The impact of walking speed on interlimb coordination in individuals with Parkinson's disease.
Cheng-Chieh Lin, Robert C Wagenaar
PMID 29765175WHAT IT FOUND
When walking at the same treadmill speeds, adults with Parkinson's disease showed more variable left-right arm coordination than healthy adults at all speeds except the slowest.
Trunk coordination also differed.
Key findings
01Arm swing coordination was more variable in people with Parkinson's disease than healthy controls at all treadmill speeds except the slowest.
02Trunk rotation coordination increased with speed in both groups and was larger in healthy controls than in people with Parkinson's disease at all speeds.
03Walking speed affected coordination patterns, including arm swing variability and trunk rotation.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The Parkinson's group was younger and had more men than the healthy group, and the authors adjusted for these differences. The treadmill may have acted as a cue, which could reduce differences in leg and arm-leg coordination. All participants could walk at the fastest speed used, so results may not apply to people with Parkinson's disease who cannot walk independently or have more severe symptoms. The study did not test whether changing coordination improves walking, falls, or independence.
Declared interests
The authors reported no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these coordination differences as evidence that treadmill walking or arm coordination training improves Parkinson's gait. The study only compared people with Parkinson's disease and healthy controls at several treadmill speeds. It did not test a treatment.