Investigation of Gait, Foot Pressure Distribution and Balance in Parkinson's Patients With Motor Freezing

The system allows an accurate and objective assessment of the patient's ability to maintain postural stability on a static surface by measuring the symmetrical weight distribution in both the anterior-posterior and left-right axes. While the patient is standing on the force platform, a timed balance test is performed by the researcher to determine which direction the patient's balance has shifted.

KoreBalance is a balance assessment and training system designed with the latest technology. There is a variable air pressure pouch system and tilt sensor under the platform to monitor movements 360° horizontally and 20° vertically. There are dynamic and static balance tests in the device.

The functional reach test is a dynamic test used to evaluate postural control. Participants are asked to reach forward through the ankle joint without moving their hips. Values less than 25.4 cm indicate an increased risk of falling.

The patient is asked to get up from the chair he is sitting in, walk three meters, turn around and sit again. At this time, the time is recorded. 10 seconds or less; It indicates that the patient walks independently, the risk of falling is low, and if it is longer than 30 seconds, it indicates the need for help from time to time and a high risk of falling.

In addition to the spatiotemporal characteristics of gait such as gait speed, stride length, double stride length, stride width, cadence, stance and swing phase outputs, the pressure distribution measurement platform integrated into the system allows the measurement of dynamic foot pressure distribution. In addition, kinematic analysis of the gait can be made with the support of the camera in the system.

It is used to evaluate the symptoms of the disease and the complications that develop due to treatment. In this scale, which consists of 4 parts, the scoring of each item is between 0-4 points. The increase in the total score reflects the increase in the severity of the symptoms.

The scale is a scale that evaluates motor freezing in Parkinson's patients. It is questioned whether freezing occurs during activities such as walking and turning on the 6-item scale developed. In addition, in the presence of freezing, the severity, frequency and duration of freezing are recorded.

There are 19 items in this test, which consists of 5 main parts: orientation, recording memory, attention and calculation, recall and language. The total score of the test is evaluated out of 30 and 24 points are accepted as the threshold value for the diagnosis of mild dementia.

It is the most frequently used scale to classify the progression stages of Parkinson's Disease. It is widely used for reasons such as being quite simple and being able to determine the motor and functional group of the patients. It performs the staging on the basis of the unilateral or bilateral status of the disease, and the effect on balance and gait. Progression in stages is associated with worsening motor and reduced quality of life.