Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience (Jan 2016)

Limited effect of dopaminergic medication on straight walking and turning in early to moderate Parkinson’s disease during single and dual tasking

  • Morad eElshehabi,
  • Katrin S Maier,
  • Sandra E Hasmann,
  • Susanne eNussbaum,
  • Heinz eHerbst,
  • Tanja eHeger,
  • Daniela eBerg,
  • Markus A Hobert,
  • Walter eMaetzler

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2016.00004
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 8

Abstract

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Background: In Parkinson’s disease (PD), the effects of dopaminergic medication on straight walking and turning were mainly investigated under single tasking (ST) conditions. However, multitasking situations are considered more daily relevant.Methods: Thirty-nine early to moderate PD patients performed the following standarized ST and dual tasks (DT) as fast as possible for one minute during On- and Off-medication while wearing inertial sensors: straight walking and turning, checking boxes, and subtracting serial 7s. Quantitative gait parameters, as well as velocity of the secondary tasks were analyzed.Results: The following parameters improved significantly in On-medication during ST: gait velocity during straight walking (p=0.03); step duration (p=0.048) and peak velocity (p=0.04) during turning; velocity of checking boxes during ST (p=0.04) and DT (p=0.04). Velocity of checking boxes was the only parameter that also improved during DT.Conclusion: These results suggest that dopaminergic medication does not relevantly influence straight walking and turning in early to moderate PD during DT.

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