Cervical dystonia patients display subclinical gait changes

Abstract

Introduction: Gait disorders in cervical dystonia (CD) are reported in patients under DBS or in severe cases complicated with spinal deformities.

Objective: to assess walking motor pattern in CD patients without DBS and not presenting scoliosis.

Methods: Computerized gait analysis (CGA) was performed in CD patients, before and after botulinum toxin (BoNT) injections, and in healthy controls (HC). Spatiotemporal (ST) parameters were compared between CD and HC groups. Correlation analysis was conducted between ST parameters and clinical features of CD patients.

Results: CD patients demonstrated a significant reduction of velocity, stride length, % of swing phase, and dynamic stability index while stride and swing time were increased. No significant effect of BoNT was detected. A significant inverse correlation was found between TWSTRS and stride length.

Conclusion: CD patients may have a slow gait with subclinical evidence. Our data suggest this alteration might be an endophenotipic feature of CD.

Keywords: Botulinum toxin; Cervical dystonia; Gait.