Open AccessFocused Vibrotactile Stimulation with Cueing Effect on Freezing of Gait in Parkinson’s Disease: Two Case Reports
Author(s) -
Xiu Sheng Tan,
Floyd Pierres,
Alex Dallman-Porter,
William Hardie-Brown,
KyumYil Kwon
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of movement disorders
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2093-4939
pISSN - 2005-940X
DOI - 10.14802/jmd.21076
Subject(s) - medicine , stimulation , gait , physical medicine and rehabilitation , parkinson's disease , kinesthetic learning , disease , audiology , physical therapy , psychology , developmental psychology
Freezing of gait (FOG) is a common occurrence in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) that leads to significant limitations in mobility and increases risk of falls. Focused vibrotactile stimulation and cueing are two methods used to alleviate motor symptoms, including FOG, in patients with PD. While effective on their own, the effect of combining both focused vibrotactile stimulation and cueing has yet to be investigated. Two patients, both with a history of PD, suffered from frequent FOG episodes that failed to respond adequately to medication. A novel vibrotactile stimulation device that delivered rhythmic kinesthetic stimuli onto the sternum successfully reduced FOG episodes in both patients and drastically improved their mobility as measured by the Timed Up and Go test. We found that a combination of focused vibrotactile stimulation and cueing was effective in reducing FOG episodes in two patients with PD. Further well-designed prospective studies are needed to confirm our observations.