Understanding How People with Parkinsons Disease and Healthy Adults Perceive and Cross Obstacles A Study of Walking, Vision, and Movement in Different Age Groups

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are studying how young adults, older adults, and people with Parkinsons disease PwP perceive their ability to cross obstacles while walking. The study explores how these perceptions relate to actual obstacle crossing performance and motor and cognitive impairments caused by Parkinsons disease. Understanding this relationship may help improve rehabilitation and reduce fall risks. The study is observational and takes place at the Motor Performance Laboratory, University of Haifa. Participants include 60 people with Parkinsons disease and 120 healthy adults divided into older and younger groups. Participants perform walking tasks involving obstacle crossing on different surfaces, such as floor and synthetic grass turf. Before walking, they judge their ability to cross obstacles safely. The study uses eye-tracking glasses to record visual exploration and wearable sensors to measure walking speed and step length. During the approximately 3-hour laboratory session, researchers assess perception accuracy and gaze behavior related to obstacle crossing. Additional evaluations include motor and cognitive tests like the Movement Disorders Society Unified Parkinsons Disease Rating Scale and the Stroop Test. Results will help understand the link between perception, motor and cognitive impairments, and gait performance, potentially guiding new strategies for safer walking in Parkinsons disease.

Perception of Affordances and Obstacle Crossing in People With Parkinson's Disease and Healthy Adults