Assessment of postural asymmetry in mild to moderate Parkinson's disease

Abstract Asymmetry of symptoms of Parkinson's disease is clinically most evident for appendicular impairments. For axial impairments such as freezing of gait, asymmetry is less obvious. To date, asymmetries in balance control in PD patients have seldom been studied. Therefore, in this study we...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Gait & posture Vol. 33; no. 1; pp. 143 - 145
Main Authors:	Geurts, A.C.H, Boonstra, T.A, Voermans, N.C, Diender, M.G, Weerdesteyn, V, Bloem, B.R
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	England Elsevier B.V 01-01-2011
Subjects:	Adult Aged Asymmetry Female Humans Male Middle Aged Orthopedics Parkinson Disease - physiopathology Parkinson's disease Postural Balance - physiology Postural instability Posturography Weight-Bearing - physiology Postural instability Posturography Parkinson's disease Asymmetry
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Summary:	Abstract Asymmetry of symptoms of Parkinson's disease is clinically most evident for appendicular impairments. For axial impairments such as freezing of gait, asymmetry is less obvious. To date, asymmetries in balance control in PD patients have seldom been studied. Therefore, in this study we investigated whether postural control can be asymmetrically affected in mild to moderate PD patients. Seventeen PD patients were instructed to stand as still and symmetrically as possible on a dual force-plate during two trials. Dynamic postural asymmetry was assessed by comparing the centre-of-pressure velocities between both legs. Results showed that four patients (24%) had dynamic postural asymmetry, even after correcting for weight-bearing asymmetry. Hence, this study suggests that postural control can be asymmetrical in early PD. However, future studies should investigate the prevalence of dynamic postural asymmetry, in a larger group of PD patients. It should also be further investigated whether this approach can be used as a tool to support the initial diagnosis or monitor disease progression, or as an outcome measure for interventions aimed at improving balance in PD.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 ObjectType-Article-2 ObjectType-Feature-1
ISSN:	0966-6362 1879-2219
DOI:	10.1016/j.gaitpost.2010.09.018