VERBAL INSTRUCTIONAL SETS TO NORMALIZE THE TEMPORAL AND SPATIAL GAIT VARIABLES IN PARKINSONS-DISEASE

Gait in Parkinson's disease is characterised by slowed velocity; shuff ling, small steps; and absent arm swing. Drug therapy intervention is beneficial in improving mobility, though with prolonged use its effect s may diminish. The purpose of this study was to examine whether Parki nsonian patients could improve their gait patterns in response to five instructional sets: natural walking; walking while deliberately swing ing the arms; walking with large steps; fast walking; and walking whil e counting aloud. Eight subjects with idiopathic Parkinson's disease a nd eight age matched control subjects were tested using motion analysi s. The findings indicated that parkinsonian patients followed the inst ructions which immediately altered a series of single walking variable s. Simultaneously, automatically activated changes occurred in other g ait variables producing more normal gait. The instructional set is a s trategy which can aid normalisation of Parkinsonian gait although its benefits may depend on the stage of disease progression and the degree of attention to the instructions.