Abstract
Introduction Freezing of gait is a debilitating symptom of Parkinson’s disease with major impact on quality of life. Interleaved stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN-DBS) and the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr) may improve otherwise resistant freezing of gait ( Weiss et al., 2013 ), and SNr stimulation was described to modulate presumably axial motor symptoms ( Chastan et al., 2009 ). Methods We performed combined kinematic and electrophysiological (EMG, EEG) analyses in 6 patients with Parkinson’s disease and STN-DBS (5 male, 63 ± 8 years). 5 of these patients were also available for SNr stimulation (lowest electrode contact of the subthalamic lead reaching SNr). Patients were recorded during walking at self-selected comfortable pace on a straight walkway of nine meters. Patients were measured in three conditions: ‘stimulation off’, ’subthalamic stimulation on’, ’nigral stimulation on’. Gait kinematics were recorded by 3 sensors (both left and right ankle, lumbar position) measuring acceleration, angular velocity, and the direction of the magnetic field in three directions. We calculated the gait cycle time and the peak shank angular velocity during the swing phase (angular velocity maximum during the swing phase). Results Our preliminary analyses show that the gait cycle time was similar in all three conditions. The peak shank angular velocity was faster in both subthalamic and nigral stimulation as compared to ‘stimulation off’. Conclusion Both subthalamic and nigral stimulation modulate the peak shank angular velocity in patients with Parkinson’s disease. Additional measurements and correlations to EMG/ EEG analyses are under preparation and will be presented.
Published Version
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