The vestibulo-ocular and vestibulospinal reflexes minimally impact the freezing of gait in patients with early-to-moderate Parkinson's disease.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Freezing of gait (FOG) is a disabling condition that often leads to falls and severe postural instability in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). This study aimed to determine whether FOG is associated with the integrity of the vestibulo-ocular (VOR) and vestibulospinal reflexes (VSR).

Methods

We retrospectively collected 138 patients with de novo PD at a tertiary medical center between February 2022 and February 2025. Each patient was queried and assessed for FOG status during the initial assessment. All patients underwent video head-impulse tests (video-HIT), cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potential (cVEMP), ocular vestibular-evoked myogenic potential (oVEMP), and motion analysis.

Results

FOG was observed in 23 patients (23/138, 17 %). The head

SUBMITTER: Kim Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12008544 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature