Foot placement coordination is impaired in people with Parkinson's disease.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Gait instability is a common and disabling symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD), contributing to frequent falls and reduced quality of life. While clinical balance tests and spatiotemporal gait measures can predict fall risk, they do not fully explain the underlying control mechanisms. In healthy individuals, foot placement is actively adjusted based on an estimate of the Center of Mass (CoM) state to maintain gait stability, known as foot placement control. This estimation relies on the integration of multisensory information, which has been shown to be impaired in PD, potentially disrupting the control of gait stability through foot placement. This study aimed to investigate whether foot placement coordination during overground walking is impaired in people with PD.

SUBMITTER: Lang C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12797894 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature