH-10 is a ten-item questionnaire that assesses generic health related quality of life compared with normal values for the general population. It measures five domains: physical function, fatigue, pain, emotional distress, and social health on a five-point response matrix. Both physical and mental scores range from 0-20, with higher scores indicating a better perceived health related quality of life.
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 3 weeks
Walking capacity
Walking capacity will be tested using the 6 minutes walking test (6-MWT). With the 6-MWT, the total distance in meters covered within six minutes is assessed. The 6-MWT is performed on a 20-meter hallway, on which participants are asked to walk back and forth at maximal speed for the duration of six minutes without permission of rest. The instruction is standardized as "to walk at the fastest speed, and to cover as much distance as possible". Participants are allowed to use a walking aid, if necessary to ensure safe ambulation. The use of walking aids will be documented in the CRF, and participants are asked to use the same walking aid during the re-test at T1. During the tests, the research assistant blinded to group allocation is instructed, to not encourage the participant. The greater the distance walked during the test, the greater the walking endurance.
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 3 weeks
Recruitment rates
Recruitment rates will be obtained to gather information that will help to design and implement a larger scaled randomized controlled trial. The research assistant that is responsible for recruitment will keep a list that keeps track of the date of recruitment / exclusion and reason of exclusion (i.e. does not want to participate, does not meet the inclusion criteria).
Time frame: through study completion, approximately 2 years.
Adherence
Adherence rates will be obtained to help design and implement a larger scaled randomized controlled trial. The therapist that is performing the hippotherapy or additional physiotherapy sessions with the participant will document the training in the CRF. This includes reasons for not coming to the session (i.e. no motivation, falling sick, etc), reasons for early termination of the training session (i.e. fear, difficulty climbing on the horse) and a free space to write any other relevant information.
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 3 weeks
Adverse effects.
Adverse effects concern the documentation of: * reasons for study withdrawal (drop-out), * reasons for incomplete session attendance (\< 7 session) * reasons for session abortion * reasons for deviations from exercise prescription * sudden severe disease progression or falling sick (e.g., bacterial or viral infections) during the study (discontinuation criterion)
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 3 weeks
Plan to share: Undecided
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
Started Jan 2025 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Jan 2027, 24 months after the start.
Of 1,293 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Parkinson Disease, half reached primary completion within 24 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 11 and three quarters within 44. This study's planned 24 months is close to that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 1,369 studies reached it within 25 months; a quarter within 12 and three quarters within 44.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
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Klinik Valens