The impact of the asymmetry on cortical activity during gait initiation with and without obstacle avoidance in people with Parkinson's Disease

• Grant number: 18/21870-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): August 01, 2019
• Effective date (End): October 31, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Physical Education
• Principal Investigator: Fabio Augusto Barbieri
• Grantee: Murilo Henrique Faria
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências (FC). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Bauru. Bauru , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 19/24752-8 - Joint moment during gait initiation in people with Parkinson's Disease, BE.EP.IC

Abstract

Asymmetry between is a helpful tool used to diagnosis Parkinson's disease (PD). People with PD present asymmetry during gait, which is exacerbated during obstacle avoidance. Although not yet studied, it is possible that asymmetry is already present in the initiation of gait in people with PD, impairing the rest of this task. Gait initiation is an important period of gait, requiring anticipatory postural adjustments and postural stability to achieve a safe initiation. Any limitation at gait initiation, such as asymmetry, will impair locomotion. One of the possible causes for asymmetry in PD is the difference in cortical activity when one lower limb is used or the other side member. However, it is little known about the effects of asymmetry on cortical activity during locomotion in people with PD, especially during gait initiation. Thus, the objective of the study is to analyze the impact of asymmetry on cortical activity during gait initiation with and without obstacle avoidance in people with PD. Thirty-two individuals, 16 PD and 16 neurologically healthy older people, will participate in the study. Each participant will perform 10 trials of gait initiation without the obstacle and 10 trial of gait initiation with obstacle avoidance (15 cm in height), 5 trials in each condition with each lower limb. Variables related to anticipatory postural adjustments, such as displacement and velocity of the center of pressure in the anterior posterior and mediolateral direction, and spatial-temporal parameters of the first two steps after gait initiation will be calculated. In addition, the cortical frequency bands of the prefrontal cortex, right and left sensorimotor cortex, central region and occipital cortex will be analyzed by an electroencephalogram (eegosportstm, ANT Neuro, Enschede, Netherlands). The symmetry index will be used to answer the study questions related to movement asymmetry.