Effect of Auditory and Visual Cues on Gait in Patients with Idiopathic Parkinson's Disease.

, Bae, Jin Hyun; , Lee, Seung Hwa; , Park, Yoen Jung; , Kim, Do Yeon; , Cho, Eun Kyung

Original Article

Journal of the Korean Academy of Rehabilitation Medicine 2007;31(1):78-84.

Bae, Jin Hyun , Lee, Seung Hwa , Park, Yoen Jung , Kim, Do Yeon , Cho, Eun Kyung

¹Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Seoul Veterans Hospital, Korea. rmdlsh@hanmail.net
²Department of Neurology, Seoul Veterans Hospital, Korea.

특발성 파킨슨병 환자의 보행에 청각 및 시각 신호가 미치는 영향

배진현, 이승화, 박연중, 김도연, 조은경¹

서울보훈병원 재활의학과, ¹신경과

Abstract

Objective
To examine the effects of auditory and visual cues on gait in patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD).
Method
Patients were 16 persons with IPD, and controls were 14 age-matched healthy persons. Controls were allowed to walk at self-selected gait speed and patients walked at no, auditory and visual cues. Gait parameters were gained, and stride variability were measured at each gait trial.
Results
In patients, cadence at visual cues was decreased compared with that of controls, no and auditory cues in the statistics. Walking velocity was decreased in all patients than controls, but there was no difference in each cues. Stride length at visual cues was increased compared with that of no and auditory cues, and increased to that of controls. Stride variability was decreased at visual cues compared with that of no and auditory cues, and decreased to that of controls.
Conclusion
With the use of visual cues in patients with IPD, the cadence was decreased but stride length was increased and stride variability was decreased to the level of controls. Thus, visual cues could be one of the useful method for gait training in patients with IPD. (J Korean Acad Rehab Med 2007; 31: 78-84)

Key Words: Idiopathic Parkinson's disease, Gait analysis, Auditory cue, Visual cue