The Effect of Visual Cues on the Gait of Independently Mobile Parkinson's Disease Patients

Abstract

Summary: This study investigated the effect of visual cues on selected temporal and spatial gait parameters in subjects with Parkinson's disease. Eight men and two women with a mean age of 77.8 years (range 69–88 years), all exhibiting mild to moderate gait dysfunction, underwent gait analysis with and without visual cues. Brightly coloured triangular rods made from cardboard were placed along a walkway at a customised distance for each subject. Three walks were undertaken on the instrumented, grid walkway, the second of which had the visual cues introduced. The third walk, without cues, measured any carryover effect. An analysis of variance was performed on data concerning velocity, stride time, stride length, step length and the duration of single and double support phases. The mean differences between variables was also compared between walks using a paired, post-hoc t-test. Results demonstrated significant decreases in double support times at the p These results would suggest the achievement of a more normal gait pattern which was partially sustained after the cues were removed. Although the sample tested in this study was small, the data support the existing practice of using visual cues to improve the gait pattern of Parkinson's patients. Biography : Susan Bagley, Barbara Kelly and Nancy Tunnicliffe conducted this study while enrolled in the post-diploma programme leading to the award of the BSc(Physiotherapy) degree from Dalhousie University. The study was supervised by George Turnbull and Joan Walker, faculty members in the School of Physiotherapy.