Gait Freezing In A Person With Parkinson’s After 6 Weeks Of Virtual Reality

Freezing of gait (FOG) poses significant challenges including mobility limitations. Reminiscence therapy (RT) and Virtual Reality (VR) separately have been shown to help with anxiety and FOG. Research on the application of RT to address FOG is lacking, and there is no prior research establishing a connection between VR and RT in addressing movement-related issues. PURPOSE: This case study investigated whether RT could potentially mitigate FOG in an elderly person with Parkinson’s Disease (PD). During this study, one person engaged in a 6-week program, spending 30 minutes navigating a 1950s virtual map made to look like New York City. METHODS: Before and after the intervention, the participant's walking patterns were evaluated using the Gait and Falls Questionnaire (GFQ), the Dynamic Parkinson Gait Scale (DPGS), video recordings, and the notes from the participant’s Occupational Therapist to assess whether the therapy effectively reduced the occurrence of FOG. RESULTS: Improvements were observed in various aspects related to FOG, such as the duration of FOG episodes, start hesitation, turning hesitation, destination hesitation, tight quarters hesitation, stress-induced freezing, and the feeling of being rooted to the ground. The subject also reported an increase in festinating gait and an additional fall during the study, which may be associated with basal ganglia dysfunction. Post-test scores on the GFQ were 14 points lower than the pre-test and the DPGS scores showed a 3-point improvement. The Functional Reach Test, performed by the Occupational Therapist, also showed a 2-inch improvement. Video analysis demonstrated improved walking patterns characterized by more controlled steps and reduced forward lean. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate a reduction in FOG in a subject with PD, showing that the combination of VR and RT may possibly help with reducing FOG symptoms. Grammarly used for sentence structure and grammar.