title: Visual influence on center of contact pressure in advanced Parkinson's disease.
abstract: The visual influence on upright posture was studied in seven patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), Yahr stage III to IV, and seven age-matched controls. The position of the center of contact pressure (CCP) between the feet and floor was analyzed by a photoelastic method. When the patients' eyes were closed, the CCP position shifted significantly backward in PD (open, 48.6 +/- 7.6%; closed, 45.0 +/- 4.8%; p < 0.01), whereas in controls, it shifted significantly forward (open, 45.5 +/- 5.8%; closed, 48.9 +/- 2.8%; p < 0.05). PD patients put their body weight less on the more affected foot (open, 49.6 +/- 4.5%; closed, 47.0 +/- 4.8%; p < 0.01) and more on the less affected foot (open, 50.4 +/- 4.5%; closed, 53.0 +/- 4.8%; p < 0.005), when the eyes were closed. Visual information is important in maintaining the upright posture in PD patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation, Saitama Medical School, Japan.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kitamura
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakagawa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Iinuma
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Okauchi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oonaka
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kondo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005528:Foot / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology*; D011312:Pressure; D014785:Vision, Ocular; D016474:Weight-Bearing