Gait biofeedback training in people with Parkinson's disease: a pilot study.
Kate McMaster, Michael H Cole, Daniel Chalkley and 1 others
PMID 35842699WHAT IT FOUND
Visual biofeedback reduced side-to-side trunk lean in people with Parkinson's disease, but the effect was not present at seven-day follow-up.
During feedback, walking slowed and trunk and pelvis motion increased when adjusted for speed.
Key findings
01Peak mediolateral trunk lean decreased during biofeedback and immediately after, but not at follow-up.
02Walking speed and stride length decreased during biofeedback and remained lower immediately after, but returned to baseline at follow-up.
03When motion was adjusted for walking speed, trunk and pelvis motion increased during biofeedback.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study was non-randomised and had no control group, so changes could be due to practice, testing, medication state, or the biofeedback itself. Participants were a convenience sample of people with mild to moderate Parkinson's disease who could walk without assistance, were under 80 years, and had no significant vision or cognitive impairment, so results may not apply to people with more advanced disease, assisted walking, or other impairments. Only 24 participants completed both sessions, and one participant was lost after the first session due to travel issues. Follow-up was only seven days, and a single session did not produce retention at follow-up. Falls were not measured; changes in trunk lean, walking speed, stride length, and segment motion are surrogate outcomes. The feedback target was a 30% reduction in peak trunk lean, which the authors noted may have limited the size of change compared with larger targets.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that this biofeedback improves balance or reduces falls. It reduced trunk lean only short-term, had no control group, did not measure falls, and walking speed and stride length decreased during feedback.