The Validity of the GaitRite and the Functional Ambulation Performance Scoring System in the Analysis of Parkinson Gait
By Nelson, Arthur J.; Zwick, Dalia; Brody, Susan; Doran, Christine; Pulver, Lori; Rooz, Gitty; Sadownick, Marla; Nelson, Roger; Rothman, Jeffrey; NeuroRehabilitation: An Interdisciplinary Journal, Vol. 17, No. 3, pp. 255-262Publication Date: 2002
Study conducted to determine the validity of the GAITRite System in detecting footfall patterns and selected gait characteristics of people in the early stages of Parkinson's disease, and to investigate whether the Functional Ambulation Performance (FAP) is a valid tool to distinguish between the selected gait characteristics of clients in this population and people who do not have disabilities. The GAITRite System is a computerized instrument that consists of a 4.6-meter walkway with sensors that identify footfall patterns. The system generates time and distance data in order to provide a single, numerical representation of gait, which is the FAP score. A total of 11 people with idiopathic Parkinson's disease and 11 people with no history of neurological disabilities participated in the study. Gait was analyzed for both preferred-speed and fast-speed walking using the GAITRite System. The results indicated that people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) yield a significantly lower FAP score when walking at their preferred speed, and demonstrated shorter step length and longer step time. The results indicate that the GAITRite System can be useful in detecting footfall patterns and selected time and distance measurements of people in the early stages of Parkinson’s disease. The FAP score was only reliable in discriminating between the participants with PD and their non-disabled counterparts when walking at their preferred speed, as no valid difference was found in the fast-walking trials. Implications for future research are discussed.
Published by: IOS Press (Website:http://www.iospress.nl)
