Claudia Metzler-Baddeley

PubMed2026

Multi-centre randomised controlled feasibility trial with embedded process evaluation of a samba percussion intervention for people living with Parkinson's disease: a protocol for the Sparky Samba trial.

INTRODUCTION: Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder, its principal symptom being deterioration of motor function. Current treatment options are limited to symptom management but there is evidence that physical activity can provide motor benefits. More recently there is evidence to suggest that rhythmic auditory stimulation may improve gait and balance in PD. Sparky Samba is a community initiative in South Wales, UK, founded by a person living with PD. Sessions incorporate the following samba rhythms from a trained facilitator and are held weekly in a community setting. METHODS: The Sparky Samba trial is a multi-site, non-blinded, randomised controlled feasibility trial of Sparky Samba compared with activity as usual. A total of 60 people with PD will be randomised 1:1 to take part in a local Sparky Samba group for 12 weeks or continue their normal activities for the same length of time. The primary outcome is feasibility defined by recruitment, retention, data completeness and intervention adherence. Secondary outcomes relating to motor function, cognition, well-being and self-efficacy will also be assessed at baseline and at 12 weeks. Additionally, we will conduct a process evaluation to understand contextual mechanisms surrounding Sparky Samba. This will be achieved through qualitative interviews and structured participant questionnaires following individual trial completion and through structured questionnaires with intervention delivery staff, supplemented with qualitative interviews. ANALYSIS: Feasibility outcomes will be assessed according to pre-defined criteria. For secondary outcomes, means and standard deviations (or medians and IQRs) will be calculated by arm, alongside 95% CIs for change from baseline to 12-week follow-up. Qualitative data will be subject to thematic analysis using NVivo software. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study received a favourable ethical opinion from the North of Scotland Research Ethics Committee in April 2025 (REC reference 25/NS/0037). Study results will be disseminated through the peer-review literature, the ISRCTN registry and directly to participants, which will be facilitated by the study's public and patient involvement steering group. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN11861663.

Humans↗

PubMed2005

Brief report: errorless versus errorful learning as a memory rehabilitation approach in Alzheimer's Disease.

Previous studies concerned with the use of errorless learning (EL) in memory rehabilitation of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) combined EL with other techniques, such as expanded rehearsal, to facilitate learning. These studies focused on the re-learning of previously familiar information and did not investigate the learning of novel information. The aim of the present study was to investigate if EL provides a better training technique for AD patients than errorful learning (EF). For this purpose, learning of familiar material and learning of novel associations in four patients with probable AD was compared under EL and EF conditions. Combined data analysis demonstrated a significant advantage of EL over EF both for old and novel learning. However, patients also learned significantly in the EF condition and the EL effect was not large enough to reach significance on an individual level. It is suggested that EL may be most beneficial for patients with profound amnesia, and in situations that make effortful processing difficult, but that residual explicit memory capacities may override EL benefits.

Aged↗