GAIT ANALYSIS, ISOKINETIC MUSCLE STRENGTH MEASUREMENT IN PATIENTS WITH PARKINSONS-DISEASE

The aim of this study was to describe motor performance in Parkinson p atients in relation to controls, Gait, concentric isometric and eccent ric strength in the ankle dorsiflexors mere investigated in 25 patient s with Parkinson's disease and in 37 control subjects of the same age, In patients concentric torque mas significantly lowered but, eccentri c torque was significantly lowered in male patients only, Among contro ls a significant difference in strength was found between sexes, This was not found in the patient group. No correlation between strength te sts and clinical ratings was found in the patient group, Patients walk ed with significantly lon er maximum and ordinary velocity, compared w ith controls, At constant velocity, stride length was shorter, single support had a shorter duration, The duration for heel on to ball on in males was shorter, reflecting the Bat foot strike of Parkinson patien ts, Single support and the duration of heel on to ball on correlated s ignificantly to the clinical ratings in male but not in female patient s, In the male group of patients there was a relation between concentr ic strength on the one hand and gait velocity, stride length and strid e frequency on the other, Female patients generally had fewer symptoms and less deviation from their respective controls in the measurements , The comparatively simple neurophysiological tests presented here may be suitable for evaluation of patients with Parkinson's disease.