Influence of Gait Speed on Inter-Joint Coordination in People with and Without Parkinson’s Disease

Background: The influence of gait speed on lower-extremity coordination while walking in people with Parkinson’s disease (pwPD) is poorly understood. This study sought to investigate the relationship between gait speed and hip–knee coordination and coordination variability in older adults and pwPD....

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Main Authors: Patrick Ippersiel, Philippe C. Dixon, Elke Warmerdam, Robbin Romijnders, Walter Maetzler, Clint Hansen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Biosensors
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6374/15/6/367
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author Patrick Ippersiel
Philippe C. Dixon
Elke Warmerdam
Robbin Romijnders
Walter Maetzler
Clint Hansen
author_facet Patrick Ippersiel
Philippe C. Dixon
Elke Warmerdam
Robbin Romijnders
Walter Maetzler
Clint Hansen
author_sort Patrick Ippersiel
collection DOAJ
description Background: The influence of gait speed on lower-extremity coordination while walking in people with Parkinson’s disease (pwPD) is poorly understood. This study sought to investigate the relationship between gait speed and hip–knee coordination and coordination variability in older adults and pwPD. Methods: A total of 27 pwPD and 21 healthy older adults were recruited. Participants walked in a straight line at slow, preferred, and fast walking speeds. Gait data were collected using inertial measurement units, and the kinematics of the hip and knee were calculated. Coordination and coordination variability at the hip–knee joint pair were determined using continuous relative phase. A repeated measures two-way ANCOVA tested the impact of gait speed on coordination and coordination variability, while group differences were evaluated using statistical parametric mapping (SPM). Results: Neither the healthy older adults nor the pwPD adjusted their hip–knee coordination in response to changes in gait speed. pwPD also displayed a trend towards restricted hip and knee joint excursion compared to older adults, which may further limit their ability to adapt gait strategies. Conclusions: These findings suggest that interventions addressing both joint excursion and motor adaptability may be important for improving gait function in individuals with Parkinson’s disease. Real-world applicability can be found in the potential of wearable sensors to become a valuable tool in routine clinical practice for both diagnosis and ongoing management. Trial registration: The study is registered in the German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS00022998).
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spelling doaj-art-06916efef4474273b500983ceece2d822025-08-20T03:26:21ZengMDPI AGBiosensors2079-63742025-06-0115636710.3390/bios15060367Influence of Gait Speed on Inter-Joint Coordination in People with and Without Parkinson’s DiseasePatrick Ippersiel0Philippe C. Dixon1Elke Warmerdam2Robbin Romijnders3Walter Maetzler4Clint Hansen5Centre de Recherche Azrieli du CHU Sainte-Justine, Montreal, QC H3T 1C5, CanadaDepartment of Kinesiology and Physical Activity, McGill University, 475 Av des Pins O 2nd Floor, Montreal, QC H2W 1S4, CanadaBiomedical Signals and Systems, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Twente, 7522 Enschede, The NetherlandsDepartment of Neurology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein Campus Kiel, Kiel University, Arnold-Heller Str. 3, 24105 Kiel, GermanyDepartment of Neurology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein Campus Kiel, Kiel University, Arnold-Heller Str. 3, 24105 Kiel, GermanyDepartment of Neurology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein Campus Kiel, Kiel University, Arnold-Heller Str. 3, 24105 Kiel, GermanyBackground: The influence of gait speed on lower-extremity coordination while walking in people with Parkinson’s disease (pwPD) is poorly understood. This study sought to investigate the relationship between gait speed and hip–knee coordination and coordination variability in older adults and pwPD. Methods: A total of 27 pwPD and 21 healthy older adults were recruited. Participants walked in a straight line at slow, preferred, and fast walking speeds. Gait data were collected using inertial measurement units, and the kinematics of the hip and knee were calculated. Coordination and coordination variability at the hip–knee joint pair were determined using continuous relative phase. A repeated measures two-way ANCOVA tested the impact of gait speed on coordination and coordination variability, while group differences were evaluated using statistical parametric mapping (SPM). Results: Neither the healthy older adults nor the pwPD adjusted their hip–knee coordination in response to changes in gait speed. pwPD also displayed a trend towards restricted hip and knee joint excursion compared to older adults, which may further limit their ability to adapt gait strategies. Conclusions: These findings suggest that interventions addressing both joint excursion and motor adaptability may be important for improving gait function in individuals with Parkinson’s disease. Real-world applicability can be found in the potential of wearable sensors to become a valuable tool in routine clinical practice for both diagnosis and ongoing management. Trial registration: The study is registered in the German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS00022998).https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6374/15/6/367inertial measurement unitsgait analysisParkinson’s diseasecoordinationcoordination variability
spellingShingle Patrick Ippersiel
Philippe C. Dixon
Elke Warmerdam
Robbin Romijnders
Walter Maetzler
Clint Hansen
Influence of Gait Speed on Inter-Joint Coordination in People with and Without Parkinson’s Disease
Biosensors
inertial measurement units
gait analysis
Parkinson’s disease
coordination
coordination variability
title Influence of Gait Speed on Inter-Joint Coordination in People with and Without Parkinson’s Disease
title_full Influence of Gait Speed on Inter-Joint Coordination in People with and Without Parkinson’s Disease
title_fullStr Influence of Gait Speed on Inter-Joint Coordination in People with and Without Parkinson’s Disease
title_full_unstemmed Influence of Gait Speed on Inter-Joint Coordination in People with and Without Parkinson’s Disease
title_short Influence of Gait Speed on Inter-Joint Coordination in People with and Without Parkinson’s Disease
title_sort influence of gait speed on inter joint coordination in people with and without parkinson s disease
topic inertial measurement units
gait analysis
Parkinson’s disease
coordination
coordination variability
url https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6374/15/6/367
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