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Abstract
Purpose. To investigate the effect of red and green light beams on gait and freezing of gait (FOG) in persons with Parkinson's disease (PD).
Methods. Seven persons with PD who experienced FOG participated in the study. Gait and turning performances were studied while walking with canes with red, green, and no light beams while ‘off’ and ‘on’ anti-Parkinsonian medications. Gait speed, cadence, and stride were recorded. Time and number of freezing episodes were recorded during a 50-foot walk and a 360° turn.
Results. During ‘off’ medication, compared to no light, stride length improved when using the green light, but not the red. During the 50-foot walk, freezing episodes were reduced when using the green light compared to both the red and no light. During the 360° turn, time, number of steps and number of freezing episodes were reduced using the green light compared to the red and no light. During ‘on’ medication, gait speed and stride length improved more with the green light compared to the red. Neither color showed any effect on cadence during either medication state.
Conclusion. A green light improved gait and alleviate FOG in persons with PD better than a red light or no light.
Acknowledgements
The authors are very thankful for the original idea of the study in using the green light beam from Mr. Martin Priem. The authors also appreciated his effort to customize the canes with two light colors for this study. The authors are very grateful for time and effort contributions from all participants.
Declaration of interest: This research was supported by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) Grant No. H133P020003-05 and the National Center for Medical and Rehabilitation Research (NICHD), K12 HD055929.