QUANTITATIVE GAIT ANALYSIS IN PATIENTS WITH VASCULAR PARKINSONISM

Until now the clinical criteria for the diagnosis of vascular parkinso nism (VP) have been disputed. The purpose of the present study is to i nvestigate whether quantitative gait analysis can differentiate betwee n the gait pattern of patients with VP and the gait pattern of patient s with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD). Twelve patients with VP, 1 2 patients with PD, and 10 neurologically nondiseased controls were ex amined by quantitative gait analysis. Patients with VP, having a simil ar gait velocity and stride length, showed relatively preserved arm sw ing with markedly more anteflexion in the shoulder on the forward sway of the arm swing than patients with PD. Patients with VP also showed less flexion dystonic posture of the elbow, hip, knee, and trunk than did patients with PD. There was no significant difference in the excur sions and coordination of arm swing in the patients with VP compared w ith the control group. Both patient groups showed reduced leg movement s, reduced hip extension, and reduced knee flexion and extension as co mpared with the controls.