In this feasibility study, we present a novel, wearable prototype of tactile biofeedback to alleviate gait disturbances, such as freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease. We designed and tested a phase-dependent tactile biofeedback system that can be easily worn on the feet, with a simple switch to turn it on or off. Preliminary validation was performed in 8 subjects with Parkinson's disease who show freezing during a turning in place test. A metronome, control condition was used to compare effectiveness in alleviating freezing. Promising results were obtained, both in term of acceptability of the device, and improving motor performance.
['Will Harrington', 'Andrew Greenberg', 'Edward C. King', 'James McNames', 'Lars Holmstrom', 'Fay B. Horak', 'Martina Mancini']
Alleviating freezing of gait using phase-dependent tactile biofeedback