title: Association of Gait Characteristics and Depression in Patients with Parkinson's Disease Assessed in Goal-Directed Locomotion Task.
abstract: Introduction.In the genesis of Parkinson's disease (PD) clinical phenomenology the exact nature of the association between bradykinesia and affective variables is unclear. In the present study, we analyzed the gait characteristics and level of depression in PD and healthy volunteers.Methods.Patients with PD (n= 48) and healthy controls (n= 52) were recruited for the present study. Walking speed, stride length, and cadence were compared between groups while participants completed a goal-directed locomotion task under visually controlled (VC) and visually noncontrolled conditions (VnC).Results.Significantly higher depression scores were found in PD comparing to healthy control groups. In PD, depression was associated with gait components in the VC wherein the place of the target was visible. In contrast, in healthy subjects the depression was associated with gait components in VnC wherein the location and image of the target were memorized and recalled. In patients with PD and depression, the visually deprived multitask augments the rate of cadence and diminishes stride length, while velocity remains relatively unchanged. The depression associated with gait characteristics as a comorbid affective factor in PD, and that impairs the coherence of gait pattern.Conclusion.The relationship between depression and gait parameters appears to indicate that PD not only is a neurological disease but also incorporates affective disturbances that associate with the regulation of gait characteristics.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioral Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs 7624, Hungary.
authors.forename: Péter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kincses
authors.affiliation: Clinical Center, Department of Neurology, University of Pécs, Pécs 7623, Hungary.
authors.forename: Norbert
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-7332-9240
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kovács
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioral Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs 7624, Hungary.
authors.forename: Kázmér
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Karádi
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioral Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs 7624, Hungary.
authors.forename: Ádám
authors.initials: Á
authors.lastname: Feldmann
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Clinic, Clinical Center, University of Pécs, Pécs 7623, Hungary.
authors.forename: Krisztina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dorn
authors.affiliation: Clinical Center, Department of Neurology, University of Pécs, Pécs 7623, Hungary.
authors.forename: Zsuzsanna
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Aschermann
authors.affiliation: Clinical Center, Department of Neurology, University of Pécs, Pécs 7623, Hungary.
authors.forename: Sámuel
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-0597-3448
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Komoly
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioral Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs 7624, Hungary.
authors.forename: Tibor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Szolcsányi
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioral Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs 7624, Hungary.
authors.forename: Árpád
authors.initials: Á
authors.lastname: Csathó
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioral Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs 7624, Hungary.
authors.forename: János
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-5914-0855
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kállai