Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 15, 2026

Postural Organization of Gait Initiation for Biomechanical Analysis Using Force Platform Recordings
Published on: July 26, 2022
The effects of external cues on ankle control during gait initiation in Parkinson's disease
Koichi Hiraoka1, Yoshimi Matuo, Akira Iwata
1Department of Physical Therapy, Osaka Prefecture University, 3-7-30, Habikino, Habikino city, 583-8555 Osaka, Japan. hiraoka@rehab.osakafu-u.ac.jp
Abstract:
The present study investigated the effects of external cues on motor control of the ankle joint during gait initiation in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and in age-matched healthy subjects. The soleus H-reflexes were recorded during self-generated and cue-triggered gait initiation. The tibialis anterior muscle burst during cue-triggered gait initiation was found to be significantly larger than that during self-generated gait initiation in both groups. External cues significantly increased soleus H-reflex depression during gait initiation in PD patients, although this significant increase was not present in healthy subjects. These findings indicate that external cues affect motor control of the extensor muscle of the ankle joint during gait initiation in PD patients.
Related Concept Videos
Parkinson's Disease: Treatment
Parkinson's Disease is primarily a result of the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. The cornerstone of its...
Parkinson Disease l: Introduction
Neural Regulation

