Neurological Rehabilitation : Optimizing Motor Performance

Sarah Klamroth describes a novel treadmill training device, which applies additional perturbations to the walking surface and thereby simulating an uneven surface. In a pilot study the author investigated the immediate effects on gait and postural control in patients with Parkinson’s Disease after a single training session of perturbation treadmill training. The results show that perturbation treadmill training is feasible for mildly to moderately affected Parkinson patients, and that one training session led to improvements in overground walking speed and gait variability in these patients.