Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 24, 2025
Gait Analysis of Age-dependent Motor Impairments in Mice with Neurodegeneration
Published on: June 18, 2018
Gait initiation in progressive supranuclear palsy: brain metabolic correlates
Chiara Palmisano1, Massimiliano Todisco2, Giorgio Marotta3
1Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Würzburg and Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany; MBMC Lab, Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy.
Patients with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) exhibit impaired gait initiation due to deficient anticipatory postural adjustments (APA). This instability is linked to brain abnormalities in key motor control areas, offering insights into fall mechanisms.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Biomechanics
- Motor Control
Background:
- Gait initiation is crucial for balance and involves anticipatory postural adjustments (APA).
- Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) causes early balance impairment and falls.
- Neural underpinnings of postural instability in PSP remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To biomechanically assess APA during gait initiation in PSP patients.
- To correlate biomechanical findings with clinical PSP symptoms and brain metabolism.
Main Methods:
- Biomechanical analysis of APA during gait initiation in 14 PSP patients and 14 controls.
- Correlation of biomechanical data with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy Rating Scale scores.
- Positron emission tomography (PET) with 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose to assess brain metabolism in 11 PSP patients.
Main Results:
- PSP patients demonstrated impaired center of pressure modulation for center of mass momentum control during gait initiation.
- Biomechanical deficits correlated with 'Limb motor' and 'Gait and midline' subscores of the PSP Rating Scale.
- Reduced glucose metabolism in the caudate nucleus, supplementary motor area, cingulate cortex, thalamus, and midbrain was associated with APA impairments.
Conclusions:
- Postural instability in PSP at gait initiation stems from deficient APA production.
- Impaired APA is linked to dysfunction in multiple supraspinal locomotor network areas.
- Objective biomechanical measures can elucidate fall mechanisms and monitor PSP progression.
