Immersive Virtual Reality Bicycling for Persons With Parkinson's Disease

Enhancing Exercise Intensity, Motivation and Enjoyment for Persons With PD (VCycle-Competition)

This study has three objectives about persons with Parkinson's Disease during bicycling:

1. Determine the effect of visual feedback and competition during virtual bicycling on neuromuscular and cardiovascular intensity
2. Determine the effect of visual-feedback and competition during virtual bicycling on the user experience of motivation, enjoyment & perception of exercise intensity
3. Determine if attention differs during visual feedback compared to competition virtual bicycling

Participants will attend one sessions lasting about 2-3 hours. They will complete movement assessments and questionnaires about physical activity. They will then exercise exercise in three different virtual reality augmented bicycling conditions while wearing a head mounted display (goggles). Each of the three conditions will last approximately 8 minutes and will be followed by questionnaires about the participant's experience.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosis of Parkinson's disease following the UK Brain Bank Diagnostic Criteria,
• Hoehn and Yahr stages II-III,
• 45-80 years old,
• Able to ride a stationary upright bicycle,
• Able to sign informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Have a recent history of severe heart disease, severe lung disease, uncontrolled diabetes, traumatic brain injury or neurological disorder other than Parkinson Disease,
• Are unable to follow directions or sign a consent form,
• Do not have adequate vision or hearing ability to see or hear a television,
• Have unstable medical condition or musculoskeletal disorder such as severe arthritis, recent knee surgery, hip surgery, or any other condition that the investigators determine would impair the ability to ride the bicycle,
• Have any other medical condition that prevents bicycling,
• Have moderate depression (score of 9 or more on GDS screening tool).