A Pilot Study on the Influence of Self-Paced Auditory Cues and Preferred Music on Gait in Persons with Parkinson’s Disease

<b>Background</b>: Gait disturbance in Parkinson's Disease (PD) significantly impacts quality of life and is not completely mitigated by dopaminergic treatment. Auditory cueing has been shown to help improve certain aspects of gait, but its effects when matched to individuals' preferred walking rate remain unexplored. <b>Methods</b>: Nine individuals with PD walked at their preferred rate across a GAITRite^® mat under three separate conditions: self-paced, metronome-cued, and music-cued. Spatiotemporal gait measures were collected and analyzed using repeated measures ANOVAs and post-hoc paired-samples <i>t</i>-tests. <b>Results</b>: A main effect of condition was revealed for step width (F = 3.533, <i>p</i> = 0.054, η_p² = 0.306), with reduced step width revealed during the music-cued condition. Post-hoc analysis revealed no significance (<i>p</i> > 0.063). <b>Conclusions</b>: The trend in step width data suggests a potential benefit of music cueing for enhancing gait stability in persons with PD. Results of this pilot study provide valuable framework for future research and the development of therapeutic interventions to enhance gait stability, reduce fall risk, and improve overall quality of life.