[Alterations of gait parameters under external cueing in schizophrenic patients: a switch study]

Schizophrenic disorders as well as neuroleptic treatment can affect locomotion. The study assessed the influence of neuroleptic treatment on externally triggered gait on a treadmill at three different velocities via ultrasonic topometric gait analysis. Spatial and temporal gait parameters were assessed in two groups of schizophrenic patients either under treatment with conventional neuroleptics (n = 12) or without neuroleptic treatment (n = 10) and re-assessed after treatment change to the atypical neuroleptic olanzapine in a repeated measures design. After switch from conventional neuroleptics to olanzapine patients showed an increase of step length and decrease of cadence at the low (p