Journal
ANNALS OF NEUROLOGY
Volume 57, Issue 5, Pages 656-663Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1002/ana.20452
Keywords
-
Categories
Funding
- NCRR NIH HHS [RR-13622] Funding Source: Medline
- NIA NIH HHS [AG-14100, AG-08812] Funding Source: Medline
- NICHD NIH HHS [HD-39838] Funding Source: Medline
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Freezing of gait (FOG) is a disabling phenomenon common in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease (PD). The cause of FOG is unclear. The objective of this study was to explore a novel hypothesis stating that FOG is related to asymmetric motor performance. We compared PD patients that experience FOG episodes (PD+FOG) with PD patients that do not (PD-FOG) and studied the relationship of FOG to asymmetry in gait and in rhythmic hand movement performance to determine whether potential FOG-related gait asymmetry is unique to walking or whether it is systemic. Subjects were tested in an off (unmedicated) and again in an on (medicated) state. Gait was more asymmetric in PD+FOG than in PD-FOG during off state (p = 0.005) and during on (p = 0.016). Rhythmicity of foot swing in one leg was correlated with the other leg in PD-FOG but not in PD+FOG. There was no difference in asymmetry in performance of rhythmic hand movements between the two groups. No correlation was found between asymmetry of clinical symptoms and gait asymmetry. Taken together, the results of this study suggest that bilateral uncoordinated gait and marked gait asymmetry, but not asymmetry in motor performance in general, are associated with FOG.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available