Contributions of Vision to Gait and Perception in Parkinson's Disease: The role of vision to gait improvement and perceptual impairment in PD

This book investigated how vision contributes to gait impairment in Parkinson¿s disease (PD). This was achieved by manipulating visual feedback in the form of step cues, but also from a perceptual standpoint by evaluating how visual perception might contribute to gait impairment. Combining visual feedback aids in perceptually demanding conditions facilitated a greater understanding of the deficits associated with gait in PD. Also, a number of visual cues were examined to determine the viability of these cues in improving the abnormal gait patterns demonstrated by these individuals with PD, including freezing of gait (FOG) and the less severe shuffling step pattern. It was determined that individuals with PD require conscious control of their gait pattern in order to overcome the gait deficits which are prevalent in PD. Also, it was found that a certain degree of visuospatial ability appears to be more greatly affected in those individuals with PD who are subject to FOG. This suggests an important perceptual difference between the PD observed within those who experience FOG and non-FOG individuals with PD.