[Concepts for diagnosis, course and fall risk assessment in neurological gait disorders]

Quantitative gait assessment is increasingly applied in the diagnosis, disease monitoring, and risk stratification of neurological gait disorders. However, it is unclear, which measurement approaches, examination conditions, and gait characteristics are appropriate for answering specific clinical questions. The aim of this review was to provide generally applicable concepts and strategies for the measurement, analysis, and interpretation of gait function in the clinical context and to discuss their implementation in clinical practice. The first part of the article introduces currently available stationary and mobile measurement technologies that enable assessment of gait in clinical environments and to continuously track patients' mobility in the context of everyday life. Furthermore, the selection of adequate examination conditions and concepts that facilitate the parametrization of gait are discussed. The subsequent parts of the article address concrete clinical fields of application for quantitative gait analysis. With the help of exemplary cases from current research, the following issues are dicussed: (1) how specific patterns in gait assessments can guide differential diagnosis; (2) how quantitative gait measures can support the early diagnosis as well as the monitoring of disease progression and intervention outcomes in neurological gait disorders and finally, (3) the contribution of stationary gait and mobile mobility assessment for fall risk prognosis in patients with neurological gait impairments.