The Effects of Performance-Based Overground Locomotor Training on Walking Turns Among Individuals with Parkinson’s Disease
Date
2022
Authors
Pugh, Randy Jamil
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Abstract
PURPOSE: Individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD), a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, exhibit compromised postural stability along with impaired gait and balance, contributing to walking limitations, including difficulty performing turns while walking. Previous studies demonstrated that individuals with neurological impairment improve walking capacity following performance-based overground locomotor training (OLT), but the effect of OLT on turning remains unknown. This study aimed to understand the effect of twenty-four sessions of OLT on walking turns among individuals with mild- PD.METHODS: Twelve participants with PD (7 Male / 5 Female; Age: 68.5±6.4 years; H&Y: 1-3) completed twenty-four 60-minute sessions of OLT, twice-weekly. Pre- and Post-assessments included the ten-minute walk test (10MWT) with the primary outcome measures including thoracolumbar rotation change in the vertical axis and peak turn velocity change in frontal (PTVF) and transverse (PTVT) planes. xii RESULTS: Mean thoracolumbar rotation change was not significant following OLT (+0.23 ± 4.24°;95% CI: -4.30, 3.84; p= 0.454;Cohen’s d = 0.05). Mean normalized thoracolumbar rotation change was also not significant (- 0.59 ± 5.52 (unitless);CI:[-12.05, 10.73]; Cohen’s d = 0.10)p = 0.45; Cohen’s d = 0.05). Mean PTVF showed a moderate and significant increase following OLT (1.59 ± 2.18 °/s; 95%CI: 0.20, 2.98; p = 0.014; Cohen’s d = 0.43). The effect of OLT on mean PTVT was small and not significant (0.88 ± 3.18 °/s; 95%CI: -2.90, 1.14; p = 0.179; Cohen’s d = 0.25). CONCLUSION: This study provides preliminary evidence suggesting individuals with mild-PD moderately improved frontal plane dynamic postural stability during walking turns following performance-based overground locomotor training.
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Keywords
Health sciences, Overground locomotor training, Parkinsonian gait, Postural stability