Neural and clinical aspects associated to gait asymmetry in patients with Parkinson's disease: a cohort study

• Grant number: 23/07505-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: July 01, 2023
• End date: June 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Physical Education
• Principal Investigator: Fabio Augusto Barbieri
• Grantee: Leonardo Fernandes Gomes da Silva
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências (FC). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Bauru. Bauru , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 22/02971-2 - Unrevealing the gait asymmetry in patients with Parkinson’s Disease: from the neural and motor mechanisms to rehabilitation: AsymmGait-Parkinson study, AP.PNGP.PI

Abstract

The asymmetry of gait in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), along with its variability, is directly associated with more severe gait deficits such as freezing of gait, falls, and stumbling. Determining the neural mechanisms and causes of gait asymmetry in PD is relevant for diagnosis and understanding its pathogenesis. Furthermore, considering that the progression of PD is associated with motor asymmetry, knowing how to intervene in gait asymmetry is essential for planning specific rehabilitation strategies for this symptom. Thus, the objectives of this project are to determine clinical, personal, and neural factors (size, shape, and functionality of brain structures, and iron concentration determined through magnetic resonance imaging) associated with gait asymmetry in PD patients. The results obtained from this study are important as they will provide a basis for future investigations into gait asymmetry, identifying the mechanisms and pathogenesis of this phenomenon. They will push the boundaries of knowledge in the field of movement science, highlighting possible neural and clinical factors that explain motor aspects (gait) in PD. They will clarify what is responsible for gait asymmetry to improve PD diagnosis, considering that motor asymmetry is a hallmark of the disease. Lastly, they will test the hypothesis that asymmetry in the degeneration of cerebral hemispheres explains gait asymmetry in PD patients.