Abnormalities and cue dependence of rhythmical upper-limb movements in Parkinson patients with freezing of gait.

Background: Freezing of gait (FOG) is a significant clinical problem in Parkinson disease (PD). Similar freezing-like episodes occur during finger movements, but little is known about ongoing motor problems during repetitive hand movements.

Objective: To investigate if the regulation of bimanual movements is impaired in those with FOG and if withdrawal of an auditory cue amplifies this problem.

Methods: A total of 23 PD patients (11 with and 12 without FOG) and 11 controls (CTRLs) performed repetitive finger movements, either externally paced or following cue withdrawal. Movement frequency, amplitude, and coordination pattern were manipulated. The stability and accuracy of movement were evaluated after exclusion of freezing trials.

Results: With auditory pacing present, movement performance was comparable between groups. Following cue withdrawal, motor control deteriorated in those with FOG, resulting in smaller and less stable amplitudes, hastened and more variable frequency, and decreased coordination stability. Conversely, the performance of those without FOG remained mostly similar to that of CTRLs.

Conclusions: Compared with those without FOG, those with FOG show greater continuous dyscontrol of bimanual movements, similar to the continuous timing and scaling difficulties during locomotion. Those with FOG also benefit from auditory cueing during upper-limb movements, but these are highly cue dependent. This implies that internal timekeeping functions are more disturbed in those with FOG, who may require rehabilitation strategies for repetitive upper-extremity tasks that include cueing and imagery.