Perception of whole-body motion during balance perturbations is impaired in Parkinson's disease and is associated with balance impairment.

ABSTRACT:

Background

In addition to motor deficits, Parkinson's disease (PD) may cause perceptual impairments. The role of perceptual impairments in sensorimotor function is unclear, and has typically been studied in single-joint motions.

Research question

We hypothesized that perception of whole-body motion is impaired in PD and contributes to balance impairments. We tested (1) whether directional acuity to whole body perturbations during standing was worse in people with PD compared to neurotypical older adults (NOA), and (2) whether balance ability, as assessed by the MiniBESTest, was associated with poor directional acuity in either group.

Methods

Participants were exposed to pairs of support-surface translation perturbations in a two-alternative forced choice testing parad

SUBMITTER: Bong SM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7015810 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature