Neuromodulatory procedures for gait disorders in Parkinson's disease

The neurophysiology of gait is complex and involves numerous structures in the central nervous system. Gait disorders occur frequently in Parkinson's disease (PD), and their management may become cumbersome, especially in the more advanced stages. Neuromodulatory treatments, including deep brain stimulation, cortical stimulation and spinal cord stimulation, are reviewed with respect to their effectiveness to improve gait in PD patients. Although positive effects have been reported for all of these procedures, many issues remain in view of methodological heterogeneity, variability in outcome measures and sample size. Gait in PD remains a difficult issue with a tremendous impact on quality of life, for which future research is badly needed.