The Contribution of Noradrenergic Activity to Anxiety-Induced Freezing of Gait.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Freezing of gait is a complex paroxysmal phenomenon that is associated with a variety of sensorimotor, cognitive and affective deficits, and significantly impacts quality of life in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Despite a growing body of evidence that suggests anxiety may be a crucial contributor to freezing of gait, no research study to date has investigated neural underpinnings of anxiety-induced freezing of gait.

Objective

Here, we aimed to investigate how anxiety-inducing contexts might "set the stage for freezing," through the ascending arousal system, by examining an anxiety-inducing virtual reality gait paradigm inside functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

Methods

We used a virtual reality gait paradigm that has been validated to el

SUBMITTER: Taylor NL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9540856 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature