Analysis of Dynamic Balance during Walking in Patients with Parkinson s Disease amp; Able-Bodied Elderly People

Purpose: Walking pattern in patients with Parkinson s disease (PD) is abnormal, and dynamic balance of these patients is not clear yet. The objective of this study was to analyze the dynamic balance of patients with PD during walking and comparing it with normal elderly individuals. Methods: This is an Ex-post - facto research study design. Twelve male patients with PD (mean age: 64.0±7.8 y; mean height: 165.0±7.0 cm; mean mass: 65.3±10.3 kg; and mean BMI: 24.1±3.6 kg/m2) and 12 healthy male subjects as the peer group with matched age, height, weight, and BMI participated in this study. All subjects were chosen using convenience sampling method. Vicon motion analysis system was used to analyze temporal variables and center of mass (COM) displacement of the subjects during walking. Data were analyzed in SPSS-19 using independent t test with P 0.05. Results: Stride length and walking speed was significantly smaller in patients with PD than that in peer group (P 0.05). Mediolateral displacement of COM was not different between the two groups (P 0.05). However, posterioanterior and vertical displacements of COM were significantly smaller in patients with PD. Conclusion: Stride length, walking speed, as well as the posterioanterior and vertical displacement of COM in patients with PD were lower than those variables in normal subjects. These changes might be considered as a compensatory response of neuromuscular system to the affected dynamic postural control in these patients.