Effect of disease, freezing of gait, and dopaminergic medication in the biomechanics of trunk and upper limbs in the gait of Parkinson's disease

Introduction: Parkinson's disease (PD) causes gait abnormalities that may be associated with an arm swing reduction. Medication and freezing of gait (FoG) may influence gait characteristics. However, these comparisons do not consider differences in gait speed and clinical characteristics in individuals with PD. Objective: This study aims to analyze the effect of FoG and medication on the biomechanics of the trunk and upper limbs during gait in PD, controlling for gait speed and clinical differences between groups. Methods: Twenty-two people with a clinical diagnosis of idiopathic PD in ON and OFF medication (11 FoG), and 35 healthy participants (control) were selected from two open data sets. All participants walked on the floor on a 10-m-long walkway. The joint and linear kinematic variables of gait were compared: (1) Freezers and nonfreezers in the ON condition and control; (2) Freezers and nonfreezers in the OFF condition and control; (3) Group (freezers and nonfreezers) and medication. Results: The disease affects the upper limbs more strongly but not the trunk. The medication does not significantly influence the joint characteristics but rather the linear wrist displacement. The FoG does not affect trunk movement and partially influences the upper limbs. The interaction between medications and FoG suggests that the medication causes more substantial improvement in freezers than in nonfreezers. Conclusion: The study shows differences in the biomechanics of the upper limbs of people with PD, FoG, and the absence of medication. The future rehabilitation protocol should consider this aspect.