Mediolateral Postural Control during Gait in Parkinson's Disease

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Biomechanics
• Movement Disorders

Background:

• Mediolateral (side-to-side) balance is often preserved in early Parkinson's disease (PD) but can be impaired in moderate stages.
• The Tandem Gait Test is used to assess gait and may predict fall risk in PD patients.
• Postural control, specifically in the mediolateral direction, in PD patients is an area of ongoing research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate differences in postural control during gait among healthy controls (HCs) and PD patients with (MLBI) and without (nMLBI) mediolateral balance impairments.
• To identify specific gait characteristics associated with mediolateral balance deficits in Parkinson's disease.

Main Methods:

• Recruited 40 PD patients and 20 HCs.
• Classified PD patients into MLBI and nMLBI groups based on Tandem Gait Test scores.
• Measured the amplitude and coefficient of variation (CV) of the center of mass's mediolateral movement trajectory during gait.

Main Results:

• PD patients with MLBI showed significantly higher mediolateral movement trajectory amplitude compared to nMLBI patients.
• The CV of mediolateral movement trajectory amplitude was significantly lower in the MLBI group than in the nMLBI group.
• Mediolateral movement trajectory amplitude correlated significantly with fall scores.

Conclusions:

• PD patients with mediolateral balance impairments demonstrate increased postural sway in the mediolateral direction during gait.
• Identifying and addressing mediolateral postural instabilities is essential for mitigating fall risk in Parkinson's disease patients.