How to participate

The REPHLECS PD study includes three participant groups, each with specific criteria:

1. Healthy controls are people that do not have neurodegenerative or cardiovascular diseases, cognitive impairments, or are pregnant.
2. People with Parkinson’s disease with symptoms of OH (such as dizziness or weakness).
3. People with Parkinson’s disease without OH Symptoms.

Participants of all groups must be able to stand in order to complete the Schellong test at home.

Study Phases

Participation involves two phases, which take around one week altogether.

Phase 1: During screening and baseline assessment at the Parkinson’s Research Clinic, participants will:

• sign the informed consent form
• perform a Schellong test
• undergo clinical assessments (including the Schellong test) with cardiovascular monitoring using the SOMNOtouch and the Empatica EmbracePlus
• receive instructions on how to use the EmbracePlus wristband at home  to perform the Schellong test on their own for the Home Monitoring Phase.

Phase 2: The Home Monitoring Phase lasts for 7 days. This is when the participants will: 

• wear the Empatica EmbracePlus wristband during the day.
• perform the Schellong test twice daily (approx. 10 minutes each) at home.
• maintain a participant diary to track when the participant performs the Schellong test at home

After this seven-day period, participants will also be asked to provide feedback by filling out a questionnaire called the System Usability Scale (SUS), which helps to measure how easy the Empatica EmbracePlus wristband is to use.

Participants are invited to return the wristband, the filled SUS and the participant diary to the clinic, but they have also the option to return all the material using the certified courier.