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Clinical Assessment of Spatiotemporal Gait Parameters in Patients and Older Adults
Published on: November 7, 2014
Spatiotemporal variability during gait initiation in Parkinson's disease
Ryan T Roemmich1, Joe R Nocera, Srikant Vallabhajosula
1Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
Gait & Posture
|May 1, 2012
Summary
Persons with Parkinson's disease (PD) exhibit greater variability in gait initiation steps, including step length and timing. This increased variability may contribute to the higher fall risk observed in individuals with PD during transitions to walking.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Biomechanics
- Movement Science
Background:
- Gait initiation (GI) is crucial for transitioning from static to dynamic posture.
- Consistent stepping during GI is vital for fall prevention, especially in individuals with gait dysfunction.
- Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by gait dysfunction and postural instability, increasing fall risk.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and compare spatiotemporal variability during the first two steps of gait initiation in persons with idiopathic PD and healthy adults.
- To identify potential differences in GI stepping characteristics between PD patients and a healthy control group.
Main Methods:
- Compared spatiotemporal variability of the first two GI steps between 46 persons with PD and 49 healthy adults.
- Analyzed step length, width, and time, along with their coefficients of variation (CV).
Main Results:
- Persons with PD demonstrated significantly shorter swing and stance step lengths compared to controls.
- Individuals with PD exhibited significantly higher variability in step length (swing and stance) and swing step time.
- No significant differences in GI variability were found across different disease stages in persons with PD.
Conclusions:
- Higher gait initiation variability in persons with PD, particularly in step length and timing, may be a significant factor contributing to falls.
- Understanding GI variability is crucial for developing targeted interventions to reduce fall risk in Parkinson's disease.
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