NCT04284436: SPARX3

Study in Parkinson Disease of Exercise

Recruiting now NA Last updated 13 April 2026

What this trial tests

NA trial testing Treadmill walking in Parkinson Disease in 370 participants. Currently enrolling.

Timeline

30 August 2021

Primary endpoint
31 July 2027

31 July 2028

Quick facts

Lead sponsor	Northwestern University
Phase	NA
Status	Recruiting now
Study type	INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation	randomized
Design	parallel
Masking	single
Primary purpose	treatment
Enrollment	370
Start date	30 August 2021
Primary completion	31 July 2027
Estimated completion	31 July 2028
Sites	25 locations across Canada, United States

Drugs / interventions tested

• Treadmill walking

Conditions studied

• Parkinson Disease — all drugs for Parkinson Disease →

Sponsor

Northwestern University

Who can join

Adults 40 to 80, any sex, with Parkinson Disease. Patients with the condition only — healthy volunteers not accepted.

Sponsor's own description

This study is a Phase 3 multi-site, randomized, evaluator-masked, study of endurance treadmill exercise on changes in the Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) Part III score at 12 months among persons with early stage Parkinson disease. 370 participants will be randomly assigned to 2 groups: 1)60-65% HRmax or 2)80-85% HRmax 4 times per week. The primary objective is to test whether the progression of the signs of Parkinson's disease is attenuated at 12 months in among persons who have not initiated medication for Parkinson Disease (PD) when they perform high-intensity endurance treadmill exercise.

Publications & conference data

8 peer-reviewed publications reference this trial (live from Europe PMC):

1. Study in Parkinson's disease of exercise phase 3 (SPARX3): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.
   Patterson CG, Joslin E, Gil AB, Spigle W, et al · · 2022 · cited 29× · PMID 36203214 · DOI 10.1186/s13063-022-06703-0
2. Exercise for People with Parkinson's Disease: Updates and Future Considerations.
   McGinley JL, Nakayama Y. · · 2024 · cited 6× · PMID 39257520 · DOI 10.1298/ptr.r0030
3. Considerations on How to Prevent Parkinson's Disease Through Exercise.
   Oosterhof TH, Darweesh SKL, Bloem BR, de Vries NM. · · 2024 · cited 6× · PMID 39031383 · DOI 10.3233/jpd-240091
4. Clinical Trial Highlights - Aerobic Exercise for Parkinson's Disease.
   Schootemeijer S, Darweesh SKL, de Vries NM. · · 2022 · cited 6× · PMID 36336942 · DOI 10.3233/jpd-229006
5. Screening and Targeting Risk Factors for Prodromal Synucleinopathy: Taking Steps toward a Prescriptive Multi-modal Framework.
   Neilson LE, Quinn JF, Lim MM. · · 2023 · cited 5× · PMID 37307836 · DOI 10.14336/ad.2022.1024
6. Clinical Trial Highlights - Interventions Promoting Physical Activity in Parkinson's Disease.
   Oosterhof TH, Schootemeijer S, de Vries NM. · · 2023 · cited 4× · PMID 37125564 · DOI 10.3233/jpd-239001
7. Neuroprotection in Parkinson Disease.
   Gonzalez-Robles C, Bandmann O, Schapira AHV. · · 2025 · cited 3× · PMID 40679670 · DOI 10.1007/s40120-025-00793-z
8. Beta₂-Adrenergic Suppression of Neuroinflammation in Treatment of Parkinsonism, with Relevance for Neurodegenerative and Neoplastic Disorders.
   Inchiosa MA. · · 2024 · cited 2× · PMID 39200184 · DOI 10.3390/biomedicines12081720