Sex differences in posture and vertical perception of gait function in patients with Parkinson's disease

Abstract

Abstract Sex differences in the effect of posture and subjective vertical position (SPV) on gait function have not been clarified in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the involvement of posture and vertical perception in the gait function of PD patients according to sex. The study included 59 adult patients with PD (31 men and 28 women) who visited the Rehabilitation Department of Neurology Clinic as outpatients. Relationships between four postural evaluations [forward trunk flexion (FTF), lateral trunk flexion (LTF), SPV], and eight gait assessments [walking time, step length, gait speed, number of steps, step time, coefficient of variation of step time (step CV), cadence, and mean gait acceleration (acceleration)] were analyzed according to sex. None of the postural evaluations showed an association with gait parameters in men. By contrast, in women, relationships were seen between walking time and SPV in the sagittal plane, stride length and FTF angle, the number of steps and FTF and LTF, and step CV and SPV in the coronal plane, indicating that posture was related to gait function. Our results could aid rehabilitative therapies to improve PD patients' gait function.