Parkinsonian gait (or festinating gait, from Latin festinare [to hurry]) is the type of gait exhibited by patients suffering from Parkinson's disease (PD). This disorder is caused by a deficiency of dopamine in the basal ganglia circuit leading to motor deficits. Gait is one of the most affected motor characteristics of this disorder although symptoms of Parkinson's disease are varied.
Parkinsonian gait is characterized by small shuffling steps and a general slowness of movement (hypokinesia), or even the total loss of movement (akinesia) in the extreme cases.Patients with PD demonstrate reduced stride length and walking speed during free ambulation while double support duration and cadence rate are increased. The patient has difficulty starting, but also has difficulty stopping after starting. This is due to muscle hypertonicity.
