The feasibility of singing to improve gait in Parkinson disease.
Elinor C Harrison, Marie E McNeely, Gammon M Earhart
PMID 28226309WHAT IT FOUND
Singing did not change walking speed, step rate, or stride length compared with normal walking.
In this small single-session study, singing alone kept step timing steadier than singing with music or word generation.
Key findings
01Singing, music alone, and singing with music did not change walking speed, step rate, or stride length compared with uncued walking.
02Singing alone showed minimal timing variability and lower step-time and single-support-time variability than singing with music or the word-generation task.
03Walking while generating words decreased speed, step rate, and stride length compared with all other conditions.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Only 23 people with Parkinson disease were studied, all able to walk indoors without an assistive device, so the results may not apply to more impaired walkers. The study was a single session and did not test whether singing effects carry over into daily walking. The word-generation task was not matched to singing in difficulty, and no attention measures were collected, so the comparison does not prove singing is less attention-demanding. Only one familiar song was tested, so another song or instrumental-only singing might produce different results. Participants were tested in the on medication state and walked a short 5-meter path, which may not reflect home walking or off medication. Singing aloud in public may not be acceptable for some patients.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that singing improves gait speed or stride length in Parkinson disease. The study found no change in speed, step rate, or stride length with singing, and it was a small single-session feasibility test.