Development of the Japanese Version of the Characterizing Freezing of Gait Questionnaire (C-FOGQ) / The Japanese Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine

Objective：The English version of the Characterizing Freezing of Gait questionnaire (C-FOGQ) that is used to assess detailed information of freezing of gait was developed by Ehgoetz Martens et al. This study aims to develop the Japanese version of the C-FOGQ using guidelines for cross-cultural adaptation and to conduct the pretesting study.Methods：The C-FOGQ was translated with permission into Japanese according to the following guidelines for cross-cultural adaptation： (1) translation (English to Japanese), (2) back-translation (Japanese to English), and (3) pretesting. Thirty-nine patients with parkinsonism-related disorders participated in the pretesting study.Results：There was no significant linguistic problem in the process of translation and back-translation. In pretesting, the average response time of the Japanese version of the C-FOGQ was 526.8 seconds. The error/no-response rate was less than 1%. The average score for section II of the Japanese version of the C-FOGQ was 20.0 points.Conclusion：A linguistically-validated Japanese version of the FOGQ was developed according to the guidelines of cross-cultural adaptation. It seems to be possible to use this questionnaire for detailed evaluation of gait freezing in Japan as well as in the West.

Association of excessive daytime sleepiness and freezing of gait in Parkinson′s disease / 中华神经科杂志

Objective:To investigate the relationship between excessive daytime sleepiness and freezing of gait in Parkinson′s disease (PD).Methods:A total of 136 participants with PD were consecutively recruited between August 2017 and January 2018 at the Department of Neurology, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. The patients were divided into freezers with 50 patients and nonfreezers with 86 patients. The clinical characteristics of freezers and nonfreezers in PD patients were assessed. In the longitudinal study, a cohort of nonfreezers with 86 patients at baseline clinical visit for a maximum of 18 months were prospectively followed. The patients were divided into the excessive daytime sleepiness group ( n=14) and the non-excessive daytime sleepiness group ( n=72). Then a Cox regression analysis was performed to further investigate the relationship between excessive daytime sleepiness and freezing of gait in PD, and explore risk factors for freezing of gait. Results:The freezers had significantly worse sleep compared with the nonfreezers. The proportion of patients with excessive daytime sleepiness in freezers was higher than nonfreezers [40% (20/50) vs 16% (14/86), χ2=9.49, P=0.002]. The proportion of freezers in the patients with excessive daytime sleepiness was significantly higher than that in the patients without excessive daytime sleepiness [59% (20/34) vs 29% (30/102), χ2 =9.49, P=0.002]. During a maximum of 18-month follow-up, freezing of gait incidence (6/7) in the excessive daytime sleepiness group was significantly higher than that in the non-excessive daytime sleepiness group [21% (8/39) , χ2 =9.04, P=0.003]. Excessive daytime sleepiness ( HR=8.03, 95% CI 2.58-24.99, P<0.01) and high L-dopa equivalent daily dose ( HR=5.92, 95% CI 1.95-17.93, P=0.002) were significantly associated with an increased hazard of freezing of gait. Conclusion:Excessive daytime sleepiness and high L-dopa equivalent daily dose may be risk factors for the development of freezing of gait in PD in the future.

Development of the Japanese Version of the Characterizing Freezing of Gait Questionnaire（C-FOGQ） / The Japanese Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine

Objective：The English version of the Characterizing Freezing of Gait questionnaire (C-FOGQ) that is used to assess detailed information of freezing of gait was developed by Ehgoetz Martens et al. This study aims to develop the Japanese version of the C-FOGQ using guidelines for cross-cultural adaptation and to conduct the pretesting study.Methods：The C-FOGQ was translated with permission into Japanese according to the following guidelines for cross-cultural adaptation：(1) translation (English to Japanese), (2) back-translation (Japanese to English), and (3) pretesting. Thirty-nine patients with parkinsonism-related disorders participated in the pretesting study.Results：There was no significant linguistic problem in the process of translation and back-translation. In pretesting, the average response time of the Japanese version of the C-FOGQ was 526.8 seconds. The error/no-response rate was less than 1%. The average score for section II of the Japanese version of the C-FOGQ was 20.0 points.Conclusion：A linguistically-validated Japanese version of the FOGQ was developed according to the guidelines of cross-cultural adaptation. It seems to be possible to use this questionnaire for detailed evaluation of gait freezing in Japan as well as in the West.

Congelamento da marcha e de membros superiores na doença de Parkinson / Freezing of gait and upper limbs in Parkinson's disease

O fenômeno do congelamento é considerado um sintoma incapacitante para indivíduos acometidos pela doença de Parkinson, gerando impactos negativos na mobilidade, funcionalidade e qualidade de vida. O congelamento pode acometer membros inferiores (congelamento da marcha) e/ou membros superiores, sendo caracterizado por súbita incapacidade de iniciar ou manter a amplitude dos movimentos. A fisiopatologia do congelamento ainda não é compreendida, porém atribui-se às alterações em diferentes estruturas neuroanatômicas, tais como: núcleo pedúnculo-pontino, locus ceruleus, circuitaria dos núcleos da base, pedúnculo cerebelar e córtices cerebrais e sistema límbico. Fatores que contribuem para o surgimento do congelamento são: tempo de duração da doença, idade avançada, subtipo acinético-rígido da doença, ansiedade ou depressão, perfil de tratamento farmacológico. Sugere-se que o congelamento da marcha e dos membros superiores compartilhem das mesmas características espaço-temporais. A avaliação clínica do congelamento da marcha é melhor estabelecida quando comparada com a avaliação do congelamento dos membros superiores. Estratégias para minimizar o fenômeno do congelamento são descritas no presente artigo.

The phenomenon of freezing is a disabling symptom for subjects with Parkinson's disease, causing impairment in mobility, functionality and quality of life. Freezing may affect lower limbs (freezing of gait) or upper limbs, and is characterized by sudden inability to initiate or maintain range of motion. The pathophysiology of freezing is not yet understood, but it is attributed to changes in different neuroanatomical structures, such as: pedunculopontine nucleus, locus ceruleus, basal ganglia circuitry, pedunculocerebellar and cerebral cortices and limbic system. Factors that contribute to the appearance of freezing are: advanced age, akinetic-rigid subtype of the disease, anxiety or depression, pharmacological treatment strategies. It is suggested that the freezing of gait and upper limbs share the same spatiotemporal characteristics. The clinical evaluation of freezing of gait is better established when compared to the freezing of upper limbs. Strategies to minimize the phenomenon of freezing are described in this article.

Heterogeneous Patterns of Striatal Dopamine Loss in Patients with Young- versus Old-Onset Parkinson's Disease: Impact on Clinical Features

OBJECTIVE: Ample evidence has suggested that age at onset of Parkinson's disease (PD) is associated with heterogeneous clinical features in individuals. We hypothesized that this may be attributed to different patterns of nigrostriatal dopamine loss. METHODS: A total of 205 consecutive patients with de novo PD who underwent 18F-FP-CIT PET scans (mean follow-up duration, 6.31 years) were divided into three tertile groups according to their age at onset of parkinsonian motor symptoms. Striatal dopamine transporter (DAT) availability was compared between the old- (n = 73) and young-onset (n = 66) groups. In addition, the risk of developing freezing of gait (FOG) and longitudinal requirements for dopaminergic medications were examined. RESULTS: The old-onset PD group (mean age at onset, 72.66 years) exhibited more severe parkinsonian motor signs than the young-onset group (52.58 years), despite comparable DAT availability in the posterior putamen; moreover, the old-onset group exhibited more severely decreased DAT availability in the caudate than the young-onset group. A Cox regression model revealed that the old-onset PD group had a higher risk for developing FOG than the young-onset group [hazard ratio 2.523, 95% confidence interval (1.239–5.140)]. The old-onset group required higher doses of dopaminergic medications for symptom control than the young-onset group over time. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrated that the old-onset PD group exhibited more severe dopamine loss in the caudate and were more likely to develop gait freezing, suggesting that age at onset may be one of the major determinants of the pattern of striatal dopamine depletion and progression of gait disturbance in PD.

Freezing of Gait Detection System for Parkinson's Patients Based on Inertial Measurement Unit / 中国医疗器械杂志

In order to detect freezing of gait of Parkinson's patients automatically, a system based on inertial measurement unit to detect freezing of gait for Parkinson's patients is established. The two inertial measurement units are respectively fixed on the left and right ankles of the patient to be measured, the freezing index is calculated by windowed Fourier transform, the freezing threshold is calculated based on the freezing index during normal walking, and the freezing index and the freezing threshold are compared to complete the detection of freezing of gait. The experimental results show that the number of freezing of gait occurrences in Parkinson's patients is accurately detected, and it has high sensitivity and specificity, which can assist doctors to objectively assess the patient's condition.

Diagnosis and treatment of parkinsonism with freezing of gait: A prospective study / 第二军医大学学报

[Abstract] Objective To study the clinical diagnosis and treatment of parkinsonism (PDS) with freezing of gait (FoG), so as to provide clues to delay the progress of the symptom. Methods A prospective study was designed. The outpatients of PDS with the main complaint of FoG were included and followed up for 2-6 years in the Department of Neurology, Changzheng Hospital, Naval Medical University (Second Military Medical University) from Nov. 2010 to Jan. 2016. The patients were given L-dopa first, and then antidepressants and other therapies (including other medication and surgery) were given if the previous treatments were not effective. The motor function of patients was evaluated by Hoehn-Yahr staging scale and the second and third part of the unified Parkinson disease rating scale (UPDRS); the general mental, behavior and emotional state were evaluated by the first part of UPDRS; the cognition was evaluated by minimum mental state examination (MMSE); depression and anxiety were evaluated by 17-item Hamilton depression scale (HAMD-17) and Hamilton anxiety scale (HAMA); and the severity of FoG was evaluated by the timed up and go test (TUGT). Results Six of the 15 cases with FoG were diagnosed as Parkinson disease (PD), and 9 had other disorders (2 with progressive supranuclear palsy, 3 with primary progressive FoG, 1 with frontotemporal dementia, 1 with vascular PDS, 1 with drug-induced PDS, and 1 with unknown-cause PDS). There were no significant differences in age, gender, severity of symptom or mental state (Hoehn-Yahr stage, UPDRS- score, UPDRS-Ⅱ score, UPDRS-III score, MMSE score, HAMD-17 score, HAMA score and TUGT time) between PD group and non-PD group (all P0.05). At the baseline, the FoG duration of PD patients ([7.50±2.66] years) was longer than that of non-PD patients ([2.56±0.88] years, P0.01). After treatment with increasing dose of L-dopa, 4 PD patients were improved while non-PD patients had no responses (4/6 vs 0/9, P＝0.01). Conclusion The causes of PDS with FoG are heterogeneous. The duration of FoG is helpful for diagnosis of idiopathic PD, while the severity of FoG has little value for etiological analysis. Increasing the dose of L-dopa is effective for FoG in advanced PD, while it has uncertain effect for FoG of other reasons.

To improve gait of freezing in patients with Parkinson′s disease by electrical stimulation to common peroneal nerve delivered by wearable stimulator / 中华神经科杂志

Objective@#To explore whether the proprioceptive sensory cueing delivered by electrical stimulator to common peroneal nerve can improve the freezing of gait of parkinsonian patients.@*Methods@#Thirty patients with Parkinson′s disease experiencing freezing of gait (FOG) admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University from January to December 2018 were included in the trial. Proprioceptive sensory cueing was provided by alternating electrical stimuli to bilateral common peroneal nerves delivered through the wearable electrical stimulator automatically triggered by walking. The modified 12 meters Timed Walking Test, six items of the modified Parkinson Activity Scale (PSA-6), and FOG score were used to test the gait function respectively when the stimulator was turned on and off.@*Results@#Compared to the off status, time duration for two 360° turns (T360), initiating (T1) and the turning (T2) was reduced with statistical significance when the stimulator was turned on in the three trial situations which were walking with no extra task (17.49 (13.55, 23.48) s vs 14.73 (10.31, 21.71) s, 2.16 (1.78, 2.68) s vs 1.70 (1.38, 2.29) s, 6.37 (4.10, 7.45) s vs 4.77 (3.40, 6.85) s; Z=-3.219, -4.206, -2.910, P<0.05), walking with cognitive task (21.35 (16.30, 30.72) s vs 18.36 (13.83, 27.98) s, 2.80 (2.05, 3.75) s vs 2.04 (1.64, 3.00) s, 6.58 (5.23, 8.96) s vs 5.75 (4.59, 7.76) s; Z=-3.486, -4.206, -3.363, P<0.05) and walking with motor task (25.34 (17.79, 30.30) s vs 22.24 (14.11, 29.33) s, 2.46 (2.19, 3.18) s vs 2.35 (1.66, 2.59) s, 7.77 (4.75, 9.93) s vs 6.45 (3.81, 7.66) s; Z=-3.468, -3.983, -3.570, P<0.05). In all the three exercise modes, the maintaining time (T3) was not significantly different. With the stimulator turned on, the total walking time (Tt) was not significantly different when the patients walked without extra task and with cognitive task but obviously improved with motor task (29.26 (20.11, 33.21) s vs 27.66 (17.70, 32.73) s, Z=-2.644, P=0.008). Compared to the off status, patients showed higher PAS-6 scores (18.99±2.55 vs 16.82±2.92, t=-6.617, P=0.000) and lower FOG scores (14.10±5.02 vs 10.61±5.05, t=6.151, P=0.000) with statistical significance when the stimulator was turned on.@*Conclusion@#The wearable electrical stimulator can alleviate FOG in patients with Parkinson′s disease by improving rotation, gait initiation and turning and may be used as a new rehabilitative therapy for patients with FOG.

To improve gait of freezing in patients with Parkinson′s disease by electrical stimulation to common peroneal nerve delivered by wearable stimulator / 中华神经科杂志

Objective To explore whether the proprioceptive sensory cueing delivered by electrical stimulator to common peroneal nerve can improve the freezing of gait of parkinsonian patients. Methods Thirty patients with Parkinson′s disease experiencing freezing of gait (FOG) admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University from January to December 2018 were included in the trial. Proprioceptive sensory cueing was provided by alternating electrical stimuli to bilateral common peroneal nerves delivered through the wearable electrical stimulator automatically triggered by walking. The modified 12 meters Timed Walking Test, six items of the modified Parkinson Activity Scale (PSA?6), and FOG score were used to test the gait function respectively when the stimulator was turned on and off. Results Compared to the off status, time duration for two 360°turns (T360), initiating (T1) and the turning (T2) was reduced with statistical significance when the stimulator was turned on in the three trial situations which were walking with no extra task (17.49 (13.55, 23.48) s vs 14.73 (10.31, 21.71) s, 2.16 (1.78, 2.68) s vs 1.70 (1.38, 2.29) s, 6.37 (4.10, 7.45) s vs 4.77 (3.40, 6.85) s; Z=-3.219,-4.206,-2.910, P<0.05), walking with cognitive task (21.35 (16.30, 30.72) s vs 18.36 (13.83, 27.98) s, 2.80 (2.05, 3.75) s vs 2.04 (1.64, 3.00) s, 6.58 (5.23, 8.96) s vs 5.75 (4.59, 7.76) s; Z=-3.486,-4.206,-3.363, P<0.05) and walking with motor task (25.34 (17.79, 30.30) s vs 22.24 (14.11, 29.33) s, 2.46 (2.19, 3.18) s vs 2.35 (1.66, 2.59) s, 7.77 (4.75, 9.93) s vs 6.45 (3.81, 7.66) s; Z=-3.468,-3.983,-3.570, P<0.05). In all the three exercise modes, the maintaining time (T3) was not significantly different. With the stimulator turned on, the total walking time (Tt) was not significantly different when the patients walked without extra task and with cognitive task but obviously improved with motor task (29.26 (20.11, 33.21) s vs 27.66 (17.70, 32.73) s, Z=-2.644, P=0.008). Compared to the off status, patients showed higher PAS?6 scores (18.99±2.55 vs 16.82±2.92, t=-6.617, P=0.000) and lower FOG scores (14.10 ± 5.02 vs 10.61 ± 5.05, t=6.151, P=0.000) with statistical significance when the stimulator was turned on. Conclusion The wearable electrical stimulator can alleviate FOG in patients with Parkinson′s disease by improving rotation, gait initiation and turning and may be used as a new rehabilitative therapy for patients with FOG.

Stimulation in Supplementary Motor Area Versus Motor Cortex for Freezing of Gait in Parkinson's Disease

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Freezing of gait (FOG) is a frustrating problem in Parkinson's disease (PD) for which there is no effective treatment. Our aim was to find brain stimulation areas showing greater responses for reducing FOG. METHODS: Twelve PD patients with FOG were selected for inclusion. We explored the therapeutic effect of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in the supplementary motor area (SMA) and the motor cortex (MC). We measured the number of steps, completion time, and freezing episodes during the stand-walk-sit test before and after rTMS treatment. We also tested freezing episodes in two FOG-provoking tasks. RESULTS: There was a trend for a greater reduction in freezing episodes with SMA stimulation than MC stimulation (p=0.071). FOG was significantly improved after SMA stimulation (p < 0.05) but not after MC stimulation. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that the SMA is a more-appropriate target for brain stimulation when treating PD patients with FOG. This study provides evidence that stimulating the SMA using rTMS is beneficial to FOG, which might be useful for future developments of therapeutic strategies.

Comprehensive training on freezing of gait function in people with parkinson's disease / 实用医学杂志

Objective Discuss the effect of the Rhythmic auditory stimulation with treadmill training on freezing of gait in patients with parkinson's disease.Method 68 patients with parkinson's disease randomly divided into 2 groups.The control group uses conventional drug treatment in parkinson's disease patients according to the condition of patients.The comprehensive training group using body weight support treadmill training combined with rhythmic stimulation training for 8 weeks.The two group subjects were proceeded gait tests by freezing of gait questionnaire 、functional independence measure、five time sit to stand test、timed up and go test、berg balance Scale eight weeks after training.Result The comprehensive training group had a significant difference compared with the control group (P ＜ 0.01)in decreased freezing of gait questionnaire score,decreased functional independence measure score,decreased five time sit to stand test times,decreased timed up and go test score,increased berg balance Scale score.Conclusion Rhythmic auditory stimulation with treadmill training can improve freezing of gait function of patients with parkinson's disease.

Application of Virtual Reality in Rehabilitation for Freezing of Gait in Parkinson's Disease (review) / 中国康复理论与实践

@#Virtual reality is an integrated technology which simulates the real world via the computer, with characteristics of immersion, interaction and imagination. It is widely used in neurological rehabilitation. Freezing of gait (FOG) is a destructive symptom which appears in late stage of Parkinson's disease, which can be divided into subtypes of moving forward with very small steps, leg trembling in place and total akinesia, and often results in fall and injury of the patients. Virtual reality can simulate the environment of FOG to provide a new idea for the assessment. Virtual reality combined with treadmill training can provide challenging functional training in a complex environment to improve the gait. How it works is remained unclear.

Freezing of Gait in Extrapontine Myelinolysis

A 65-year-old female visited us due to gait disturbance. A neurological examination showed cognitive impairment, dystonia, myoclonus, bradykinesia, postural instability, and freezing of gait (FOG). She was diagnosed with extrapontine myelinolysis based on her history of hyponatremia and high signal intensities (HSIs) in both striata on T2-weighted images. Her neurological problems including FOG improved over 25 days. In a follow-up MRI 50 days after the onset, HSIs disappeared in the striata but new ones appeared in the pons. FOG may have been related to striatal dysfunction in this patient.

High Frequency Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Freezing of Gait and Nonmotor Symptoms in Parkinson's Disease

BACKGROUND: To investigate the effect of high frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on motor symptoms especially freezing of gait (FoG), and nonmotor symptoms in Parkinson disease (PD). METHODS: In this randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled study, fifteen PD patients were enrolled. For 10 days, 5 Hz, both motor cortices and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) were stimulated. The motor symptoms and FoG were evaluated by the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) part III, FoG questionnaire (FoG-Q), variable parameters of FoG, and kinematic gait analysis. Nonmotor symptoms were evaluated by the Korean version of non-Motor Symptoms Scale (K-NMSS), 39-item Parkinson disease questionnaire (K-PDQ39), Mini-Mental Status examination (K-MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (K-MoCA), and Frontal assessment battery (FAB). RESULTS: Finally, 12 patients (real:8, sham:4) data were analyzed. FoG-Q and UPDRS part III were improved (p=0.002, 0.022) and variable parameters of FoG was improved after 10 days stimulation in real treatment group. In addition, their effects maintained until 6 weeks from the baseline. In nonmotor symptoms, K-NMSS and K-PDQ 39 were improved until 6 weeks in real treatment group (p=0.002, 0.002), however no changes were shown in cognitive function test. CONCLUSIONS: The high frequency rTMS was effective for FoG, in addition to motor and a few nonmotor symptoms in PD.

Freezing of Gait Following Hypoxic Brain Injury: Two Cases Reports

Freezing of gait (FOG), which is the most common symptoms in Parkinson's disease, is a unique gait disorder that patients are unable to initiate or continue locomotion. However, the pathophysiology of FOG has been poorly understood. We report two cases, one case is a 26-year old man and the second case is a 65-year old man, who showed FOG following hypoxic brain injuries caused by sudden cardiac arrest and hypovolemic shock, respectively. Brain F-18 FDG-PET images demonstrated the diffuse cortical hypometabolism in case 1 patient, and the decreased metabolism of the subcortical structures in case 2 patient. Two patients showed the typical features of FOG (turning, destination, and tight quarter hesitations combined with kinesia paradoxa) and the abnormal patterns of temporospatial data in kinematic gait analysis. We present two cases of FOG following hypoxic brain injury with reviewing of some literatures.

A simple method to assess freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease patients

Freezing of gait (FOG) can be assessed by clinical and instrumental methods. Clinical examination has the advantage of being available to most clinicians; however, it requires experience and may not reveal FOG even for cases confirmed by the medical history. Instrumental methods have an advantage in that they may be used for ambulatory monitoring. The aim of the present study was to describe and evaluate a new instrumental method based on a force sensitive resistor and Pearson's correlation coefficient (Pcc) for the assessment of FOG. Nine patients with Parkinson's disease in the "on" state walked through a corridor, passed through a doorway and made a U-turn. We analyzed 24 FOG episodes by computing the Pcc between one "regular/normal" step and the rest of the steps. The Pcc reached ±1 for "normal" locomotion, while correlation diminished due to the lack of periodicity during FOG episodes. Gait was assessed in parallel with video. FOG episodes determined from the video were all detected with the proposed method. The computed duration of the FOG episodes was compared with those estimated from the video. The method was sensitive to various types of freezing; although no differences due to different types of freezing were detected. The study showed that Pcc analysis permitted the computerized detection of FOG in a simple manner analogous to human visual judgment, and its automation may be useful in clinical practice to provide a record of the history of FOG.

Acute Subdural Hematoma Following Spinal Cerebrospinal Fluid Drainage in a Patient with Freezing of Gait

BACKGROUND: Headache is a common complication of lumbar puncture (LP). Although in most cases post-LP headaches are not severe and have a benign course, they can also be a manifestation of a potentially life-threatening complication such as subdural hematoma (SDH). CASE REPORT: We describe a patient in whom a massive SDH developed after LP and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) drainage, which were performed during the diagnostic evaluation of freezing of gait. CONCLUSIONS: SDH should not be excluded from the differential diagnosis of headache following LP, especially when there is a loss of CSF.