AUTHOR=Navratilova Daniela, Krobot Alois, Otruba Pavel, Nevrly Martin, Krahulik David, Kolar Petr, Kolarova Barbora, Kaiserova Michaela, Mensikova Katerina, Vastik Miroslav, Kurcova Sandra, Kanovsky Petr TITLE=Deep Brain Stimulation Effects on Gait Pattern in Advanced Parkinson’s Disease Patients JOURNAL=Frontiers in Neuroscience VOLUME=14 YEAR=2020 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2020.00814 DOI=10.3389/fnins.2020.00814 ISSN=1662-453X ABSTRACT=BackgroundGait disturbance accompanies many neurodegenerative diseases; it is characteristic for Parkinson’s disease (PD). Treatment of advanced PD often includes deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus. Regarding gait, previous studies have reported non-significant or conflicting results, possibly related to methodological limitations.ObjectiveThe objective of this prospective study was to assess the effects of DBS on biomechanical parameters of gait in patients with PD.MethodsTwenty-one patients with advanced PD participated in this prospective study. Gait was examined in all patients using the Zebris FDM-T pressure-sensitive treadmill (Isny, Germany) before DBS implantation and after surgery immediately, further immediately after the start of neurostimulation, and 3 months after neurostimulator activation. We assessed spontaneous gait on a moving treadmill at different speeds. Step length, stance phase of both lower limbs, double-stance phase, and cadence were evaluated.ResultsIn this study, step length increased, allowing the cadence to decrease. Double-stance phase duration, that is, the most sensitive parameter of gait quality and unsteadiness, was reduced, in gait at a speed of 4.5 km/h and in the narrow-based gaits at 1 km/h (tandem gait), which demonstrates improvement.ConclusionThis study suggests positive effects of DBS treatment on gait in PD patients. Improvement was observed in several biomechanical parameters of gait.