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Festination is an involuntary gait in which stride length is shortened and steps become progressively more rapid. The patient with a festinating gait appears to be hurrying or shuffling along, though forward propulsion is decreased overall. The trunk and lower extremities are typically flexed. It is characteristically seen in Parkinson’s disease and related disorders. It most commonly involves the feet and legs and can manifest with shuffling gait. At times, the hands and fingers may also be involved. This may affect fine finger movements.
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References and Readings
Fahn, S., & Jankovic, J. (Eds.). (2007). Parkinsonism: Clinical features and diagnosis. In Movement disorders (pp. 79–100). Philadelphia: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier.
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© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
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Hohler, A.D., de Leon, M.P. (2011). Festination. In: Kreutzer, J.S., DeLuca, J., Caplan, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79948-3_454
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79948-3_454
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