Ability of a set of trunk acceleration-derived gait stability indexes to identify gait unbalance and recurrent fallers in subjects with Parkinson's disease

Abstract

Gait abnormality is one of the most invalidating features of subjects with Parkinson's disease (PD) which leads to a high risk of falls, impairs patients' autonomy and decreases quality of life. The aims of this study were: (i) to assess the ability of 16 gait stability indexes to identify gait instability and recurrent fallers in persons with Parkinson's Disease (pwPDs) irrespective of age and gait speed and (ii) to investigate their correlation with clinical and kinematic variables.