Abstract
The purpose of the present study was to determine the impact of manipulating emotional state on gait initiation in persons
with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and healthy older adults. Following the presentation of pictures that are known to elicit specific
emotional responses, participants initiated gait and continued to walk for several steps at their normal pace. Reaction time,
the displacement and velocity of the center of pressure (COP) trajectory during the preparatory postural adjustments, and
length and velocity of the first two steps were measured. Analysis of the gait initiation measures revealed that exposure
to (1) threatening pictures, relative to all other pictures, speeded the initiation of gait for PD patients and healthy older
adults; (2) approach-oriented emotional pictures (erotic and happy people), relative to withdrawal-oriented pictures, facilitated
the anticipatory postural adjustments of gait initiation for PD patients and healthy older adults, as evidenced by greater
displacement and velocity of the COP movement; and (3) emotional pictures modulated gait initiation parameters in PD patients
to the same degree as in healthy older adults. Collectively, these findings hold significant implications for understanding
the circuitry underlying the manner by which emotions modulate movement and for the development of emotion-based interventions
designed to maximize improvements in gait initiation for individuals with PD.
with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and healthy older adults. Following the presentation of pictures that are known to elicit specific
emotional responses, participants initiated gait and continued to walk for several steps at their normal pace. Reaction time,
the displacement and velocity of the center of pressure (COP) trajectory during the preparatory postural adjustments, and
length and velocity of the first two steps were measured. Analysis of the gait initiation measures revealed that exposure
to (1) threatening pictures, relative to all other pictures, speeded the initiation of gait for PD patients and healthy older
adults; (2) approach-oriented emotional pictures (erotic and happy people), relative to withdrawal-oriented pictures, facilitated
the anticipatory postural adjustments of gait initiation for PD patients and healthy older adults, as evidenced by greater
displacement and velocity of the COP movement; and (3) emotional pictures modulated gait initiation parameters in PD patients
to the same degree as in healthy older adults. Collectively, these findings hold significant implications for understanding
the circuitry underlying the manner by which emotions modulate movement and for the development of emotion-based interventions
designed to maximize improvements in gait initiation for individuals with PD.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Pages 1-13
- DOI 10.3758/s13415-011-0071-9
- Authors
- Kelly M. Naugle, Comprehensive Center for Pain Research, University of Florida, 1329 SW 16th Street, Rm 5180, P.O. Box 103628, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
- Chris J. Hass, Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Dawn Bowers, Department of Public Health and Health Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Christopher M. Janelle, Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Journal Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience
- Online ISSN 1531-135X
- Print ISSN 1530-7026