Table 2

Effects of gait speed on spatio-temporal characteristics of gait in PD patients and controls on level ground


Walking on ground
Walking on ground with a walker


Comfortable Walking Speed (CWS)
Slow Walking Speed (P value*)
Comfortable Walking Speed
Slow Walking Speed (P value*)

a) PD subjects (n = 36)
Average gait speed (m/sec)
1.12 ± 0.15
0.93 ± 0.14 (<0.001)
1.05 ± 0.14
0.89 ± 0.12 (<0.001)
Average Stride Length (m)
1.25 ± 0.16
1.16 ± 0.14 (<0.001)
1.20 ± 0.14
1.12 ± 0.13 (<0.001)
Average Stride Time (sec)
1.12 ± 0.07
1.26 ± 0.11 (<0.001)
1.15 ± 0.09
1.27 ± 0.12 (<0.001)
Average Swing Time (%)
34.45 ± 2.60
33.78 ± 2.71 (0.006)
34.21 ± 2.85
33.78 ± 2.75 (0.054)
Stride Time Variability (%)
2.24 ± 0.74
3.03 ± 1.05 (<0.001)
2.40 ± 0.61
2.92 ± 1.31 (<0.001)
Swing Time Variability (%)
3.27 ± 1.25
3.57 ± 1.30 (0.164)
3.26 ± 1.35
3.41 ± 1.95 (0.456)
b) Healthy Controls (n = 30)
Average gait speed (m/sec)
1.24 ± 0.18
1.05 ± 0.17 (<0.001)
1.21 ± 0.19
1.01 ± 0.19 (<0.001)
Average Stride Length (m)
1.33 ± 0.11
1.24 ± 0.10 (<0.001)
1.33 ± 0.11
1.23 ± 0.12 (<0.001)
Average Stride Time (sec)
1.08 ± 0.09
1.20 ± 0.13 (<0.001)
1.10 ± 0.10
1.25 ± 0.16 (<0.001)
Average Swing Time (%)
35.27 ± 1.97
34.79 ± 1.66 (0.093)
35.37 ± 2.18
34.91 ± 1.65 (0.113)
Stride Time Variability (%)
1.94 ± 0.36
2.38 ± 0.76 (0.003)
1.87 ± 0.36
2.65 ± 0.77 (<0.001)
Swing Time Variability (%)
2.80 ± 1.99
2.93 ± 1.36 (0.565)
2.63 ± 1.70
2.61 ± 1.47 (0.952)

*P values determined using a repeated measures approach (see Methods) based on comparisons between CWS walking to slower walking in PD and controls.

Frenkel-Toledo et al. Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation 2005 2:23   doi:10.1186/1743-0003-2-23