title: Spatio-temporal gait disorder and gait fatigue index in a six-minute walk test in women with fibromyalgia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gait disorders in fibromyalgia patients affect several gait parameters and different muscle recruitment patterns. The aim of this study was to assess the gait differences observed during a six-minute walk test between fibromyalgia patients and healthy controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-eight women with fibromyalgia and 15 healthy women were evaluated. Fibromyalgia patients met the American College of Rheumatology criteria for fibromyalgia selected of an ambulatory care. Both patients and controls had a negative history of musculoskeletal disease, neurological disorders, and gait abnormalities. The 15 controls were healthy women matched to the patients in age, height and body weight. Spatio-temporal gait variables and the rate of perceived exertion during the six-minute walk test (all subjects) and Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (fibromyalgia subjects) were evaluated. All walking sets on the GaitRITE were collected and the gait variables were selected at three stages during the six-minute walk test: two sets at the beginning, two sets at 3 min and two sets at the end of the test. In addition, the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire was used for the fibromyalgia patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fibromyalgia patients showed a significant decrease in all spatio-temporal gait variables at each of the three stages and had a lower walk distance covered in the six-minute walk test and higher rate of perceived exertion. No correlations were found between the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire and gait variables. The fibromyalgia and control subjects showed lower gait fatigue indices between the middle and last stages.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Gait analysis during a six-minute walk test is a good tool to assess the fatigue and physical symptoms of patients with fibromyalgia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Education & Sport, University of Granada, Spain. Electronic address: herediaj@ugr.es.
authors.forename: Jose
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heredia-Jimenez
authors.affiliation: Department of Didactics of Corporal Expression, University of Jaén, Spain.
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Latorre-Roman
authors.affiliation: Department of Didactics of Corporal Expression, University of Jaén, Spain.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Santos-Campos
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Education & Sport, University of Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Orantes-Gonzalez
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Education & Sport, University of Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Victor M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Soto-Hermoso
mesh_terms: D005080:Exercise Test; D005221:Fatigue / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Fibromyalgia; Gait; Six-minute walk test