Abstract
Asymmetry of arm swing (AS) has been described as a characteristic of normal physiological gait. In patients with Parkinson’s disease (PWPD), a one-sided reduction of AS can occur already as a prodromal symptom. There is limited evidence regarding AS in PWPD, but a growing interest in AS as a focus of exercise therapy. The differences of AS between 32 healthy subjects (HS) and 36 mildly-to-moderately impaired PWPD were assessed in overground walking at various gait speeds. Assessments were carried out with a sensor-based gait measurement system over a 40 m walk in very slow, slow, preferred, fast, and very fast gait speed. Longitudinal and AS kinematics were compared with ANOVA function and regression analysis. PWPD exhibited a one-sided reduction of AS compared to HS at normal, fast, and very fast walking. AS coordination, representing the timing of reciprocity of right and left AS, was reduced in PWPD in very slow and normal walking. With respect to leg movements, PWPD exhibited an increase in stride time variability in very slow gait. There were no group differences for cadence, stride length, and gait velocity. This study informs about the kinematics of AS at various gait velocities ranging from very slow to very fast in mildly-to-moderately impaired PWPD. Reduced one-sided AS can be considered as a very early sign of parkinsonian gait disturbance that precedes alterations of locomotive leg movements and improves at faster gait speeds.
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Data availability
The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
Change history
15 May 2023
A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-023-02646-1
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Acknowledgements
This work was funded by the Deutsche Parkinsonvereinigung (Neuss, Germany). The funding source has had no involvement in the study design, collection, analysis and interpretation of data, nor in writing the report or the decisions to submit for publication. Thanks to Arno Schroll for performing the statistical analysis. Thanks to Melanie Voigt for the language corrections.
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Stefan Mainka and Maximilian Lauermann have no conflict of interest to report. Georg Ebersbach received honoraria for advisory board or consultancy from AbbVie Pharma, BIAL Pharma, Biogen GmbH, Desitin Pharma, STADA Pharma, and Neuroderm Inc. He received speaker honoraria from AbbVie Pharma, BIAL Pharma, Britannia Pharma, Desitin Pharma, Licher GmbH, UCB Pharma, and Zambon Pharma. He received royalties from Kohlhammer Verlag and Thieme Verlag.
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Mainka, S., Lauermann, M. & Ebersbach, G. Arm swing deviations in patients with Parkinson’s disease at different gait velocities. J Neural Transm 130, 655–661 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-023-02619-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-023-02619-4