Objective: This study aims to evaluate the effects of Parkinson’s disease and freezing of gait (FoG) on the kinematic and kinetic gait parameters, both in the medication’s ON and OFF.

Background: The FoG, present in some individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD), is associated with an increase in the number of falls, impact on quality of life and gait parameters variations [1][2]. FOG is a clinical phenomenon defined as the sudden inability to take steps effectively. It is triggered by some circumstances such as: initiating walking, turning, passing through narrow spaces, approaching/overcoming obstacles, or randomly during gait. [1][3]. Albani et al. demonstrated differences in gait parameters between freezers and non-freezers, both in the OFF state (no effect of antiparkinsonian medication).

Method: Twenty-two PD idiopathic patients (17 males; 11 FoG; age = 64.1±10.5 years) walked on a 10-meter-long walkway with the comfortable self-selected speed in the ON and OFF medication state. Eighteen healthy subjects matched by age from an open database participated in the control group [4]. Joint kinematics and kinetics variables were compared between groups (freezers x non-freezers x healthy) in medication ON and OFF.

Results: Freezers showed differences compared to the non-freezers and control group related to lower peak hip extension, terminal swing knee flexion, minimum knee flexion at terminal stance, peak ankle plantar flexion in load response, and peak ankle plantar flexion. Regarding the vertical ground reaction force, the first peak was lower for freezers and non-freezers than the control group in the OFF condition. The second peak was lower in both groups in the two conditions compared with healthy elderly.

Conclusion: Our results show that the presence of FoG alters the biomechanical mechanisms of gait in individuals with Parkinson’s disease.

References: [1] FASANO, A. et al. Falls in Parkinson’s disease: A complex and evolving picture. Mov Disord 2017; 32 (11): 1524-1536.
[2] ALBANI, G. et al. “Masters and servants” in parkinsonian gait: a three-dimensional analysis of biomechanical changes sensitive to disease progression. Funct Neurol 2014; 29(2): 99-105.
[3] NIEUWBOER, A. et al. Reliability of the new freezing of gait questionnaire: agreement between patients with Parkinson’s disease and their carers. Gait Posture 2009; 30(4): 459-463.
[4] FUKUCHI, C. A. et al. A public dataset of overground and treadmill walking kinematics and kinetics in healthy individuals. PeerJ 2018; 6: 4640.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/effects-of-parkinsons-disease-and-freezing-of-gait-on-the-kinematic-and-kinetic-gait-parameters/