Impairment in the behavioral control of body sway, gaze shift, and mental workload in Parkinson’s disease
Abstract We tested Parkinson’s disease (PD)-related impairments in the relationship between gaze shifts, body sway and mental workload while performing visual tasks in the standing position. Nineteen on-drug PD patients (Hoehn and Yahr I-II; MDS-UPDRS score part III: 23.37 ± 2.79) and twenty age-mat...
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-12878-8 |
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| Summary: | Abstract We tested Parkinson’s disease (PD)-related impairments in the relationship between gaze shifts, body sway and mental workload while performing visual tasks in the standing position. Nineteen on-drug PD patients (Hoehn and Yahr I-II; MDS-UPDRS score part III: 23.37 ± 2.79) and twenty age-matched controls explored large images (visual angle: 100°) and performed a search task (location of targets within images) as well as a free-viewing (control) task. To collect kinematic data, all participants wore body markers (lower back, upper back and head) and an eye tracker. PD patients showed a higher amplitude in gaze shifts and body sway than age-matched controls. The adaptation of gaze shift and body sway velocity from free-viewing to searching was smaller in PD patients. The mental workload (NASA-TLX score) was a significant covariate in all participants. Furthermore, the MDS-UPDRS score was a significant covariate in the shared variance between body (lower back, upper back and head) and eye movement, thus showing a relation between this clinical variable and impairment at the behavioral level. Our results indicate impaired behavioral synergic, i.e. complementary, control between vision, posture and mental workload in PD patients. With a view to restoring synergic functional control, rehabilitation programs should train the three systems together simultaneously. |
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| ISSN: | 2045-2322 |