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Taking people in United StatesPhase 1

Passive exercise with a moving bed for people with mitochondrial disease

Tests gentle bed-based passive exercise in people with mitochondrial disease and healthy volunteers.

Key facts

Who runs it
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Where
Philadelphia, United StatesSee the site
Trial code
Registry title
Applying pGz in Mitochondrial Disease
Status
Recruiting
Phase
Phase 1
People taking part
90 people, planned
Started
22 Mar 2023
Expected to end
Sept 2028
Type of study
Interventional, 3 groups
Treatments tested
  • Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing
  • pGz Bed
  • Gentle Jogger
  • Exercise Pedal
  • Lumason® contrast agent
Record updated
10 November 2025

Who can take part

Age
10 years to 60 years
Sex
Women and men
Healthy volunteers
Can take part

The registry criteria, word for word

Show all 86 criteriaShow less

Who can take part

  • Males or females, 10 years to 60 years, with a minimum height for participation of 135 cm
  • Ambulatory and able to complete routine clinical exercise testing
  • Willing and able to complete all study procedures
  • Genetically confirmed mitochondrial myopathy (MM) as defined by a diagnosis of primary mitochondrial disease (PMD) with predominant symptoms of myopathy as expressed by exercise intolerance and muscle weakness and fatigue
  • Parental/guardian permission (informed consent) and as appropriate, child assent
  • Males or females ages 10 to 23 years (children and adults)
  • Non-ambulatory
  • Genetically confirmed non-PMD neuromuscular diagnosis
  • Cooperative and capable of following research procedures
  • Have cognitive ability to enable cooperation with study procedures
  • Admitted to the PICU with an anticipated length of stay for >24 hours
  • For individuals under the age of 18, parental/guardian permission (informed consent) and as appropriate, child assent
  • For individuals over the age of 18 the ability to provide informed consent
  • Males or females ages 10 to 23 years (children and adults)
  • Non-ambulatory
  • No known genetic diagnosis with healthy pre-morbid status, admitted to PICU
  • Cooperative and capable of following research procedures
  • Have cognitive ability to enable cooperation with study procedures
  • Admitted to the PICU with an anticipated length of stay for >24 hours
  • Willing and able to complete all study procedures
  • For individuals under the age of 18, parental/guardian permission (informed consent) and as appropriate, child assent
  • For individuals over the age of 18 the ability to provide informed consent

Who cannot take part

  • Use of investigational agent(s) within 4 weeks
  • Patients with prior liver transplant
  • Use of investigational agent(s) within 4 weeks
  • Patients with prior liver transplant
  • Within 1 month of a recent hospital admission for acute illness
  • Severe co-existing cardiac or pulmonary disease
  • Cognitive impairment that may preclude ability to comply with study procedures
  • At the discretion of the principal investigator (PI), any medical condition that will interfere with or prevent the safe completion of the study
  • Patients with chronic lung disease
  • Patients with portal vein thrombosis, cavernous transformation of the portal vein or absent portal vein
  • Patients with significant heart disease or severe congenital heart disease
  • Any history of intraocular injury or fragment in or around the orbit that cannot be cleared through radiologic evaluation
  • Any history of bullet, shrapnel, or stabbing wounds that cannot be cleared through radiologic evaluation
  • Claustrophobia or any known medical conditions which can be exacerbated by stress, anxiety, or panic attacks triggered by enclosed spaces
  • Have cognitive impairment that may preclude ability to comply with study procedures
  • At the discretion of the principal investigator (PI), any medical condition that will interfere with or prevent the safe completion of the study
  • Patients with chronic lung disease
  • Patients with portal vein thrombosis, cavernous transformation of the portal vein or absent portal vein
  • Patients with significant heart disease or severe congenital heart disease
  • Any history of intraocular injury or fragment in or around the orbit that cannot be cleared through radiologic evaluation
  • Any history of bullet, shrapnel, or stabbing wounds that cannot be cleared through radiologic evaluation
  • Claustrophobia or any known medical conditions which can be exacerbated by stress, anxiety, or panic attacks triggered by enclosed spaces
  • Patients with a history of allergic reaction to Lumason®, sulfur hexafluoride, sulfur hexafluoride lipid microsphere components, or other ingredients in Lumason (polyethylene glycol, distearoylphosphatidlycholine (DSPC), dipalmitoylphosphatidylglycerol sodium (DPPG-Na, palmitic acid) or other components of the ultrasound contrast agent
  • Patients with a history of allergic reaction to Lumason®, sulfur hexafluoride, sulfur hexafluoride lipid microsphere components, or other ingredients in Lumason (polyethylene glycol, distearoylphosphatidlycholine (DSPC), dipalmitoylphosphatidylglycerol sodium (DPPG-Na, palmitic acid) or other components of the ultrasound contrast agent
  • Males or females ages 10 to 23 years (children and adults)
  • For individuals under the age of 18, parental/guardian permission (informed consent) and as appropriate, child assent
  • For individuals over the age of 18 the ability to provide informed consent
  • Tracheostomy
  • Non-ambulatory
  • Unable to complete routine exercise testing
  • Diagnosed with or have symptoms of vertigo
  • Pregnant or lactating females
  • Active alcohol and/or substance abuse
  • Parents/guardians or subjects who, in the opinion of the Investigator, may be non-compliant with study schedules or procedures
  • Individuals who are employed by the U.S. Department of Defense, including U.S military personal
  • Patients with biliary atresia with asplenia or polysplenia
  • Patients with cystic fibrosis
  • Past or current employment involving (or exposure to) a metal grinder (e.g., at a construction worksite)
  • Inability to lie flat in an MRI scanner for up to 45 minutes
  • Unable to perform sub-maximal ankle dorsiflexion leg exercise during the MRI study; Aim 2 Enrollment Criteria Inclusion Criteria for PICU PMD Non-Ambulatory Patients
  • Non-ambulatory
  • Genetically confirmed mtDNA-PMD
  • Cooperative and capable of following research procedures
  • Have cognitive ability to enable cooperation with study procedures
  • Admitted to the PICU with an anticipated length of stay for >24 hours
  • Willing and able to complete all study procedures
  • Have cardiorespiratory instability
  • Patients in whom are so sick that they will not be able to cooperate with the study procedures
  • Have clear contraindications to mobilization
  • Have fixed lower limb deformities/contractures that would prohibit lower extremity exercise
  • Pregnant or lactating females
  • Active alcohol and/or substance abuse
  • Individual who are employed by the U.S. Department of Defense, including U.S military personal
  • Patients with biliary atresia with asplenia or polysplenia
  • Patients with cystic fibrosis
  • Past or current employment involving (or exposure to) a metal grinder (e.g., at a construction worksite)
  • Inability to lie flat in an MRI scanner for up to 45 minutes
  • Unable to perform sub-maximal ankle dorsiflexion leg exercise during the MRI study

Other criteria

  • Aim 1 Enrollment Criteria Inclusion Criteria for Healthy Controls
  • Males or females, 10 years to 60 years, with a minimum height for participation of 135 cm
  • Ambulatory and able to complete routine clinical exercise testing
  • Willing and able to complete all study procedures
  • For individuals under the age of 18, parental/guardian permission (informed consent) and as appropriate, child assent
  • For individuals over the age of 18 the ability to provide informed consent

Check if you might fit

Answer for yourself. This is not a decision: only the study team can say whether you can take part.

  • Are you between 10 and 60 years old?

Where in United States

  • Children's Hospital of PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia, United StatesContact: Katelynn Stanley, BSTaking people

About the trial

What the trial wants to find out

This is a multi-aim study, studying the effects of conventional exercise (measured through Cardiopulomary Exercises Testing or an in-bed pedal exercise) and passive exercise through periodic acceleration (pGz). Aim 1 will focus on the differences between primary mitochondrial disease (PMD) patients and healthy volunteers. Aim 2 is an exploratory aim, which will be studying the effects in patients admitted to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).

The 3 groups in the trial

  • Aim 1: Primary Mitochondrial Disease PatientsTreatment being tested

    The participant has the interventions/study visits occur in a random order: CPET pGz administration through pGz Bed pGz administration through Gentle Jogger

    Treatment: Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing, pGz Bed, Gentle Jogger, and Lumason® contrast agent

  • Aim 1: Healthy ControlsTreatment being tested

    The participant has the interventions/study visits occur in a random order: pGz administration through Gentle Jogger CPET pGz administration through pGz Bed

    Treatment: Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing, pGz Bed, Gentle Jogger, and Lumason® contrast agent

  • Aim 2: PICU PatientsTreatment being tested

    All participants in Aim 2 will have the interventions/study visits occur in the same order: Exercise Pedal and Gentle Jogger

    Treatment: Gentle Jogger, Exercise Pedal, and Lumason® contrast agent

Questions to ask the study team

  1. How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
  2. Are travel costs paid?
  3. Can I keep my own doctor?
  4. What happens if I want to stop?

Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations

Print a page for my doctor

Data and sources

Registry record
Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
Official title
The Utility of pGz in Primary Mitochondrial Disorders
Plain-language title
Passive exercise with a moving bed for people with mitochondrial diseaseGenerated from the registry record. The registry title is the official one.
Fit questions
Built from NCT05569122, who can take part
Record updated
10 November 2025