The Effectiveness of RAS Treatment in Improving Gait Patterns in Patients with Parkinson’s Disease: A Literature Review

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder involving the loss of dopaminergic neurons leading to symptoms such as tremor and gait disturbance. This results in the classic shuffling gait: stooped posture, variation in stride length, variation in cadence, reduced gait velocity, inability to maintain a steady rhythm, and an increased fear of falling. This study’s objective is to review the current literature on the use of rhythmic auditory stimulation (RAS)Ⓡ as a treatment option for PD. Previous research has looked at RASⓇ as a potential non-pharmacologic treatment because researchers hypothesize that listening to music produces an external rhythm that the patient may be able to follow and synchronize their steps to. Through database review of articles searched with terms “Rhythmic auditory stimulationⓇ in gait training for Parkinson’s disease patients” and “RASⓇ therapy familiar music Parkinson’s”, 24 unique interventional studies were selected that fit the criteria of assessing patients with mild-moderate PD with or without comorbid dementia, were written in English, investigated the effects on gait quality, and discussed relevant neural pathways. Many other populated results dealt with the use of RASⓇ as non-PD treatment or were not measuring improvements in gait. Overall, the utilization of RASⓇ intervention demonstrated an improvement in gait quality in addition to perceptual and motor timing. However, the included interventional studies were limited in sample size and were conducted within one institution. Future research could look to increase sample sizes and expand participating research centers to increase generalizability. In addition, future studies could investigate whether live vs recorded music would make a difference in the patient’s ability to sense and follow the rhythm as live music may produce more tangible vibrations for the patient to follow.