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Analyzing gait variability and dual-task interference in patients with Parkinson’s disease and freezing by means of the word-color Stroop test

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Abstract

The ability to carry out two tasks at once is critical to effective functioning in the real world and deficits are termed Dual-task interference or effect—DTE. DTE substantially compromised the gait of subjects with Parkinson’s disease and freezing of gait (PD + FOG), leading to exaggerated slowing, increasing gait dysrhythmicity, and inducing FOG episodes. This study aimed to investigate the DTE in gait variability of subjects with PD and freezing of gait (PD + FOG). Thirty-three patients with PD + FOG and 14 healthy individuals (REFERENCE) took part at this study. Two gait conditions were analyzed: usual walking (single task) and walking while taking the word-color Stroop test (dual task). The computed variables were as follows: gait velocity, step length, step timing, gait asymmetry, variability measures and DTE of each variable. The PD + FOG group has presented negative DTE values for all analyzed variables, indicating dual task cost. The REFERENCE group has presented dual-task benefits for step length standard deviation and step time. Differences between both groups and conditions were found for all variables, except for step time. Taking the word-color Stroop test while walking led to a larger dual-task cost in subjects with PD + FOG.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Elettronica, Informazione e Bioingegneria, Politecnico di Milano, via Golgi 39, 20133, Milano, Italy

    Ana Francisca Rozin Kleiner, Giulia di Prisco, Alessandro Vagnini & Manuela Galli

  2. Movement Analysis and Neurological Rehabilitation Laboratory, Universidade Federal de Ciencias da Saude de Porto Alegre, Rua Sarmento Leite, 245 - Centro Histórico, Porto Alegre, RS, 90050-170, Brazil

    Aline S. Pagnussat

  3. IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana, Via della Pisana, 235, 00163, Roma, Italy

    Fabrizio Stocchi & Manuela Galli

  4. San Raffaele Cassino, Tosinvest Sanità, Via Gaetano di Biasio, 1, 03043, Cassino, Italy

    Maria Francesca De Pandis

Authors
  1. Ana Francisca Rozin Kleiner
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  2. Aline S. Pagnussat
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  3. Giulia di Prisco
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  4. Alessandro Vagnini
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  5. Fabrizio Stocchi
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  6. Maria Francesca De Pandis
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  7. Manuela Galli
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Correspondence to Ana Francisca Rozin Kleiner.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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The present study complied with ethical standards and participants provided informed consent.

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Kleiner, A.F.R., Pagnussat, A.S., Prisco, G.d. et al. Analyzing gait variability and dual-task interference in patients with Parkinson’s disease and freezing by means of the word-color Stroop test. Aging Clin Exp Res 30, 1137–1142 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-017-0862-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-017-0862-0

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