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. 2013 May 8;8(5):e62602.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0062602. Print 2013.

Could sensory mechanisms be a core factor that underlies freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease?

Kaylena A Ehgoetz Martens  1 , Frederico Pieruccini-Faria, Quincy J Almeida
Affiliations

Could sensory mechanisms be a core factor that underlies freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease?

Kaylena A Ehgoetz Martens et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to determine how manipulating the amount of sensory information available about the body and surrounding environment influenced freezing of gait (FOG), while walking through a doorway. It was hypothesized that the more limited the sensory information, the greater the occurrence of freezing of gait. Nineteen patients with Parkinsoǹs disease who experience freezing of gait (PD-FOG) walked through a doorway or into open space in complete darkness. The three doorway conditions included: (i) FRAME (DARK)--walking through the remembered door frame; (ii) FRAME--walking through the door with the door frame illuminated; (iii) FRAME+BODY--walking through the door (both the door and the limbs illuminated). Additionally, two conditions of walking away from the doorway included: (iv) NO FRAME (DARK)--walking into open space; (v) NO FRAME+BODY--walking into open space with the limbs illuminated, to evaluate whether perception (or fear) of the doorway might account for FOG behaviour. Key outcome measures included: the number of freezing of gait episodes recorded, total duration of freezing of gait, and the percentage of time spent frozen. Significantly more freezing of gait episodes occurred when participants walked toward the doorway in complete darkness compared to walking into open space (p<0.05). Similar to previous studies, velocity (p<0.001) and step length (p<0.0001) significantly decreased when walking through the door in complete darkness, compared to all other conditions. Significant increases in step width variability were also identified but only when walking into open space (p<0.005). These results support the notion that sensory deficits may have a profound impact on freezing of gait that need to be carefully considered.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Experimental Conditions.
A) participants walk in complete darkness toward doorframe-FRAME (DARK); B) participants walk in complete darkness toward lit doorframe- FRAME; C) participants walk in complete darkness with limbs and doorframe illuminated- FRAME+BODY; D) participants walk in complete darkness away from the doorframe into open space- NO FRAME (DARK); E) participants walk in complete darkness with limbs illuminated away from the doorframe into open space- NO FRAME+BODY.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Total Number of FOG episodes.
Illustrates total number of freezing of gait episodes that occurred during locomotion toward the doorway or into open space with different amounts of sensory feedback. *represents significant difference at the p<0.05 level.
Figure 3
Figure 3. Step Width Variability.
Illustrates the average step width variability during locomotion toward the doorway or into open space with different amounts of sensory feedback. Error bars represent standard error. *represents significant difference at the p<0.05 level.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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