A spatiotemporal analysis of gait freezing and the impact of pedunculopontine nucleus stimulation.

ABSTRACT: Gait freezing is an episodic arrest of locomotion due to an inability to take normal steps. Pedunculopontine nucleus stimulation is an emerging therapy proposed to improve gait freezing, even where refractory to medication. However, the efficacy and precise effects of pedunculopontine nucleus stimulation on Parkinsonian gait disturbance are not established. The clinical application of this new therapy is controversial and it is unknown if bilateral stimulation is more effective than unilateral. Here, in a double-blinded study using objective spatiotemporal gait analysis, we assessed the impact of unilateral and bilateral pedunculopontine nucleus stimulation on triggered episodes of gait freezing and on background deficits of unconstrained gait in Parkinson's disease. Under experimental con

SUBMITTER: Thevathasan W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3338924 | biostudies-literature | 2012 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature