Segmentation of activities discloses differential links between executive and locomotor function in Parkinson’s Disease patients during Timed Up and Go with a dual-task

Previous studies demonstrated that a concomitant cognitive task significantly worsen gait and postural stability measures in subjects with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Timed get up & go (TUG) is a well known test which involves several transitions of posture and gait that not only reflect functional tasks, but also a sequence of subtasks that are particularly sensitive to PD: sit-to-stand, gait initiation, straight walking, turning, and stand-to-sit. The purpose of this study is to explore in detail the relationship between objective measures of the different locomotor subtasks of TUG and clinical measures of executive functions, EF [1]. This research is a part of a prospective, multi-factorial study evaluating clinical, neuropsychological, biomechanical, patho-physiological, as well as neuroanatomical dimensions of PD in order to optimize treatment and physical/cognitive prescriptions.