Deficits in scaling of gait force and cycle in parkinsonian gait identified by long-term monitoring of acceleration with the portable gait rhythmogram.

To examine the range of gait acceleration and cycle in daily walking of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), we compared the gait of 40 patients with PD and 17 normal controls by using a newly developed long-term monitoring device that extracts gait-related accelerations from overall movements-related accelerations. The range of change in gait acceleration, relative to the control, was less than 75% in 12 patients. The range of change in gait cycle was less than 75% in 8 patients. The range of changes in both parameters was less than 75% in 4 patients. The results suggest narrow changes in gait parameters in PD.