BrainSpin project

The BrainSpin project involves table tennis as an innovative rehabilitation approach for Parkinson's disease.

Table tennis is a pleasant, attractive, and accessible exercise that combines motor, cognitive, and social components, which is why it is a particularly suitable rehabilitation practice for Parkinson's disease. Unlike repetitive exercises, table tennis is an open-skill activity, requiring constant adaptation to an unpredictable environment. This promotes motor planning, visual-spatial processing, and executive functions, which are often impaired in the event of Parkinson's disease. Studies show that table tennis can improve motor symptoms, balance, and daily activities in patients with Parkinson's disease.

On 20 August 2025, NTK Škofije became one of the partners in the BrainSpin project, funded by the European Commission.

The overall objective of the BrainSpin project is to make use of table tennis as an innovative therapeutic procedure for neurodegenerative disorders, with an emphasis on Parkinson's disease. The project has three objectives: 

1. Educate young professionals and students about an inclusive pedagogical approach to integrating table tennis into Parkinson's care, while having direct access to the digital platform;
2. Involve patients with Parkinson's disease and their partners in a structured 6-month table tennis exercise programme, designed to improve motor and cognitive function and enhance social interaction and quality of life; and
3. Establish a sustainable framework for the long-term implementation of table tennis-based therapy, so that its benefits continue beyond the end of the project. This sustainability plan includes the development of resources and networks (e.g. the expansion of the international PingPongParkinson network) in order to continue offering table tennis workouts for Parkinson's disease and related diseases in the future.

The consortium partners are:

• University Alma Mater Europaea (Maribor)
• PingPongParkinson Deutschland (Germany)
• STK STARR Table Tennis Club (Croatia)
• NTK Škofije Table Tennis Club (Slovenia)
• Circolo Sportivo Dilettantistico KRAS (Italy)
• The "No Gain Without Brains" association (Slovenia)
• Spin Youth Table Tennis Club (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
• Aristotelian University in Thessaloniki (Greece)

NTK Škofije has traditionally focused on youth development and intergenerational integration. By participating in the BrainSpin program, we will further expand our activity to the rehabilitation of people with Parkinson's disease, using table tennis as a therapeutic tool. With its expertise, inclusive approach, and commitment to health and well-being, NTK Škofije will play a key role in the implementation and promotion of flexible table tennis programs for individuals with Parkinson's disease.

The project will last for 36 months and will unfold in several stages:

Step 1: Preparation – Planning and implementation

This step lays the foundations for the project, by ensuring that all activities are scientifically sound, ethically approved, and aligned with the objectives of the project. Key activities include:

• the coordination of the consortium and the completion of the project methodology.
• ensuring ethical approvals and refining intervention protocols.
• establishing the necessary infrastructure, resources, and digital tools.
• stakeholder involvement, including personal care organisations, rehabilitation centres, and community sport clubs.
• developing a risk management strategy to address potential challenges. 

Step 2: Implementation – Implementation and monitoring

This phase focuses on the application and refinement of the intervention, while ensuring scientific validation and broad adoption. Activities include:

• conducting pilot studies and table tennis exercises at multiple locations.
• collecting and analysing quantitative (motor and cognitive assessments) and qualitative (patient feedback, psychological and well-being questionnaires) data.
• improving the training protocol based on research findings and responses from participants.
• organising workshops and trainings for the certification of trainers and rehabilitation professionals.
• disseminating results through scientific publications, conferences, and outreach to the Parkinson's disease community.

Step 3: Sustainability – Impact and future development

The final phase of the BrainSpin project focuses on ensuring the long-term impact and scalability of the intervention after the end of the project. This will be achieved through two key activities: further cooperation between certified trainers, universities, and associations for patients with Parkinson's disease, and the development of a digital learning platform that will act as a permanent educational resource. Key measures include:

• encouraging the use of the BrainSpin methodology in clinical rehabilitation and community sport initiatives.
• expanding access to training materials through the digital learning platform of the project.
• collaborating with policy makers and advocacy groups with the purpose to integrate BrainSpin into national and European rehabilitation frameworks.
• publishing reports, policy recommendations, and open-access materials to increase public and professional awareness. 

NTK Škofije will mainly take part in the project in Step 2, for the following activities:

Training of trainers:

A five-day training workshop will be conducted to certify future trainers who will lead the BrainSpin intervention.

During the training, participants will develop an understanding of the pathology of table tennis, stages of the disease, and related motor and non-motor symptoms. They will also learn how to adapt table tennis training to the physical and cognitive needs of table tennis patients, including pedagogical strategies, movement modifications, safety aspects, and motivational techniques to maintain long-term involvement. Trainers will pass the exam to assess their theoretical and practical competencies, and successful candidates will receive the "Table Tennis Instructor for Parkinson’s Disease" certificate, which will be issued by the AMEU in cooperation with the Slovenian Table Tennis Association (NTZS). These workshops will take place in Slovenia, Germany, and Greece, and trainers will participate in learning mobility in order to gain practical experience before starting the programmes in their countries.

Local implementation of 6-month interventions:

After certification, trainers will return to their home countries to start a 6-month intervention program and ensure it is adapted to local conditions. Before enrolment, patients with Parkinson's disease and their carers will undergo a baseline assessment to measure motor and cognitive abilities, mood, and quality of life.

The intervention consists of two weekly training sessions over six months, which will be repeated every year for three years, for a total of 144 training days per cycle.

Each one-hour training session will be tailored to the needs of the participants, with the necessary adjustments due to fatigue or mobility limitations. Trainers will document the duration of meetings and participants' involvement, while patients with Parkinson's disease will provide feedback on a weekly basis in order to monitor progress.

The programme will take place in parallel in three cities in Slovenia, as well as at several locations in Germany. In Croatia, Italy, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Greece, one intervention group will initially be active.

Trainers will keep logs of their sessions, participants' attendance, and adjustments made during the training. In the middle of the three-month intervention and after the intervention, all participants will undergo a functional reassessment to measure changes in motor functions, cognitive abilities, and well-being. Carers and patients with Parkinson's disease will receive cooperation diplomas, and feedback will be collected to assess the effectiveness of the programme and areas for improvement. Trainers will also provide structured feedback, with suggestions for improvements for future cycles.

Programme feedback and enhancements

At the end of each cycle, feedback sessions will be organised at the national level where trainers, participants, and stakeholders will review the results and propose improvements. The Steering Committee will evaluate the recommendations and identify improvements for the next implementation cycle. The final Ping-Pong Intervention Participation Report will document the findings, best practices and adjustments to include in future reiterations of the programme.

This iterative process ensures that BrainSpin remains a data-driven, continuously optimised intervention that refines training protocols and methodologies across all three project cycles.