Table 3

Effects of gait speed on spatio-temporal characteristics of gait in PD and controls on a motorized treadmill


80% of CWS (P value*)
90% of CWS (P value*)
CWS
110% of CWS (P value*)

a) PD Subjects (n = 36)
Average gait speed (m/sec)
0.84 ± 0.11 (<0.001)
0.95 ± 0.13 (<0.001)
1.05 ± 0.14
1.16 ± 0.16 (<0.001)
Average Stride Length (m)
1.05 ± 0.16 (<0.001)
1.13 ± 0.15 (<0.001)
1.20 ± 0.15
1.26 ± 0.14 (<0.001)
Average Stride Time (sec)
1.26 ± 0.15 (<0.001)
1.20 ± 0.13 (<0.001)
1.14 ± 0.11
1.09 ± 0.10 (0.020)
Average Swing Time (%)
32.39 ± 3.06 (<0.001)
33.02 ± 2.78 (0.051)
33.62 ± 2.48
33.89 ± 2.64 (0.032)
Stride Time Variability (%)
2.20 ± 1.55 (0.002)
2.01 ± 1.24 (0.062)
1.76 ± 0.57
1.61 ± 0.63 (0.826)
Swing Time Variability (%)
2.66 ± 1.57 (0.478)
2.55 ± 1.15 (0.839)
2.51 ± 0.98
2.48 ± 1.32 (0.855)
b) Control Subjects (n = 30)
Average gait speed (m/sec)
0.97 ± 0.15 (<0.001)
1.09 ± 0.17 (<0.001)
1.21 ± 0.19
1.33 ± 0.21 (<0.001)
Average Stride Length (m)
1.19 ± 0.15 (<0.001)
1.25 ± 0.15 (<0.001)
1.33 ± 0.14
1.39 ± 0.14 (<0.001)
Average Stride Time (sec)
1.24 ± 0.15 (<0.001)
1.17 ± 0.14 (0.001)
1.11 ± 0.11
1.06 ± 0.10 (0.001)
Average Swing Time (%)
34.74 ± 1.65 (0.002)
35.12 ± 1.47 (0.074)
35.62 ± 1.45
36.25 ± 1.34 (0.026)
Stride Time Variability (%)
1.72 ± 0.74 (0.644)
1.56 ± 0.59 (0.597)
1.64 ± 0.80
1.44 ± 0.67 (0.178)
Swing Time Variability (%)
2.12 ± 0.92 (0.758)
1.99 ± 0.71 (0.424)
2.18 ± 1.22
2.00 ± 1.10 (0.459)

CWS: Comfortable walking speed as determined on level ground when walking with a walker.

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

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