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Updated: Jun 26, 2026
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Dynamic Digital Biomarkers of Motor and Cognitive Function in Parkinson's Disease
Published on: July 24, 2019
Walking along circular trajectories in Parkinson's disease
Simone Guglielmetti1, Antonio Nardone, Alessandro Marco De Nunzio
1Posture & Movement Laboratory, Fondazione Salvatore Maugeri (IRCCS), Istituto Scientifico di Veruno, Veruno NO, Italy.
Summary
Curved walking highlights gait control issues in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients, even when straight walking appears normal. This method can help identify subtle walking impairments in PD.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Biomechanics
- Movement Disorders
Background:
- Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder affecting motor control.
- Gait disturbances are common in PD, impacting quality of life.
- Assessing gait under challenging conditions may reveal subtle deficits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if curved walking trajectories impose greater stress on gait capacities in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients compared to straight trajectories.
- To determine if curved walking can reveal gait impairments not evident during straight walking in PD patients.
Main Methods:
- Twenty on-phase PD patients and 20 healthy controls walked along straight and curved paths.
- Gait parameters, including step frequency and distance, were analyzed from video recordings.
- Walking occurred at self-paced cadence and velocity with eyes open.
Main Results:
- Step frequency was unaffected by trajectory shape in both groups.
- PD patients walked shorter distances than controls under both conditions.
- PD patients showed a relatively greater reduction in distance during curved walking, linked to decreased step length.
Conclusions:
- Curved walking trajectories can accentuate gait control deficits in on-phase PD patients.
- This method is valuable for routine evaluation of walking disorders in PD, especially when straight walking is not significantly impaired.
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