Brain activation underlying turning in Parkinson's disease patients with and without freezing of gait: a virtual reality fMRI study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Freezing of gait is a debilitating symptom affecting many patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), causing severe immobility and decreased quality of life. Turning is known to be the most common trigger for freezing and also causes the highest rates of falls. However, the pathophysiological basis for these effects is not well understood.

Methods

This study used a virtual reality paradigm in combination with functional magnetic resonance imaging to explore the neural correlates underlying turning in 17 PD patients with freezing of gait (FOG) and 10 PD patients without FOG while off their dopaminergic medication. Participants used foot pedals to navigate a virtual environment, which allowed for blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) responses and footstep latencies to b

SUBMITTER: Gilat M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5516618 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature