AUTHOR=Okada Yohei , Fukumoto Takahiko , Takatori Katsuhiko , Nagino Koji , Hiraoka Koichi TITLE=Variable Initial Swing Side and Prolonged Double Limb Support Represent Abnormalities of the First Three Steps of Gait Initiation in Patients with Parkinson’s Disease with Freezing of Gait JOURNAL=Frontiers in Neurology VOLUME=2 YEAR=2011 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neurology/articles/10.3389/fneur.2011.00085 DOI=10.3389/fneur.2011.00085 ISSN=1664-2295 ABSTRACT=

This study investigated abnormalities of the first three steps of gait initiation in patients with Parkinson’s disease without freezing of gait (PD − FOG) and investigated which abnormalities are related to FOG. Seven PD − FOG and seven age-matched healthy controls performed self-generated or cue-triggered gait initiation. Data for PD patients with FOG (PD + FOG) were cited from a previous study using a procedure similar to that used in the present study. Gait initiation was abnormal, and external cue normalized some abnormalities in PD − FOG. The initial swing side was fairly consistent among the trials in both PD − FOG and in healthy controls, although the initial swing side was inconsistent in PD + FOG. The duration of the first double limb support (DLS) was the only parameter that depends on FOG severity and that was abnormal in PD + FOG but was not abnormal in PD − FOG. The variability of the initial swing side and prolonged first DLS are abnormalities specifically related to FOG.