Locomotor adaptation and locomotor adaptive learning in Parkinson's disease and normal aging

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Ryan T. Roemmich, University of Florida; Joe R. Nocera, Emory University; Elizabeth L. Stegemoeller, University of Florida; Anhar Hassan, University of Florida; Michael S. Okun, University of Florida; Chris J. Hass, University of Florida
• Language: English
• Date: 2014-02-01
• Publisher: Elsevier: 12 months
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © 2013 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.clinph.2013.07.003
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Clinical Neurophysiology
• ISSN: 1388-2457
• Volume: 125
• Issue: 2
• Start Page: 313
• End Page: 319
• Grant/Funding Information: This work was supported in part by NIH grants R03HD054594, 1R21AG033284-01A2; and UF National Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence.
• Keywords: Neurosciences & Neurology; WALKING; Clinical Neurology; RETENTION; Aging; Parkinson's disease; Split-belt treadmill; Science & Technology; BASAL GANGLIA; Neurosciences; INTERLIMB COORDINATION; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Motor learning; POSTSTROKE; OLDER-ADULTS; Gait; Adaptation; DISORDERS; SPLIT-BELT TREADMILL; GAIT; MOTOR ADAPTATION
• Research Categories: Biology, Neuroscience; Health Sciences, Medicine and Surgery; Biology, Physiology

Abstract

Objective: Locomotor adaptation enables safe, efficient navigation among changing environments. We investigated how healthy young (HYA) and older (HOA) adults and persons with Parkinson's disease (PD) adapt to walking on a split-belt treadmill, retain adapted gait parameters during re-adaptation, and store aftereffects to conventional treadmill walking. Methods: Thirteen PD, fifteen HYA, and fifteen HOA walked on a split-belt treadmill for ten minutes with one leg twice as fast as the other. Participants later re-adapted to the same conditions to assess retention of the split-belt gait pattern. After re-adaptation, we assessed aftereffects of this pattern during conventional treadmill walking. Results: Persons with PD exhibited step length asymmetry throughout many adaptation and adaptive learning conditions. Early adaptation was similar across groups, though HYA and HOA continued to adapt into late adaptation while PD did not. Despite pervasive step length asymmetry among conditions which were symmetric in HYA and HOA, persons with PD demonstrated significant step length aftereffects during conventional treadmill walking after split-belt walking. Conclusions: Though they may exhibit a default asymmetry under various walking conditions, persons with PD can adapt and store new walking patterns. Significance: Locomotor adaptation therapy may be effective in ameliorating asymmetric gait deficits in persons with PD.